From the moment she could talk, Savanna McMichael had one request for anyone who would listen: a real pony. Not a stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear, a real one. Now at 17, the O'Fallon, Missouri, junior hunter rider has turned the early obsession into a decorated competitive career, a Division I college commitment, and a partnership with one very special horse named Latido.
A Childhood Dream Becomes Reality
Savanna's love of horses was apparent almost from birth. By age three, she was asking her neighbor and close family friend so persistently for a pony, he felt compelled to go find one, much to her parents' dismay. She began riding at five and a half, working her way up through cross rails and two-foot courses, before discovering the hunter ring. By the time she was nine, she was watching junior riders clear 3'3" and 3'6" courses, thinking they were impossibly huge. Today, she clears them herself.
"Once you jump over a few, you think ‘this is no big deal,’" she said with a laugh.
In the ring, Savanna’s partner is Latido, her own 2016 US bred KWPN gelding (Zirocco Blue x Hard to Read). He’s described as, in a word, chill. He doesn't fuss about neighboring horses, doesn't require extensive preparation before a class, and has a reputation around the barn for being the steady presence -more sensitive horses get stabled next to because nothing rattles him.
"He'll just go in the ring, do his job, and comes out back as his usual self," said Savanna’s mother, Susie McMichael. "Everybody says they just love him."
For Savanna, the bond started with early mornings braiding before dawn, something she prides herself on doing at every A-show. She enjoys watching him bat at his stall toys while the barn was still dark and peaceful. "He'll do these little things that are just funny to me," she said. "He'll just start playing with his bucket or whip his toy around. He's really entertaining to be around."
What makes Latido especially meaningful to the McMichael family is his origin story. He was bred just 60 miles from their Missouri home at Michalson Farm in Columbia, Mo. Savanna and Marian Michaelson trained at the same barn when Savanna was riding her first pony. When the family purchased Latido, Michalsons’ reaction said it all: “Our pony kid is riding our big pony.”
The upcoming trip to the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships–East, from June 18-21, 2026, will be Savanna and Latido's fourth trek to the Kentucky Horse Park. Her goal this year is simple: smoother rounds, more consistent rhythm, and leaving the ring happier than the year before.
The Program That Legitimizes the Work
Savanna has been enrolled in the USEF Interscholastic Athlete Program since fifth grade, and her mother, Susie, has become an informal ambassador for it among fellow equestrian families.
"It legitimizes it," Susie said. "And I think it gives the recognition that equestrians don't get in school."
That recognition matters in ways that go beyond ribbons. Navigating school absences for A-shows has always been a challenge in a sport that isn't recognized in the way traditional athletics are. The program's official letters, sent directly from USEF to principals and athletic directors, have helped smooth that road considerably. Susie sends them every year to school administrators and teachers without fail.
"My friends and teachers ask me where I’m going when I am planning to be out of school." Savanna explained. "And then I tell them I'm going to horse shows, jumping — not racing!"
One teacher this past year took a particular interest, checking in regularly on her shows and lessons. "He was amazed at the work that goes into the sport and he just loves his students," Savanna said. "He is really encouraging and recognizes all of the work I put into my lessons, caring for Latido, and competing at horse shows."
Savanna doesn't just participate in the program; she also wears it. Her interscholastic pin, a perk each participant receives upon completion of the program, stays on her show jacket lapel through every show. It has become a reliable conversation starter with young riders and parents at horse shows.
A College Campus Visit That Changed Everything
Susie has long used the competitive horse show schedule as an opportunity to introduce Savanna to college campuses. Whenever they’re in a new region, they make time to visit a college campus. Some schools that they’ve visited include Wilmington College and Miami University near the World Equestrian Center in Ohio, University of Missouri and William Woods in Missouri, Auburn in Alabama, SMU in Texas, South Dakota State, University of Georgia, and Oklahoma State. The rule, which has become a tradition, is simple: visit the college campus, stop by the bookstore, and get a sweatshirt. A low-stakes way to make higher education feel familiar and approachable.
And it worked!
Savanna, who once said she wanted to go to a small school, came back from an Auburn University equestrian camp, having changed her mind entirely. "It didn't feel that big once I was walking it," she said. "I changed my mind and decided I wanted to go to a big college. The bigger the campus, the better."
In December of last year, Savanna committed to the Delaware State University, fulfilling what she describes as a long-held dream of competing as a Division I equestrian athlete.
"That has been her goal," Susie explained proudly. "People talk about the big equitation finals, and she's qualified and competed in a few of them. But her goal was a D1 scholarship."
At Delaware, Savanna plans to study business with a focus on marketing, a path she found through high school classes where she took to advertising with natural ease. Last semester, in her marketing class, students were challenged to create an AI-generated tour of their business. Savanna proudly rose to the challenge, becoming the first student to successfully develop a fully AI-generated tour of her coffee café, complete with an interactive virtual tour guide.
Beyond the Arena
When Savanna isn't competing or preparing for competitions, she's running businesses. Savanna's Sweet Horse Treats and Savanna's Naturals (horse treats and single ingredient dog treats) are regular vendors at local shows in Missouri, and Savanna's Naturals Lemonade was added to draw more visitors to the booth with enough success that out-of-town equestrian customers frequently ask if the McMichaels travel to out of state shows.
She has also co-authored a series of children's picture books with her mother, drawn from real experiences at their current barn, Happenstance Farms, in Wright City, Mo. The series, which currently includes A New Home, Catch That Pony, and Costume Mini Derby, follows the lessons of barn life from adjusting to change, building relationships with horses that don't come easy, and learning to win and lose alongside friends. The series is planned to grow to 20 books.
"The theme of each book is a life lesson," Susie said. "They are like snapshots in time during experiences I witnessed with Savanna."
Big Dreams and Long-Term Goals
When asked about her long-term goals, Savanna steers toward something bigger than any single ribbon or title. What excites her most about attending Delaware State University is the opportunity to be part of a team, sharing victories, overcoming challenges, and building lasting relationships with teammates who understand the demands of being a collegiate equestrian.
"Right now, I compete as an individual with Latido," she said. "But it’s different in college because you’re part of something bigger than yourself. You’ll have teammates celebrate success and support you through disappointments. Instead of winning or losing alone, the entire team experiences those moments together, and that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
After college, she's thinking practically too. She loves working with young horses and ponies and sees a potential path that keeps her in the sport in some capacity that she hasn't imagined yet. She knows the economics of high-level competition are real, and she's approaching that reality with the same clear-eyed planning she brings to everything else in her life like her businesses and show schedule.
For now, though, the focus is on Latido, Delaware State University, and the Junior Hunter National Championships. The little girl who begged for a real pony and kept asking until the whole neighborhood knew it is exactly where she always wanted to be.
You don’t have to be a record-setting quarterback, point guard, or track star to letter in junior high or high school sports anymore. The US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program is open to equestrian athletes who participate in any breed or discipline. To earn letters, athletes should be a subscriber or competing member of US Equestrian. Learn more here.