Wilmington, Ohio – This week’s Wilmington Sunday Spotlight shines on Maria Blankemeyer of Johnstown, Ohio. Blankemeyer has gained some of the most aspired exposure in the sport since her junior years and returned to Ohio to operate Stealaway Inc. with her mother, Angela Moore. The young professional has recently earned top ribbons in featured competition at WEC – Wilmington with her fiery mare, Reina Van Hellehof. We caught up with Blankemeyer to learn more about her journey and share her contagious positive energy and outpouring love for the sport!
WEC: How did you get started riding?
My dad built barns for a living and my mom is an amazing rider. I had the opportunity from a really young age to spend a lot of time around Margie Engle, that’s where my mom worked and showed. I grew up showing in Wellington and started in the walk-trot jump class. I started in the walk-trot jump, was second at Taylor Harris Finals and had a lot of success in the Junior Jumpers. I started doing Grand Prix here in 2015 when they were still in the R+L ring.
I rode with Mindy Darst as a kid and got my ponies from Lochmoor Stables and was really fortunate to do so. As a junior, I rode with Ashland Farms. I learned so much along the way from everyone there. They provided me with wonderful horses and I attribute so many of my opportunities to my mom for setting me up with the right people. She is everything.
WEC: Tell us about Stealaway Inc.
My mom was kind enough to allow me to join her. I do whatever she says all the time, and I live by her Bible of success! I really appreciate her. Our motto at Stealaway that she’s created is ‘simple things done well.’ We live by the four P’s: pace, path, position, positive reinforcement. We try to instill that and go slow with our riders and horses. I believe that creating ‘the simple things done well’ foundation allows us to have success at any level.
My mom has had international success. I mean, watching her do the Grand Prix in Wellington as a kid was wild. I feel really lucky and have had quite the advantage in riding because she has done so much on such a big stage. She is a good guide for all of us at Stealaway.
WEC: How has WEC been beneficial for your career and business?
WEC has been the most beneficial. We used to go to Wellington all winter, but as our clientele changed and as I got older, we started staying up here. It has always been a sweet spot for us. We are at a super advantage because it is just over an hour away for us, so it is such a great place to come and develop riders and horses. We can just come here and enjoy it.
Reina has only been to two other venues in her life. I would say we have faced the most appropriate challenges here that have helped us both feel like we can walk into any ring. We had shown here the last three years before we’d ever been to Kentucky, and she walked right into the Rolex Stadium and won every class. I think developing her here was a huge part of that.
I also love Starbucks and the girls that work there! All the staff and all the guys are my buddies.
WEC: Tell us about your partnership with Reina Van Hellehof.
Reina is the first horse I’ve developed from nothing to something. I got Reina when I graduated from college. She was five and she is turning eight this year. She had some girl trauma. She loved to rear. We did a ton of liberty training with her. My mom is magic, but my mom is especially magic with young horses. She is amazing at what she does, and she really understands them. I have done everything with her at WEC. I started with her in the .80m in the Robert’s Arena and we went double clear in our most recent $30,000 Grand Prix. She is my woman, she is my buddy; I love her.
She loves to play and has such a big heart. I really feel like she would jump on top of a barn if I asked her to. I feel like Reina has adopted the mentality that she is either going over the jump or through it. She is so brave, and I really appreciate that about her. Once she adopts you into her ‘queendom,’ you’re in for good!
WEC: What keeps you motivated in the sport?
I love everything about it. There isn’t one part of horsemanship, horses and riding that I don’t love. I’m a lifelong learner, and I feel like I can learn from any discipline. I am obsessed with the finer details, not getting stuck on them, but I love trying to get the best out of every single horse. I think that’s what keeps me motivated. The desire to find what works for each and every horse. We have so many horses in our program that are uniquely their own. I think you can appreciate that about every single horse. People love to say, “that horse sucks,” but really, it just isn’t doing the right job, and you aren’t talking to it the right way. It keeps me hungry to keep finding the best way to communicate and to get the best out of every horse within their means.
Thank you, Maria, for taking the time to speak with us! We wish you & Reina continued success in and out of the ring and appreciate your incredible passion for equestrian sport!
Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes!
Results can be found at horseshowing.com.
All horse show images are provided by Winslow Photography and can be purchased onsite at WEC – Wilmington or online through their website.