I Enjoy Inspiring People Every Day

On her blog, Dear Equestians, Daija Sams says her goal is “to illuminate the path for younger future equestrians and others, showing that horsemanship knows no boundaries.”

By Daija Sams

I started out riding at a Western pleasure summer camp when I was younger, which is where I fell in love with the sport. After attending that camp, I did lessons on and off throughout the years with several summer camps. For a while, I stuck with the Western discipline and gradually transitioned into English. At this point in my life, I did not know jumping was a thing, as I always rode at “trail riding” barns and they had a lot of older horses. One day, I got to learn what jumping was, and I was instantly hooked.

Growing up, I did a lot of local working student positions just for the opportunity to ride. I did not know much about the show world, as I am a first-generation equestrian. I grew up in 4-H, which is a great organization; that’s when I got a lot more into the equestrian world. I ended up at a 4-H barn, where I leased my first horse, and I got so many opportunities to show at local and 4-H shows. It was here where my love of horses and showing continued to grow.

After I graduated high school, I ended up going to Martin Community College, which is a small community college outside of Greenville, North Carolina. They have a two-year program for equine training and equine business. I double majored and graduated with my associates in both subjects. This is also where I met Direct Flight — also known as “Pilot” — my 2019 Appendix AQHA gelding. I got Pilot as my assigned horse for my Colt Training class, and I knew I had to keep him.

I transferred from MCC to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), which was a complete 180 to what I was used to. I attended SCAD and was a part of their Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) team for a year. I learned a lot at SCAD and loved my experience there. But my life had to take a turn in a different direction, and that is when I started working in the horse industry full-time.

Currently, I'm an Assistant Trainer/Barn Manager at a sales and training barn. My boss is an eventer, but I have a background in hunters. Sometimes I get to go back to my comfort zone every now and then when a sales or training horse comes in and decides eventing is not for them. Now, however, I’m considered an eventer because my horse has decided that’s what he likes to do. I bought him as a hunter, but he decided he liked jumping solid obstacles, so I decided I would find a way to like jumping solid obstacles. That’s basically our track in life right now, and it’s working out really well!

I’m in the works of revamping my blog; I started it when I was in high school to be an outlet for me to document everything I was doing in the industry. Back then, I didn’t have many friends who understood anything I was going through, so I used it as a diary and to share my experiences. Though I have not been active on my blog for quite a while now, I would like to start writing again.

Along with my blog, I got really into social media, specifically Instagram. Just like my blog, I started it to document my life in the equine industry. I started my social media just for myself to document things. I did it just for fun, and it turned into something more. I really enjoy inspiring people every day and creating a community for myself.

I’ve fallen into promoting diversity in the sport because I happen to be an equestrian of color, and I think it’s really important to see other people that look like you doing the things you like. Growing up, I didn’t see many people that looked like me riding, but it did not really affect me. It did become more important to me when I started college and got more into the sport. It was interesting falling into the eventing space because you don’t see many Black people at the top of the sport. Sometimes I hear about one person, but they’re not active on social media, and I don’t see them at the big shows. I enjoy being that inspiration for somebody.

I try as hard as possible to be as real as I can with my social media. If something doesn’t go too well, it happens. It’s fine. Everyone goes through it. Social media can be really fake a lot of the time, so I just want to share my experiences. “This is me, Hi! Yes, I have a different skin color than everybody else, but it doesn't stop me from doing something I love.” I've heard some “intriguing” comments, but I don't let it bug me. I just keep doing my thing, and I change people’s perspectives of me.

" I think it's really important to see other people that look like you doing the things you like."

It’s hard for me to think of the future sometimes. Everyone asks, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Five years ago, I didn’t see myself here, and I think that’s OK. Sometimes, you never know where you will end up. This year alone, I started a new discipline, and my horse qualified for the Young Event Horse Championships and will be going to Maryland in October during the 5* event that happens there every fall, which is mind-blowing.

Did I see myself eventing? No. Did I see myself owning this horse? No. But, I have embraced it and I’m excited for what the future holds.

My horse will compete in his first FEI competition next spring, and we’ll just keep going up the levels until he decides he doesn’t want to anymore, which I highly doubt will be anytime soon. He’s five, and he’s living his best life.

I think I will be a professional rider, riding at the higher levels of the sport and training horses. It’s all up to the universe, and the future. I’ve learned to be more of a go-with-the-flow person. I used to be that person who plans every second, every day, every year, and then I learned that that’s not really how life works. Things will happen, and you just have to reroute and try something new.

Photos: Christine Quinn Photography and Cassidy Brooke Photography