The way Centreville High School senior Maggie Burrus speaks about Formal Attire, you would think that she was talking about a brother or sister instead of an horse.
“We're partners,” Burrus says.
That partnership paid off when her horse qualified for both the Washington International and Pennsylvania International Horse Shows in the Green Division.
THAT SUCCESS was the kind that Burrus and her mother, Kathy Moffit, envisioned when they bought Formal Attire, known around his barn as Graf, in December of 2004.
“We had hoped he would be able to do three-foot jumps,” said Moffit, a native of Clifton. “That's one of the highest jumps you can do.”
But before being able to jump and compete one of the highest levels, Formal Attire, his owners and trainers would have a bout with adversity.
Prior to his first year of competition in the professional division, the horse broke a bone off of his shoulder, a common injury in horses. Nonetheless, a set-back in the goals of Burrus who had been riding horses since she was 6 and was riding Formal Attire as a junior rider.
“It was really difficult,” said Burrus of the injury. “We did really well last year, we were really competitive. We were champion at zone finals and we were coming into the year looking like we would do very well in the state and the zone. When he broke his shoulder, it kind of set back everything for me. This is my last year as a junior, I'm going to be an adult next year. There's a kind of prestige with being a junior and being able to ride well in the junior division. When he went down we weren't sure if he would be able to come back for my last year. It was a pretty rough winter.”
Formal Attire rebounded faster than most expected from his injury to dominate the Culpeper Shows, a group of nationally ranked shows that feature horses from all around the country, becoming the series champion.
“He came back a lot more quickly,” Burrus said. “They had said six months to a year but he came back after four or five months. After he came back he just started winning everything.”
Formal Attire was one of the more inexperience horses in that division, which pitted him against horses that had been to more than their fair share of shows and competitions.
“He's considered a green horse,” Burrus said. “This was his first year in the professional division. Most kids are on horses that had been there and done that. For me, I was competing against kids that were on horses that had a lot of experience and I was just trying to bring my horse along. It was difficult.”
IN DOING THAT, Formal Attire compiled enough points to be able to apply for a spot in international shows. Ordinarily, only the Top 25-ranked horses are guaranteed a spot in the international shows, but Formal Attire was allotted a spot, despite being ranked in between No. 50 and 75.
“By this point in the year so many horses have injuries,” Burrus said. “If you're in the top 75 you have a pretty good chance of getting in. After that, you're not going to get in.”
Now that the shows are over, the Centreville High senior is getting set to leave for college — she's eyeing the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina for their respective riding programs.
Unfortunately for the run of success that Burrus and Formal Attire have had, the partnership is nearing its end, as Moffit and Burrus will put the horse up for sale.
“It's going to be really difficult,” Burrus said. “It's not like he's my pet dog. We're partners. I've really put a lot of work into him, but I'll be glad to see him progress with someone else and win with another kid and know that I put the work into it. It kind of goes along with the territory. It's big business and there's a lot of money. You know that you're eventually going to have to sell, but you know they're going to go to good kids and get good care.”