New Kent teen uses love for horses as gateway to balancing life

Hynes is shown riding Tonto at the Aug. 2023 USEF Pony Finals in Kentucky.

A love for horse-riding has provided gateways for a New Kent teenager in the equestrian world.

Faith Hynes fell in love with horses nearly 10 years ago as a seven-year old. Now at the age of 17, she navigates her passion for them around her academic schedule.

Hynes spends roughly six to eight hours a day at Fox Pointe Farm, owned by Colleen Seely. There, Hynes either goes to the barn before school or after school, spending time with them. Seely saw that and offered Hynes some more quality time with the horses. And when it looked like taking care of them and riding them would be too much for the young Hynes at the time, Seely encouraged her to keep going.

And keep going she did.

Hynes has taken her passion for caring for horses on an equestrian journey around the country. She has participated in more than 100 equestrian events, claiming either first or second in half of them.

And that journey started with her horse named Tonto.

“I purchased him in Aug. 2019 and learned a lot about patience from teaching him the ropes,” said Hynes. “We both only had mild experience at lower-level shows, and our goal was to move up the ranks together.

“Working with him was not for the faint of heart and he was quite stubborn and hard-headed,” she continued. “I was a pre-teen at the time and we both tough each other patience.”

The early moments of confrontation between the horse and her owner paid off, with the duo qualifying for the USEF Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park in August of 2022 and a repeat visit in 2023.

Hynes love grew to the point where she begin to ride Atlas, a horse owned by Seely. Eventually, a third joined the fray in Murphy.

But sometimes the true testament of a story is facing adversity. Hynes said she expected to ride Murphy more, which resulted in Tonto being sold. But after Murphy suffered an injury, she turned to Atlas to continue her appearances at equestrian competitions.

Atlas did not disappoint, as the duo participated in the VHSA Associate Finals in Nov. 2023 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia. The big show was an introduction for Atlas to the grander stage.

And while Hynes isn’t traveling much during the school year, she continues to improve her skills. Her summers consist of 12-hour days taking care of horses, as well as mentoring younger generations who desire to ride.

Hynes knows that balancing her life to take care of the horses will be a crucial step as she prepares for a post-secondary education. While she balances classes and a part-time job in high school, she knows that time management will be key as she plans to attend the College of William and Mary.

For now, Hynes hopes that everybody can learn to balance life to make their own personal dreams a reality.