Six years ago, Clara and Annika Beck from Tionesta, Pa., weren’t shopping for a show pony. In fact, they were hoping to avoid noticing one, especially while life at home was anything but easy. Their story begins the day an unexpected need brought a Fjord into their world.
“It’s not like we were looking for a project,” Annika said.
The pony, now known as Shooting Star II, a 2017 Norwegian Fjord mare (Wagner’s Thunder x The Pines Brekka), and affectionately called “Pancake,” is the first Fjord in the history of the USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling to qualify for the event. Before making it to the Kentucky Horse Park to compete in the USEF/World Wide Technology Pony Jumper National Championships, Pancake had been placed with the Becks by necessity. Clara’s aunt had her, and due to health complications, needed to “place her somewhere new.”
“Our dad actually just had a heart attack at the time,” Clara explained, “and so… we snuck her home.”
What started as a discreet solution quickly turned into a bond formed from daily work, trust, and their willingness to take what life handed them and turn it into something more.
“She was an unbroken three-year-old when she arrived at the farm, and she looked like another Fjord mare we have,” Annika recalled. “So, we were hoping maybe my dad wouldn't notice if we brought another pony home.”
But noticed or not, Pancake became theirs.
“We ended up starting her ourselves,” the sisters said. “And she’s been the best pony.”
From the beginning, the plan wasn’t to chase the spotlight with Pancake, but to make a pony who could do the jobs that mattered most on their farm, which included trail riding, cow work, and showing up consistently for the family.
“She’s been working as a cow pony on our farm,” Clara said. “We trail ride her sometimes in the Allegheny National Forest.”
For most horses, a steady home routine is where their story stays. For Pancake, that routine became the foundation for something bigger. As Annika explained, this year’s showing wasn’t just another step; it was a major shift. “This is actually her first year showing,” she said.
Clara added that the transition to competition came with its own timing challenges. “She just came off of maternity leave last year, too.”
“Fjords are an endangered breed,” Clara said. “So, if you have mares, it is highly recommended that you breed them for breed preservation purposes.”
They weren’t sure how Pancake would handle the change after becoming a mother, but the opportunity showed up right when it made sense, as it was Annika’s last year to show in the medium division.
“We weren’t sure how this would go,” Annika explained. “But it was her last year to show as a medium and so we got lucky at the fact that she’s top of the line.” They decided to give it a try.
At shows, Fjords carry their own charisma, and Pancake gets noticed. When the in-gate opens, strangers don’t just look; they ask questions.
“We get a lot of comments,” Annika said.
People often focus on Pancake’s distinct two-toned roached mane, primitive dun coloring, and compact draft build. “We have people ask if she’s part zebra because of her hair,” she said.
There’s also the practical reality of owning and presenting a Fjord. Pancake’s mane isn’t managed the same way you’d braid down another type of coat.
“Her mane can’t be braided down traditionally,” Clara explained, “so we try to keep it trimmed neatly.”
While she attracts attention, the family is clear about what matters most: Pancake’s temperament, her work ethic, and what she can do, not just what she looks like.
For Clara and Annika, who are just two of four sisters behind 4 Girl Fjords, Pancake isn’t simply competing for personal milestones. There’s pride in the breed itself. Fjords are endangered, and the opportunity to present one at a higher level feels meaningful, they noted.
“We’re excited to be able to showcase the breed on a national stage,” Clara said. “And show that they can do anything.”
The belief is backed by momentum. In March, they decided to show her, and in May she debuted at the St. Christopher’s Hunter/Jumper Show in Littletown, Pa.
From there, the story accelerates because Pancake is reliable she is under saddle.
Annika, as Pancake’s main rider, shared that the mare is competitive in the jumping ring. “I feel extremely secure on her in the ring.” she added.
The sisters describe Pancake as steady enough to carry different generations. “My six-year-old cousin rides her,” Clara said. “She is so sound-minded that our 87-year-old grandfather trail rides her, as well.”
Pancake’s reliability isn’t luck; it’s earned through consistent behavior, patience, and a temperament that doesn’t falter when the day gets busy. “She’s just super reliable,” Clara said. “And that’s why she’s been great on our farm.”
Her reliability extends beyond the barn; Pancake can help with the day-to-day work that defines farm life. “We can round up the cows on her,” Annika said. “We can throw a calf over her back if we need to take it to the barn.”
If Pancake is known for anything besides reliability, it’s her personality. The Becks describe her as smart, expressive, and full of attitude. Annika laughed while describing how Pancake “talks” through body language. “She likes to put her lip up a lot,” she said. “And she’s really talkative with her body language.”
Sometimes that communication is subtle, sometimes it’s unmistakable.
“She’ll stomp or she’ll huff,” Annika explained. “And we have to keep an eye on her door, because she can unlock her door.”
The Fjord’s intelligence doesn’t stop with her own space either.
“She likes to teach our other horses on our farm how to unlock their doors too,” Annika said.
Clara summed up Pancake’s energy in one simple line. “She’s an extremely smart pony,” she said. “She’s like Tate McCrae and Charli XCX. A pop icon.” Annika added. Outside of the show ring and farm routines, Pancake’s personality comes out in small details, especially when food is involved. Annika described her feeding style as a universal truth.
“Whatever she can get,” she said.
Clara added, “She loves everything.”
But Pancake does have preferences. “I found out today she really likes apples,” Annika said. “I offered her carrots and apples at the same time, and she went for the apple first.”
Even her home setup reflects her body and needs. Pancake stays in a dry lot at home because she “puts on weight super easily.”
She’s also built for different grazing realities than many horses. Fjords were bred for travel and forage in harsher, Scandinavian terrain, and that history shapes how her family manages her diet.
“Fjords were bred to go on Viking ships and travel,” Clara said. “They ate moss and lichen, so grass is hard for them.”
At competitions, that careful balance shows up in a different form: not limitations, but excitement. “Pancake likes coming to shows,” Annika laughed. “Because she gets her bigger hay net.”
When asked what her favorite thing about Pancake is, Annika beamed. “I love her. I love how sweet she is,” she shared. “And how she definitely cares about whoever’s on her back.”
Annika pointed to their future goals with confidence. “We actually think she would be a better hunter,” she said. “But she doesn't have the traditional look.”
So, this year’s competitive strategy became clear: she would show where she had the best chance to qualify.
“We figured since this was her first-ever year showing,” Annika explained, “and her last year to show as a medium [with me], that her best shot of qualifying would probably be in the jumpers.” But even that strategy includes dreams beyond the current season.
“I think being a short-stirrup pony is her dream job in the future someday,” Annika said.