USEF Year Book Questionaire
I recently filled out a questionnaire for the year book that is currently being put together for the United States Equestrian Federation members. The three questions that were asked on the form got me thinking about how my endeavors in the horse world began and how far I have come since then. Here are my answers in my own words:
How and when did you get started with this sport?
I was born an animal lover and from the earliest time I can remember, I was obsessed with horses. My Mother enrolled me in riding lessons when I was 9 years old; I rode an old paint mare named "Bonnie" who taught me the basics. I remember watching a National Geographic special on horses that had a segment on Show jumping in which Eddie Macken and his legendary horse "Boomerang" were featured; from that moment on I knew that I ultimately wanted to ride Show jumpers.
As a junior rider I did it all on horses: English, western, trail competitions, packing in the mountains, dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation, I even worked on a cattle ranch for a summer. When I was 17 years old I got my first full time professional job, running a riding school. Over the years I worked my way up the ladder to the point where I now have my own training business. It has been quite a journey; I can't imagine what my life would have been like without horses in it.
Who is your mentor and what have they done to help you?
Interestingly I have never really had that stereotypical mentor type person in my life. There were however a lot of individuals along the way that encouraged me and helped me along the path of a "horse life". If I had to pick one tid bit of advice that was given to me that has helped me the most, it would be the words of my Mother telling me over and over again,” No matter how great of a rider and horse person you ever become, you must never stop learning; It is impossible to know all there is to know about something, it is your duty to always continue learning." Taking these words to heart really empowered me to learn to help myself and that ability is certainly what has helped me the most.
What about your discipline do you enjoy most and what achievements/accomplishments are you most proud of?
There are many things about the sport of Show jumping that appeal to me, I suppose the thing that I have always liked the most about it is that since it is a scored sport as opposed to a subjectively judged one, the winner is absolute. No matter what your riding and training style or what type of a horse you have if you win you win, and no one can say anything about it. It's kind of like that saying "the proof is in the pudding", there is no room for human opinion.
My greatest accomplishment in this sport would undoubtedly be the vast distance I have traveled from where I began to where I am now. I grew up the only child of a single mother; we didn't have a lot of money. As soon as I was old enough to push a wheel barrow I became a working student so that I could help earn my riding lessons. I never had that nice junior horse, I got the horses that no one else could or wanted to ride. Yet these early triumphs of adversity molded my skill set well enough that I was able to start a professional training career at a very young age.
If I had to pick the thing that I disliked the most about my sport, it would definitely be the fact that it is so expensive. I hope in the future we are able to find ways to subsidize jumping competitions so that they will be open to individuals from a wider range of economic backgrounds. The whole idea of "sport" in my mind is an even playing field in which true talent and dedication win. We all need an ideal to work towards, that so called proverbial carrot dangling ever so near in the distance...this is mine.
How and when did you get started with this sport?
I was born an animal lover and from the earliest time I can remember, I was obsessed with horses. My Mother enrolled me in riding lessons when I was 9 years old; I rode an old paint mare named "Bonnie" who taught me the basics. I remember watching a National Geographic special on horses that had a segment on Show jumping in which Eddie Macken and his legendary horse "Boomerang" were featured; from that moment on I knew that I ultimately wanted to ride Show jumpers.
As a junior rider I did it all on horses: English, western, trail competitions, packing in the mountains, dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation, I even worked on a cattle ranch for a summer. When I was 17 years old I got my first full time professional job, running a riding school. Over the years I worked my way up the ladder to the point where I now have my own training business. It has been quite a journey; I can't imagine what my life would have been like without horses in it.
Who is your mentor and what have they done to help you?
Interestingly I have never really had that stereotypical mentor type person in my life. There were however a lot of individuals along the way that encouraged me and helped me along the path of a "horse life". If I had to pick one tid bit of advice that was given to me that has helped me the most, it would be the words of my Mother telling me over and over again,” No matter how great of a rider and horse person you ever become, you must never stop learning; It is impossible to know all there is to know about something, it is your duty to always continue learning." Taking these words to heart really empowered me to learn to help myself and that ability is certainly what has helped me the most.
What about your discipline do you enjoy most and what achievements/accomplishments are you most proud of?
There are many things about the sport of Show jumping that appeal to me, I suppose the thing that I have always liked the most about it is that since it is a scored sport as opposed to a subjectively judged one, the winner is absolute. No matter what your riding and training style or what type of a horse you have if you win you win, and no one can say anything about it. It's kind of like that saying "the proof is in the pudding", there is no room for human opinion.
My greatest accomplishment in this sport would undoubtedly be the vast distance I have traveled from where I began to where I am now. I grew up the only child of a single mother; we didn't have a lot of money. As soon as I was old enough to push a wheel barrow I became a working student so that I could help earn my riding lessons. I never had that nice junior horse, I got the horses that no one else could or wanted to ride. Yet these early triumphs of adversity molded my skill set well enough that I was able to start a professional training career at a very young age.
If I had to pick the thing that I disliked the most about my sport, it would definitely be the fact that it is so expensive. I hope in the future we are able to find ways to subsidize jumping competitions so that they will be open to individuals from a wider range of economic backgrounds. The whole idea of "sport" in my mind is an even playing field in which true talent and dedication win. We all need an ideal to work towards, that so called proverbial carrot dangling ever so near in the distance...this is mine.
posted by Sanaa Pharayra at
9:54 PM
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