A Lifetime of Love for Horses
My love for horses began when I was six when I took a lesson at a local barn. After that day, it was impossible to stop riding. Today, as a product of time and hard work, I ride almost every day and compete around the country. When I was seven, I leased my first pony and attended my first 'A' competition. Leasing my pony solidified my commitment to the sport. For the next seven years, I also had no grooms, which I believe is why horsemanship and caring for horses are so important to me.
When I was eleven, I bought my small pony, who showed me determination. Together, we worked to the small ponies, obtaining multiple championships, leading to my first Pony Finals in 2015.
In 2016, I leased a large pony coming out of her green year. Riding a young pony taught me patience. After a year of hard work together, my pony and I earned our spot at Pony Finals and placed sixteenth in our over fences round. Looking back, leading this pony showed me results only happen after working hard. In 2017, I moved to Our Day Farm (Lynn Jayne), where I got my current horse, C'est Blue. 'Blue' and I have had success together in the big equitation ring over the past two years, attending Maclay Finals and USEF Dover Medal Finals.
Now in my sophomore year in high school, it is time to think about my future, college. Ever since I learned about riding in college on NCEA teams, I knew that was what I wanted to do. One reason I love riding so much is that there is always something to learn and no horse is exactly the same. The lessons learned in riding are invaluable, and I would love it if I could enjoy college while continuing to ride.