BY REESE GALLAGHER
Early morning alarms are part of the routine for 16-year-old Jeanne Powell. While other students in their junior year of high school spend their weekends and holidays sleeping in or going to parties, an alarm at 3:30 AM to accompany her dad, racehorse trainer Leonard Powell, for chores at Santa Anita Park is Jeanne’s idea of fun.
Joining her dad at the racetrack to watch the races became a constant in her life long before Jeanne could remember. At just 8 years old, she began waking up early to join her dad, spending the wee hours of the morning grooming and tacking up the steady-eddie “pony” horses that are used to escort excitable racehorses to and from the track, as well as working with some of the quieter Thoroughbred racehorses in the barn. But it wasn’t until she turned 13 that her father really put her to work. She was in racetrack heaven, and could usually be found cooling out the racehorses after their workouts—“walking hots” as it is referred to in the racing world.
Racing doesn’t just run in their Thoroughbred’s blood, but in the Powell family line as well. Born in France, Jeanne’s father, Leonard Powell, found an early start in the industry. He and his brothers learned from their father, who was also an accomplished racehorse trainer. While Leonard’s father transitioned into the bloodstock and breeding side of the industry, he never lost his passion for training and racing horses, and brought it with him to the United States to pass on to his own family.
The minute she turned 16 in December, Jeanne received a license to Pony horses on the racetrack. “Ponying the horses has been something that I’ve looked forward to since I was 11 years old. I’ve always dreamed of riding on the track.” No time was wasted getting Jeanne into the irons.
Off the Track
Not only has Jeanne spent every possible second on the racetrack, but she has also been taking riding lessons since she was 3 years old. On the same days that she wakes up before the sun rises, she goes off to work in the afternoons at Avanti Equestrian. “When she’s done running her dad’s barn, I pick her up, and she runs mine,” says Amy Hess, owner and head trainer of Avanti Equestrian. “When she’s not in school, she comes and helps me in the barn and rides horses,” Hess added.
When it was time to buy a personal horse, it was clear that a warmblood like the ones we normally see in the show ring would be out of the budget. This is how High Heater, aka “Fuego,” joined the family in 2023. After a long racing career–retiring with 42 starts when he was 7 years old–the gray gelding was given to Powell by Amy’s ex-husband, Bob Hess, who is also a racehorse trainer.
A three-year-old horse with a handful of career starts is one mountain to climb—retraining a horse who spent more than half of their life on the racetrack is a different ballgame. “I’ve been around Thoroughbreds my whole life,” said Powell, “so even though it seemed like a challenge, I knew it wouldn’t be impossible.” Even though her entire life had been spent on the racetrack, Jeanne hadn’t worked with a hot racehorse like Fuego, and recalls being ‘absolutely terrified’. Off the track Thoroughbreds can teach valuable lessons, the most important one being to avoid getting into a pulling match with the bit when they want to go fast. Learning to trust the horse and her ability to stick with him proved to be a challenge, but it has paid off. The pair, now competing in the .90 meter jumpers, are focusing on quality and clear rounds and working toward the 1.00 meter jumpers.
An Emphasis on Horsemanship
The importance of horsemanship and hard work is one notion that Jeanne’s team has worked hard to emphasize. It’s easy to become intimidated by the competition these days when perfect pictures and flawless rounds live on the internet forever, and horsemanship often gets placed on the back burner in favor of shortcuts. “Having to compete against these incredibly expensive horses can be disheartening at times, but how proud are you when you win on something you created?” Amy Hess says, “Jeanne’s dad is a horseman; even if he did have the money, we wouldn’t be buying the big 6-figure horses. We want her to be a horseman first. I’ve been so proud watching her and other junior riders learn to retrain a horse off the track and work through it, even when you want to give up.”
On the first day that the pair attended a horse show together, all of the time and effort that Jeanne dedicated to Fuego became clear. The tough and sometimes scary rides were worth it when the pair laid down a quality round. The diverse experiences that come from spending time in both the hunter/jumper field and other areas of our industry can teach countless lessons and help make you more grateful for every moment, no matter how small.
