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July 2024 | SIDELINESMAGAZINE
n the world of horse trainers, there’s a special
dream that many hold dear: for their family
to share their passion and love for horses.
Kim Norman and her daughter Emily have that
bond, which resulted in a magical journey that
took them all the way to the 2023 Pony Finals.
Along the way, Kim and Emily encountered
special individuals who served as guardian
angels, guiding and supporting. Kim, a trainer at
a small barn in North Carolina, is the mother of
The Rauschenbachs decided
to gift Sol to Emily—a
gesture born out of a pay-
it-forward sentiment that
Monica and Maddie feel
strongly about.
EMILY
NORMAN
A MAGICAL JOURNEY TO PONY FINALS
By Jennifer DeMaro
Portraits by Nikki Duyn
PONY RIDER
four young riders and noticed early on that her
daughter Emily possessed a natural affinity for
horses. At the age of 4, Emily started her riding
journey. “Emily took to riding quite naturally and
has always loved being outside with the horses
and doing chores,” Kim said.
At the age of 8, Emily started to get the
attention of local judges and trainers. “They
started commenting on her grit and
determination. That’s when I knew I had a
different type of trainer’s kid,” Kim said. Emily’s
journey was fueled by both natural talent and
her strong spirit in the face of challenges like
alopecia, a hair-loss condition. Dealing with
alopecia at such a young age could have been
daunting, but Emily’s determination seems to
have turned into a source of strength rather
than a setback. Embracing the talents of her
daughter, Kim kept providing opportunities for
her daughter to flourish.
Pony Trip
Kim is always in pursuit of finding
appropriate ponies and horses for her students
and family. It was a trip to Wellington in 2022
that changed the trajectory of Emily’s riding
career. “We were on a scouting trip for a pony for
Emily’s best friend and had tried ponies all day
to no avail. Someone who knew we were looking
for a pony reached out and suggested we contact
mother and daughter duo Monica and Maddie
Rauschenbach,” Kim said.
Emily Norman, right, with
Cody Duyn, with the pony Sol.
The Rauschenbachs were able to help Kim
and her student find the perfect pony lease.
“While discussing the specifics of my student’s
lease, I casually asked if they had a pony available
for lease for a well deserving, hard-working
kid,” Kim said. Monica, the mother of Maddie,
understood completely what Kim was asking.
Monica’s own hard-working daughter worked
her way up through the ranks and is a rising star
for U.S. show jumping. Maddie represented
the U.S. in the FEI Jumping Junior Cup in
2018 held in China and participated in the 2021
USEF Horsemastership Training Series.
The casual ask about a lease for Emily turned
into what dreams are made of. “It was easy to
talk to Monica and Maddie, and it seemed all
the stars had aligned,” Kim said. At the time,
the Rauschenbachs had a pony named Sol,
now named Future Investment, whom Maddie
was working with. Sol, a 12.2-hand 4-year-old
palomino Welsh/Quarter cross, had just been
purchased from Hank Duyn, a well-known
trainer out of Venice, Florida. Hank is known for
starting horses and fixing problem horses.