[quote]By Drew Danko
Online Editor
Photo courtesy of Jenna Pekkarinen[/quote]

Why did you start riding horses?

I had been doing gymnastics for awhile, and I kept getting hurt, so I decided I wanted to try something else. I tried horseback riding because I liked animals and still wanted to be active. I wanted to do something different that wasn’t as hard on my body.

How often and where do you ride horses?

I ride at Camelot Farms twice a week, and I’ve been riding there for about a year. I rode at a private farm before that, and it was good for beginners, but I advanced quickly, so I started riding at Camelot. They have an indoor arena that you can ride in during the winter.

Is there a certain horse you ride?

I get there and my coach tells me which horse to ride. I can ride any of the horses there: they all have different personalities. One horse I ride a lot is Chime and when you ride her you have to have a loose rein, or else she will try to throw you off if you have a tight rein. I also ride Harvey, he’s really sweet on the ground, but when you ride him you have to boss him around a little bit. Cover is the ideal horse because he has a lot of energy and he will take you over the jumps and not stop. You have to make sure the horses will take you over the jump, sometimes they’ll try to go around it.

How long did it take you to learn how to jump?

I started riding in a Western saddle, and you don’t really jump with that one because it’s bigger and bulkier. Then, about a year later, I did some English riding and started jumping. It took me awhile to learn from Western to English, I would almost fall off because it was so different. Since stirrups for English are thinner, in order to jump I had to learn to balance, because if your legs bounce around too much, your horse will take off.

Do you compete?

I compete in a class where you do walking, trotting, and cantering, which are different speeds the horses go, like walking, jogging, and running. The last competition I had, there was about 11 people competing in my class. You also compete in jumping, and since I’ve just started jumping, in competition I jump lower than I do in practice, so right now I’m jumping X’s and two-foot’s. My team’s name is the Camelot Equestrian Team, which competes in the Intercollegiate Equestrian Association, that includes all middle and high school riders.

What is your favorite thing about competing?

It’s exciting to show off your skills to everyone. I just like competing against others.

What is your favorite thing about riding horses?

I really like to jump, I think it’s fun just being in the air and going over the jumps.