Mason Berry, 12, pets Patriot, ridden by his neighbor Stella Ballou, 7, as Stella's mom Sarah Ballou cleans up from a family gathering outside Ballou's Royalton, Vt., home on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Ballou, who started riding at age 3, rode fourteen-year-old Patriot at a nearby farm over the winter before her family bought the horse and brought him to their small farm for the warmer months. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Credit: Valley News - James M. Patterson
