Shortly after she learned to talk, Molly Streit announced that she wanted to take horseback riding lessons. “I made the rule that she couldn’t ride until she was 5,” her mother, Meghan, said. “The day after she turned 5, she took her first lesson.”
Molly is now 7 years old, and has been riding her pony, Woody, at Couderay Springs Farm in North Garden for about 18 months. Her goal is to learn to canter this year, and enter a show next year. “Molly and Woody are a good match for each other,” Meghan said. “They’re both determined and smart, with a little bit of a fiery spirit.” Woody has pushed Molly to work hard, and she has “introduced him to the decadent world of fresh peaches,” Meghan said. On tough days, there is no one Molly would rather see than Woody, which is why Molly’s mom has been known to drive her daughter to the barn just for a pony hug.