Esquirel Rorthey, known as Squirrel, is a charismatic 10-year-old Selle Français gelding. Ridden by Lucinda Exner, Squirrel trains with Andre Dignelli at Heritage Farm.
Squirrel is known for his expressive personality—from playful side-eyes to full-on treat-begging stares, his face speaks volumes. In the barn, he’s friendly, sociable, and treat-obsessed (especially if you’ve got apple horse cookies in your pocket). He’ll say hello to anyone who walks by. But in the ring? He’s all business—especially in the jumper ring, where he shines the brightest.
Lucinda’s favorite memory with Squirrel came during the Maclay Regionals for Region 1. At the time, he had only done three flat classes and jumped hunter fences twice. Despite being primarily a jumper, he didn’t put a hoof wrong—nailing the flat phase and the jumps with confidence and ease. That round qualified them for Maclay Finals, and that’s when Lucinda realized: Squirrel could do the equitation too.
But the journey to Squirrel wasn’t a straight line. After trying 16 horses, facing three failed vet checks, and navigating more than a few heartbreaks, Squirrel appeared like a miracle. It was March of Lucinda’s final junior year, and she’d committed to going all-in on the jumper ring, putting her last year in the big eq on pause.
She spent the summer moving up to the 1.20/1.25m jumper divisions, even competing in her first Grand Prix. Towards the end of the season, she gave the big eq another shot—despite it being Squirrel’s first time over hunter-style fences and flat classes. He nailed it, again and again. In fact, he helped her accidentally qualify for multiple equitation finals, including:
USHJA Jump Seat Finals East
USEF Dover Medal Finals
New England Finals
Maclay Finals
Squirrel had only ever done jumpers, but his versatility and heart proved otherwise. He’s now not just a jumper, but a finals horse—the ultimate partner for a rider finishing her junior career on a high note.
Lucinda has been riding horses since she was two years old, starting in the lead line division on her Shetland pony, Banjo. Growing up on a horse farm, horses have always been a part of her life—and today, her family owns 11 of them. She transitioned from ponies to horses at age 11, and her love for the sport has only grown.
Karinda K. is a Houston, TX based equine photographer that travels around the United States photographing equestrians and their horses. Karinda specializes in Outdoor Horse & Rider Portrait sessions that bring to life the magical relationship equestrians share with their horses, Senior Portraits, and Fine Art Black & White Background Portraits for those that want a piece of art featuring their very own animals.
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Portraits for Charity was an idea Karinda dreamt up to help give back to families impacted by Childhood Cancer in memory of her husband’s sister Jessica.
If you are interested in having Karinda attend your event and host a Portraits for Charity day, send an email to equine@karindak(.)com.
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Information shared in this blog is based on information collected at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, if for any reason this information is incorrect and you would like your horse’s blog post updated, please notify us via email.
