Getting a jump on the competition

Courtesy photo

By Olivia Jones
Cabell Midland High School

Today’s horses have many uses — police animals, herders, pets. They’re also competitive athletes, used in sports like polo, rodeo, equestrianism and racing.

Warrior is one of these competitive athletes. He belongs to equestrian Katie Hensley, a junior at Cabell Midland.

Like other sports, horseback riding takes commitment — long hours of sweating, rain or shine, and traveling to competitions. In most sports, the athlete is simply competing against other people, but in equestrianism, the rider’s team is a horse, and he or she is competing with other riders and their horses.

“We do a few shows every month throughout spring, summer and fall,” Hensley said of her schedule.

She and the other riders at her stable participate in some local events, but mainly they travel to horse parks and private farms in Lexington, Ky. When competing, the “eventing” consists of three phases: dressage, cross-country and stadium.

Hensley explains that dressage is “like dancing ballet,” and is judged primarily on the obedience of the horse and the unity between horse and rider but also on the horse and rider’s balance, agility and rhythm.

Cross-country requires both the rider and horse to be in top shape. Not only is it a timed event, but it also involves obstacles like fences, streams and ditches.

The last phase, stadium, or show jumping, is a timed event that also demands the rider and horse to be in good shape. It’s comprised of a series of technical jumps over fences, but these fences are unlike the cross-country fences because they are mobile and can be knocked down. (Cross-country fences are usually natural objects like logs.) If the fences are knocked down, the rider’s score is penalized.

“Riding takes dedication and hard work,” said Hensley. “I try to ride my horse six days a week”

On top of riding Warrior, Hensley must bathe, brush and feed her horse consistently to keep it in a healthy condition.

Because of the traveling, care costs and lesson fees, horseback riding can be very expensive. In order to help pay for her sport, Hensley helps with other people’s horses. She exercises, grooms and feeds them for people who may be renting a stall for their horse at the stable or who can’t spend time with the horse on a daily basis.

But horseback riding isn’t all about the animal-rider relationship. Hensley said, “Since I spend so much time at the barn and at competitions, I have developed lasting relationships with the other riders.”