- November 25, 2024
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It’s a Friday morning at Windermere Equestrian Center, and Averi Harold is in her happy place.
At 12 years old, the Bridgewater Middle School sixth-grader is one of the youngest riders out at the barn. She’s a hit with the animals, too — most notably the barn dogs. That’s partially because they can smell the freshly baked pumpkin treats she made and brought with her to hand out.
Averi — a Horizon West resident — has only been riding at Windermere Equestrian Center for a few months now, but she’s laser-focused on her goal of buying her own horse and training for competitions.
That goal also is what spurred her to become an entrepreneur this past summer. She is the baker, chief taste-tester and mastermind behind her own business, Averi’s Mane Treats.
As Averi will tell you, she has loved horses since she could walk.
Her love for horses quickly blossomed the moment she hopped up into a saddle and began learning to ride a few years ago.
“We had her ride a couple years to learn and make sure that this was the direction she wanted to go, because it’s a lifestyle commitment more than just a sport,” said Abby Craft, Averi’s mom. “After riding for a couple of years, she was still super passionate — she was like, ‘This is it.’”
Once Averi and her family decided to make the commitment to competitive riding, they found Windermere Equestrian Center. Four months into her lessons there, Averi is jumping and preparing to compete.
“This is my first time doing jumps and stuff,” she said. “My last horse riding (experience) was just going to a place called the (Interscholastic Equestrian Association), and it’s where a judge judges you on the way you ride — not the way you jump — just around the ring.”
The Interscholastic Equestrian Association is a nonprofit that gives children in fourth through 12 grades the opportunity to compete without the financial burden of owning a horse. But Averi wanted to take it a step further. Now, she’s saving for a horse of her own.
That’s where the idea for Averi’s Mane Treats was born. It marries two of the things Averi is most passionate about — horses and baking.
“This is an expensive sport, and I wanted to help raise money to help pay for it,” Averi said. “We’ve been wanting to just do a business (anyway) … so I decided to help out.”
“Now we’re working on saving up money to buy a horse,” Abby Craft said. “And then once we buy a horse, we have to board it and everything, so that’s more so where her money is going toward now.”
For a while, Averi was solely focused on creating delicious sweets and treats for humans. She began by making miniature cheesecakes and apple pies, as well as chocolate chip cookies. There also was fudge, cinnamon and sugar pecans, edible cookie dough, parfait, cobblers and chocolate-dipped pretzels.
But with her love for animals in mind, Averi couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make some special treats for furry, four-legged friends, too. Her favorite to make right now are pumpkin treats — a hit with both dogs and horses.
“I like to do the pumpkin treats for the animals, because that’s the main thing I know that they like and can have,” Averi said. “And I like to put together the little fruit and veggie bowls for the pigs and goats. And for the humans, I like doing cheesecakes. (For Halloween) I was doing the caramel apples and a goodie basket for younger kids and adults.”
Averi said the first few times she sold her baked goods, she got quite a few orders. Things have slowed down a bit since school started back, but she still gets at least a couple orders each time she offers a new menu. She hopes to keep receiving orders and work toward her goals.
It helps, Averi said, that she currently is attending school online and can make her own schedule. She completes her schoolwork in the morning and heads down to the barn for riding lessons and chores twice a week.
Every order placed helps Averi pay for her lessons, practice and show uniforms, and entry into the shows. Her mom runs her business’ Facebook and Instagram pages for her, and Averi has a notebook where she writes down all her orders.
Thus far, she’s been able to make enough money to help pay for some of the clothes necessary for lessons and shows. Now, she and her family are focused on saving for her horse and related expenses.
“It’s just really cool because she understood that if she wanted to do something like this, it was going to take everything from her,” Abby Craft said. “It was going to take away time from friends because it’s either riding or doing something to help put away some money and be a part of it. We’re just really proud of her for not giving up. She’s definitely determined, without a doubt. We’re all going to help out with it. It’s going to be a full family affair. She’s just living her dream.”
