For Katelyn Smith, the road to the 2026 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships began not in the competition arena, but at a small lesson barn down the road from her Marietta, Georgia, home. She was inspired by a group of school friends who convinced her to start taking lessons with them and give riding a try. What started as a once-a-week lesson gradually grew into a passion that has shaped her life ever since.
Smith spent time in the hunter/jumper ring before finding her way to eventing and credits each horse along the way for teaching her something new. An Arabian she once rode instilled bravery and an Irish Sport Horse taught her patience and responsibility.
Then came Henry.
This year marks Smith's third consecutive appearance at the Young Rider Championships and her most ambitious yet. After competing at the CCIJ1* and CCIYJ2*-S levels in previous years, she and HSH Henry, a 2017 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Sligo Candy Boy x Silverfoot), owned by K Smith Farm LLC, have made the leap to the three-star, a progression Smith calls deeply rewarding. "I forget that this horse has come so far," she said. "And when I saw a picture yesterday, I thought, ‘Wow, he's filled out.’ He looks like he belongs in the CCI3*."
Henry, whom Smith describes as an absolute goofball, has earned the barn nickname “The Moose,” a nod to two small bone growths on his forehead that give him a decidedly unique look. His personality is equally one-of-a-kind, best captured by the dynamic duo Smith and her barn settled on after some deliberation: Batman and Eeyore. You tack him up and he transforms. "He knows his job," Smith said. "He chases the flags. He always gives me 110%, no matter what. He’s like Batman out there. Even on a day that I'm not my best, he's like, ‘Okay, I'm still going to try.’" Leave him in his stall and he's a different creature entirely, standing quietly in front of his fan with his ears sideways, the picture of indifference. "You would think, is that horse okay? Is he sad?" Smith laughed. "No, he just chills there. He's just Henry."
That sense of identity extends even to how he handles treats. When Smith first got Henry, he wasn't quite sure what to make of peppermints and other snacks. Now, he's come around, though always on his own terms. Place a carrot in your hand and he'll approach with the utmost politeness, put his lips on it gently, and slowly, deliberately eat it as if to remind you that he's doing you a favor. Carrots and apples are the favorites, with alfalfa cubes at lunchtime rounding out his preferred menu.
Smith and Henry’s partnership has been tested and refined over the years, including a recent outing at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C., where the pair faced some adversity in the show jumping ring. Rather than dwelling on the result, Smith found pride in how she rode through it by finishing a triple combination clear for the first time. "I know it may have looked bad to everybody else," she explained, "but that was probably the round I'm most proud of with Henry."
Heading into this weekend, Smith's goals are grounded. She isn't chasing a leaderboard; she wants to feel growth, both for herself and for Henry. "My goal is just for me to feel like I've gone somewhere, and I've accomplished something, and I've improved since the last outing," she said.
Her drive to improve extends beyond riding Henry. Smith is also in the process of producing a five-year-old named LSS Mic Drop, her own 2021 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cassini I x Belacqua), and has developed a genuine love of teaching and finding fulfillment in watching others' progress as she does in her own right. “I like seeing progress,” she said, “I enjoy teaching others; both humans and horses. The horses I have had have really shaped me and made me want to be better for the next horse I meet.”
As for Henry? He'll be standing in front of his stall fan, ears sideways, utterly unbothered right up until the moment it's time to go to work.
"He is not like any other horse I've ever sat on," Smith said. "And I love him for it."