Explain what type of horseback riding you do.

The horseback riding I do is called eventing. So it’s got three different phases, there’s dressage, cross country, and stadium jumping and it takes place over about two days. It tests all your skills through horseback riding. So people call it the horse triathlon, because it is three different parts. So there’s jumping and then the dressage is all the flat work and the fancy stuff.

How old were you when you started horseback riding?

I was five years old when I started horseback riding.

What inspired you to do horseback riding?

When I was five years old my grandma took me to a horse camp out in Missouri and I just fell in love with it right then. I got on that horse and I was just like “oh my gosh I have to do this for the rest of my life,” so that’s all it took.

What type of horses do you ride?

So far I’ve only had three horses in my life and two of them have been thoroughbreds. So they have both been ex race horses so they both raced when they were pretty young, about three or four and I love riding thoroughbreds. They’re so hyper and they have so much energy. They want to work and so I typically ride thoroughbreds.

How did you come to get your horse?

The one that I have right now, Grayson, my trainer actually found him on Facebook and she had a ten second video of him jumping one jump. She found him probably about thirty minutes away from here, he is just fabulous. He was really cheap and I went out there and rode him and I jumped him a couple times. She jumped him a couple times too and she’s just like “this is your horse.”

Why do you enjoy horseback riding?

I love horses, they are so amazing. I love animals and then horses are just awesome. The competition side of it is a lot of fun, getting to be with all your friends, because you become a little family with all your horse show buddies. Then just the adrenaline rush on that cross country course it’s so cool. You’re just getting to fly around this big pasture jumping and it’s just awesome.

What type of physical shape do you need to be in for this?

You don’t necessarily have to be super fit, because there are riders that are a little bit bigger and they still ride and compete just the same as us. It does help on the five minute long cross country course. It’s like running a race, you have to be in shape, you have to be on your toes and ready to control this horse if they decide to do something stupid. If they don’t want to go over that jump you have to make them go over it. It just makes it easier to ride if your in shape.

How do you practice for competitions?

I ride everyday at home no matter what, rain or shine. Then I try and get out to my trainer during the week or the weekend and she will give me an hour lesson, coach me on whatever we need to work on, if that’s jumping or dressage. Then to preparing for competitions you just got to practice your dressage test so that you have that memorized and practice the jumping I guess.

How challenging are the competitions?

Right now I have a new baby that I’m bringing up so every competition is a huge deal for us, because it’s always new jumps and new people to compete against. So they’re typically pretty tough and it’s hard to get the top three places.

What types of major injuries have you gotten from this sport?

I haven’t broken anything to this day. The worst injury was when I was racing my dad, he was on foot and I was on a pony and I was going bare-back so I didn’t have a saddle on. The horse decided he didn’t want to go anymore so he stopped. I face planted and pretty much messed up my nose and got a big huge hematoma. So I had a swollen chin and face and that was probably the worst one. I have been stepped on tons of times. Even my hands have been stepped on, but I haven’t broken anything yet.

How often do you travel?

Show season kind of is weird, it’s all year round for the most part, but I mainly travel from March to about October. I go in the summer months too, it’s pretty much every weekend. In the winter it’s kind of whenever you can get a show in, in the Midwest it’s snowing and everything, it’s hard so you have to go down to Texas if you want to compete. So in the summer it’s pretty much every weekend whether it’s competing or just training.

How much does it cost to do this sport?

Well this being very expensive, horses are not that expensive themselves, but competition fees are usually around $350 to $400 per show. I have to pay for those so those get really expensive. Plus, then you got to pay for the gas to get there and hotel and food and all that, which my parents take care of that part. But yes, it’s expensive.