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...

T-7 days! It is exactly one week from when we will be loading up the trailer and heading to Kentucky. This past week has been a blur, and I'm sure this upcoming week will be one as well. Florence and I have proceeded to get more of our jog outfits figured out....although they're not quite completed yet. Special thanks to Sheryl Rudolph and FITS for some fantastic shirts, and to my mom who has been running around trying to find things to wear and texting me pictures to see if things...

Hey Y’all! My name is Laura Sumrall. I am 18 years old and from the small town of Summit, Mississippi, where our one stop light turns to a blinking yellow light at 10 o’clock at night. All my life, I have been interested in horses, and at the age of 11, I became a Reiner. I was hooked for life. I now train under Schaffhauser Stables of Brookland, Arkansas and have been a student here for four years. My life as a Reiner really began to grow about three years ago when we bought my...

So it’s that time of year again! Junior and Young Rider competitors throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are gathering for the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in Lexington, Kentucky July 25-31. I am from Alpharetta, Georgia, so I compete for Zone 4, consisting of riders from the southeastern states. Zone 4 is sending both a Young Rider and Junior team. The Young Rider team is: Chase Boggio with Hennessy, Jordan Coyne with Lazaro, Liza Finsness with Ormsby Hill, and...

Rough Beginnings So, my road to the NAJYRC is off to quite the bumpy start! First, let me introduce myself before I tell you about all of my drama. My name is Catherine Chamberlain; I am a sixteen year old living and training in Arizona. I have been riding dressage for the last seven years and it’s my goal to become a trainer and represent the U.S. at the Olympics and World Equestrian Games someday. My partner and friend for the past four years is Verdicci, a.k.a. Chance, a nine year old...