Horses are Veronica Talbert's great passion. For Erik Martinsen, it's books.

The two area youngsters parlayed those interests into winning entries in a national contest sponsored by Kid Scoop, the syndicated page that can be found Mondays on the back page of this section of the newspaper.

Veronica, an 11-year-old resident of Goldvein in Fauquier County, and Erik, a 13-year-old from Partlow in Spotsylvania County, were among about a hundred young writers who entered a Kid Scoop contest last year in which they interviewed and wrote about "hometown heroes."

Veronica's chosen hero was Karl Santone, an advocate for shelter animals whom she met when her family was adopting their dog, Squirt. Erik's hero was Fredericksburg naturalist Linda Bailey, whose outdoors-education programs at Motts Run Reservoir he enjoys.

Veronica's and Erik's essays were chosen as top winners. That meant an even greater opportunity: If each would make a list of nationally famous heroes to talk to and write about, Kid Scoop would try to arrange interviews, either in person or by phone.

Their first choices--first lady Michelle Obama for Veronica and "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling for Erik--were long shots, and neither worked out. But both young writers got to interview the No. 2 heroes on their lists.

HEROIC HORSEMAN

Veronica, who's taken riding lessons for the past five years and has a horse-themed bedroom with walls that look like stalls, chose Australian horse trainer Clinton Anderson. She's an avid viewer of his television show, "Downunder Horsemanship," and admires his ability to connect with horses who are untamed or survivors of abuse.

When Kid Scoop asked Anderson to let Veronica interview him, he responded enthusiastically.

Veronica, her parents, one set of grandparents, her gifted-education teacher and the teacher's daughter were VIP guests last summer at a Maryland appearance of the Wahl Walkabout Tour, in which Anderson demonstrated his training techniques and horsemanship.

They sat in reserved seating right up front, and Anderson introduced Veronica to the crowd--a moment she found thrilling if a little embarrassing.

After the show, she got to ask Anderson several questions she'd prepared for the interview, and the two posed for photos with Veronica wearing a Kid Scoop T-shirt.
Veronica did a lot of work afterward to prepare the article. "It took me a while to get it the way I wanted it," she said.

Her article based on that exciting day is excerpted in today's Kid Scoop (back page) and can be read in its entirety at kidscoop.com.

A fifth-grader at Mary Walter Elementary School in Bealeton, Veronica loves math and is an avid reader. She's the daughter of Tricia and Steve Talbert and the big sister of Lucas, 9, a third-grader.

POPULAR POET

Erik can't remember a time when he didn't love to read. It's a habit he got into early with his parents, Laura and Todd Martinsen.

Erik fondly remembers them all gathering at bedtime to read aloud the works of poet-humorist Jack Prelutsky.

That memory prompted him to chose Prelutsky, the first-ever U.S. children's poet laureate, as his Kid Scoop interview subject.

One afternoon Erik and his mom visited The Free Lance-Star, and Erik called Prelutsky from the office of Newspapers in Education manager Janet Gibson.

Erik was a bit anxious about interviewing a nationally known writer whose works had meant so much to him. "It was the mentality of, 'Oh, my gosh, he's famous,'" Erik recalled.

But he was prepared, having pored over Prelutsky's Web site, jackprelutsky.com, and come up with 10 or 11 questions that weren't already answered online. And Erik tried to heed his mother's reminder that he has two ears but only one mouth and should listen more than he talked.

Prelutsky, he recalled, put him at ease right away. When Erik asked, "How are you?" Prelutsky answered, "Getting older and uglier. How are you?"

The two ended up talking for more than an hour, and it especially impressed Erik that Prelutsky said he arrived at poetry writing after trying several other art forms with less success.

Erik himself has wide-ranging interests.

As a homeschooled seventh-grader, he's able to concentrate intensely on subjects that captivate him. He's learning computer programming with his dad and loves social studies and science. He plays guitar and trumpet in a band made up of homeschooled kids.

"My mom and dad say I'm really good at math, but I personally don't like it," he says. "My favorite is probably reading."

Erik and his parents share their 20-acre Partlow property with a bouncy dog named Brooks and an 18-year-old curmudgeonly cat, Colby.

Erik's article about Prelutsky will appear in Kid Scoop in April as part of National Poetry Month.