Saddle up; NH students take the reigns

HANNAH AYRES, Reporter

Gallop, trot, canter:  equestrians at the Hawks Nest are preparing for summer competitions and looking back on their past achievements of riding horses.

    Freshman Emily Worden had been horseback riding for six years. Worden does eventing in which she placed first, second and eighth. Eventing is known as the “the triathlon of the equestrian world,” according to USEA. According to Worden, the bond with the horse and being able to be a team is her favorite part of horseback riding.

   Sophomore Anna Fitzhugh was raised around horses that her cousins owned and rode Western.  She adds she “always thought they[horses] were the coolest creatures.” Fitzhugh’s parents are not horse people, however Anna said they made a deal that the sophomore would be able to ride when they moved here from DC.   Fitzhugh had now been riding horses for seven years, owns three of her own horses, and plans on horseback riding as her career.

    Fitzhugh rides English, specifically eventing, in which she competed and won the year end award every year. Recently the sophomore won the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award, which judges riders on how safe they ride. Fitzhugh states her favorite part about riding is  “I feel like you bond really closely with the horse your riding and to me that’s so important.”

    Freshman Jill Ostrowske didn’t want to touch horses until she was six then she got interested in them one day and “then I was like, hey, I might actually want to do this.” Ostrowske continued riding and now has been riding for seven years she now rides English, hunter, and jumper. The freshman owns a chincoteague pony and a thoroughbred which she shows and ride them. She plans on continuing this an her future and “loves how it feels doing it you having that bond with an actual animal.”

    Sophomore Hannah Scheide had been riding since she was two her mom owned a barn before she was born now she owns 20 horses and borders. Scheide rides her own horses that she has at her house and “riding them has good control with a good bond.” The sophomore attends competitions in the summer every week and had won  a lot of firsts, seconds and lower awards. Schide states her favorite part about horseback riding is “jumping high and I’m looking forward to riding in the future along with this summer’s competitions.”