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Junior rider Ava Barnes struggles with perfectionist tendencies in the show ring and at home. Over the last year, the 14-year-old from Cincinnati, Ohio, has endeavored to overcome her inner critic and fear of making mistakes. Her efforts were rewarded at the 2024 Devon Horse Show, where the young horsewoman captured the Devon Grand Junior Hunter Champion title.
Barnes and her trainer David Belford, who trains out of his New Hope Farm in Batavia, Ohio, and Wellington, Florida, have worked hard to boost her confidence.
“When you naturally have an inclination to always dictate what’s happening, versus opening up to achieve that freedom of movement for hunters, it
