Current Activities

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competition history

I first began competing in 2001 with my first horse Peter Pan, he and I competed successfully together up to training level in the USA. We were named the 2001 area 5 novice champion for both horse and rider when i was 15 years old.

In the summer of 2003 Peter Pan and I went to work for Rainey Sealey and Jimmy Wofford where

Other Interests

baseball

Career Path So Far

Further Education

My Schooling

I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 2005 and was second in my class. I then continued my education in my parents footsteps at the University of Virginia where I graduated in 2009 with a distinguished degree in Physics and a minor in Art History. Since graduation, I had been working for a medical clinic at a camp for special health needs children. I had the fortunate ability to send 6 months working with Vanessa at Equine Sports Breeding and Training Center in Goornong, Aus. I learned alot about the horses and had some great opportunities to ride most of them. I have now returned to the States and am working on my applications for a Master's degree in Public Health and Medical School.

my childhood

I first began riding the summer after my 8th birthday, when my parents purchased a week at a summer camp at an inner-city barn called Rocking M Stables. It was the only barn within the Dallas city limits. It was there that I first started working with my trainer, Becky Brown. Becky provided me with the foundation for all of my future riding endeavors. Following the camp, I began taking one lesson a week from Becky and over the next few years the number of weekly lessons increased and I quickly became hooked on riding. Becky provided me with a valuable education and numerous horses to ride. Some of my favorites included McDuff, Scout and Sherman, but I found my first real match in a small chestnut pony named Shasta. My parents agreed to let me lease Shasta and on her I had my first taste of 3-day eventing. As a team, we went to a small unrecognized show at Curragh Equestrian Center just outside Fort Worth. Unfortunately, I had a rough go on my first cross country course Shasta came back without me. Despite my departure for my horse, I still found myself enjoying the sport and realized that this is what I wanted to do. At the age of 14, we bought my first horse from a small town near Austin, Texas. His name was Peter Pan and he was a 12 year old black thoroughbred. Peter was not a flashy mover nor was he a careful jumper, but he was a great cross country horse and he provided me with a great opportunity to advance my riding and boost my confidence. Peter and I competed as a team over the next two years up through the training level until I took a weekend clinic with Jimmy Wofford. Following the clinic I asked about a working student position and he put me in touch with his barn manager, Rainey Sealey. The summer following my 16th birthday, my mother and I hitched up the trailer and set off on the 20 hour drive up to Upperville, Va and Fox Covert Farm. It was there that my riding career really started to take off. Under the guidance of Rainey and Jimmy, Peter and I continued successfully at the training level. While there I got the unique opportunity to work with and observe Jimmy Wofford and to ride some of the more advanced horses at the farm. By the end of the summer, we had realized that the partnership that I had built with Peter had come to an end and it was time to purchase my next horse. Jimmy and Rainey helped me find a preliminary level horse in Australia. We were sent a video of Kelecyn Appluase (“Yogi”), and knew that he was a match. We imported Yogi in August 2003. After staying for several weeks with Jimmy and Rainey at Fox Covert, he joined me in Texas and we began to build a partnership., Yogi was quite a handful early in our relationship and a much different ride than I was used to. Lets just say that he and I parted ways a few times. However, once he and I figured each other out, he proved to be the perfect horse for me. We started at novice and worked up through the levels and in October 2004, we entered our first CCI* at the MidSouth three day event. We started in 9th place after dressage. However, after a double clean cross country round, we had moved into second place. We followed that up with the only double clean jumping rounds in the division, and Yogi and I won our first CCI* and were named the 2004 USEF Junior National CCI* Champion and the winners of the Harry T. Peters Trophy. Following the CCI*, Yogi and I started looking to Young Riders for the following summer. We were selected to represent Area V in the CH-J* and we set off to Lexington, VA and began competing against the best young riders of North America. As we prepared for our dressage test, the clouds started rolling in but we were staying dry. However, as I turned to enter the arena, the rain came down in sheets. I was not able to see any of the three judges but Yogi and I pushed through and scored an all time best. Unfortunately, as my test ended and the rain stopped, the head of the ground jury approached to tell me that I had accidentally carried my dressage whip into the arena and was therefore eliminated, even though I did not use the whip at all during the ride. Absent any other faults, my score would have put me in second place at the end of the weekend. I remained in Lexington, however, to support and assist my team and made many, many friends. Despite a disappointing weekend, I knew that Yogi and I were going to continue advancing through the levels as a team. We moved up to intermediate in 2006 became a successful intermediate team. We to completed a CIC** and finish in 7th place and as we began to prepare for the CCI** at Radnor, things took a turn for the worse. At Seneca Valley Pony Club horse trials, Yogi ruptured the ligaments on his right hock, causing his digital super flexor tendon to luxate to the outside of the point of the hock. He was rushed to the Mary DuPont Surgical Center in Leesburg, Va. After discussing options we decided to forgo surgery and to rehab him at home. He sat in a stall for the next 6 months and was then turned out for the following 6 months. The vets all told me that he would most likely never be sound again but I knew I had to give him a chance. I did, however, realize that to continue riding, I would need another horse. I decided to go in a different direction and elected to give an ex-racetrack thoroughbred a new chance. In November 2006, I bought a 4 year old bay thoroughbred gelding that I named Rugby Road (“Peeps”). He was very green and we had to start at the very beginning. However, after countless hours of work, he is becoming an extremely gifted eventer, currently competing at the training level. I am excited to see where his talents take him. During the 3 years of working with Peeps, Yogi has continued his rehab and he is back at work. He has worked his way back up through the levels and is currently competing at training level again without any problems. I don’t plan to move him up to the upper levels, however. I think he has earned a good, easy life and I will make sure he gets it. He is happy packing me and other young riders around a cross country course. Throughout my relatively young riding career, I have had numerous ups and downs with disappointments as well as successes. I am blessed to have extremely supportive parents as well as two talented horses. I have managed during this time to graduate from the University of Virginia with a degree in Physics and a minor in Art History. I am now considering medical school after a 6 month working trip to Australia. I also hope that someday I will compete at the Rolex CCI**** in Kentucky and possibly many other international competitions.