Time certainly flew by in Kentucky at NAJYRC. We arrived mid afternoon Monday and got all unpacked and settled in the best that we could. Devon got to go on a nice big hand walk and ate some delicious Kentucky Blue Grass. I probably could have just left him right outside the compound and he never would have moved a foot all week with all of the grass. Tuesday I rode twice. I got on in the morning and went for a big walk around to show him the sights. He can get a little worried about things so...

NAJYRC was a great success this year! The Zone 4 teams won gold medals in both the Junior and Young Rider divisions for the first time in history. Zone 4 had never won a gold medal at this competition until last week! Nepal and I had a very good show. One ten fault round in the nation’s cup class on Friday kept us out of the individual medals, but Nepal jumped great and finished up in 8th place overall. The final day of competition was very intense! Katie Dinan was in the lead with only 2....

2011 NAJYRC After eleven days in Kentucky for the 2011 FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships, I’m finally home! I had such an amazing time and I can’t wait to share my experience with you. This was my third time at the NAJYRC, but the fun and excitement just grows each year! My NAJYRC experience started on Tuesday, July 19th when my horse was picked up at midnight for the long haul to Kentucky. I had one day to pack and then I got on a plane with my mom on...

I have finally made it home from Lexington, and I am surely glad to be in my own bed! My last few days at the NAJYRC were definitely better than the first few. Things started happening like we had hoped for me and Smartie. We started off Saturday with our schooling session at 6 A.M. She and I practically camped out by the big , black, reflective sign. She never once shied away from it, so I had a bit of confidence for my ride. My trainer said he felt good about the way she was acting for me,...

Another eventful day in Smartie’s world. It all started off pretty well, with me and Smartie both in a great mood. Smartie was especially happy because we got to graze her for a really long time. Since her middle name tends to be “Piggy,” she was very happy with her clover-filled breakfast. As the day went on, I began to get very excited. This made for a very long time of excitement since our class did not even start until 10 o’clock at night, but that didn’t stop...

Started off the day with a nice bath for Smartie, which she greatly appreciated. Her ankle looked really good this morning with only minor swelling, but just for a precaution, we wrapped her back up in ice until we were called for the jog. My team went first, and of the three of us, Smartie was second. We entered the ring for the jog and began walking as directed. Looking back, it was very obvious that I was extremely nervous. The entire time I was talking to my dad about how worried I was...

We arrived at the venue today! Our horses had already arrived, so we dove into our first day at the Kentucky Horse Park! We arranged team shirts, walked out our horses, and began organizing for the race this Friday. It was hard work, since we had just come back into the humidity, and I’d done a 120 kilometer race two days before, not to mention the jet lag! But the trip with the United States Endurance Team for the Trial Run of the Endurance World Championship was worth it! I ended up in...

Well, we finally made it to Lexington yesterday around noon. My dad and I came as the “advance crew” to make sure everything would be ready for our team’s horses when they got here. We got all the bedding and the stall signs put up and everything else we could think of. Mr. Randy had an ETA of around 1 A.M. As it sometimes happens, things did not go quite according to plan. They rolled into the park around 5 o’clock this morning, exhausted from the all-night drive. So,...

For the past week, I have been working hard to stay ready for this big show. Because Smartie lives in Arkansas and I live in Mississippi, I obviously cannot ride her every single day—although, I wish I could. So, while I am at home, I ride other horses to stay in riding shape. Lately, I have also been teaching some riding lessons to a kid from our church. He went to camp and fell in love with horses. When he got home, he asked if he could come hang out with me at the barn and learn more....

My name is Devan Horn, and I am an 18-year-old Endurance competitor from Kingwood, Texas. This will be my third year competing in the Young Rider Endurance event held annually in July, but as this is the first time we’ve been welcomed into the official Championship FEI event, this year is certainly special! I’m helped along this path by my loving parents, (Mom who pays, Dad who crews!), my friends, and my mentor, boss, and friend Darolyn Butler-who’s amazing horses I ride in...