Most of my friends (and yes, that includes some of you silent followers who never comment đź‘€) probably think of me as a hunter pleasure rider through and through. And hey—you’re not wrong! But what you see now isn’t where I started. Not even close.
Let’s rewind a little.
Technically, my first rated show was at the Midwest Charity Horse Show… in hunter pleasure. So yes, that part’s true. Did I nail it? Not exactly. I missed a lead (and yes, I still remember it to this day). So my big debut? Let’s call it “humble beginnings.”
But after that, I took a bit of a detour—straight into the world of dressage.
I started off on my older horses, but it wasn’t long before I got to ride the Pro’s Esprit+/. He was one of those once-in-a-lifetime teachers, the kind of horse that challenges you but also gives you confidence in the ring. I still remember showing him in an open class (back before there were many amateur options), tying with a big-name local trainer… and winning the tie! I can’t tell you what else happened that day, but that moment? Seared into memory.
For years, I was all in on dressage—bouncing between AHA shows and open USDF ones. And while we rode well (actually, we rode really well), we were met with a lot of… how do I put this… “Arabian bias.” 🙄 You could almost hear the collective groan: “Ugh, the AraBiaNs are here.” Even when we delivered, it felt like we weren’t welcome.
The vibe? Not it. So eventually, I stopped going. Dressage and sport horse classes started gaining traction at AHA shows, and honestly? That’s where my people were.
It’s been well over a decade since I had a true dressage lesson. These days, I’m training myself, filming rides, and learning through an online academy. It’s a lot. Sometimes it feels like fumbling in the dark. But somehow, we keep making progress (shoutout to horses who came from main ring barns and still make my life easier).
And now?
I’m getting ready to head back to Sport Horse Nationals for only the second time ever.
The last time was back in 2019. It was magical, rewarding, exhausting, and amazing—and I’ve been itching to go back ever since. This time, I’m bringing a new horse, and I’ll be competing in Sport Horse Under Saddle at the National level for the first time.
Cue the emotions: I’m excited, nervous, proud, anxious… basically all the things.
Most of my National show ring time has been in hunter pleasure, with a decent amount of experience in sport horse in hand and halter, and then dressage after that. But let me tell you—there’s something special about showing in The Sanctuary at the World Equestrian Center. As soon as I knew I had the chance to go, I had to get my horse qualified for under saddle. And now, here we are—two weeks out and counting.
So here’s to:
đź–¤ Pushing past the nerves
đź–¤ Riding for the love of it
đź–¤ And showing up, no matter where the journey started
Fingers crossed I can keep the overthinking in check, breathe deep, and enjoy the ride.
See you in The Sanctuary. đź–¤
#SportHorseNationals #DressageJourney #ArabianHorseLife #FromTheMainRingToTheDressageRing
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