You may have seen English riding on TV—where riders wearing pants, hats, tall boots and a formal dress coat guide their horses as they jump over fences, getting judged on which rider has the best control over their horse and which horse is the most agile. But you may not realize that some students at Yutan High School compete in this sport. Sophomore Cheyenne Luebbe and seventh-grader Corryn Albers have both been riding for many years.
“English riding includes show jumping, dressage, polo, cross-country, eventing, English pleasure and saddle seat,” Albers said.
Luebbe participates in show jumping, while Albers participates in flat classes and show jumping.
“I like show jumping the best because you have to finish the course by jumping over fences and being fast without knocking them down,” Luebbe said.
Even though they compete in some of the same events, these students got started in different ways. Luebbe has been riding since she was seven years old and has been encouraged by her friends and family.
“My aunt and uncle signed me up for a pony camp when I was younger, and it inspired me to start riding,” Luebbe said.
Albers’ love for horses was also started from a young age, but hers was sparked from a family vacation.
“The first experience I had with horses was a trail ride through the mountains in Colorado, and I had just instantly fallen in love with them,” Albers said.
While there are many different ways she could have taken her love for horses, Albers was inspired by her mom to choose English riding.
“I chose [English] riding because my mom used to ride horses when she was my age until she had an injury and couldn’t ride horses anymore,” Albers said.
Once Albers and Luebbe got started, they worked to develop the skills needed to succeed in English riding.
“[The skills] you need for English riding are lower body strength and lots of patience. It has taken me four years to get to where I am now. You need the ability to stay confident and be ready to be pushed,” Albers said.
Advancing these skills require a time commitment both during the show season and the off-season.
“The show season is from March through November, but I practice every Wednesday the whole year,” Albers said.
Competing at shows has given Albers and Luebbe great memories to look back on.
“My favorite experience while riding was going to my first [competitive] show with my horse. It wasn’t the best show, but it was fun getting to go to one,” Luebbe said.
Even though the competition didn’t go how Luebbe had planned, she still enjoyed it because it was another way to bond and build trust with her horse, Maiko.
“I knew the first time I met Mak we were going to form a special bond and partnership because of Mak’s playful personality,” Luebbe said.
Albers has also experienced the range of different personalities that horses can have.
“My favorite memory while riding is when I tried to jump the biggest jump I had ever done and Peaches, my trainer’s horse, got all excited and cantered a lap around the jump,” Albers said.
These bonds with their horses are one of the reasons both students find English riding rewarding.
“I chose to do horseback riding because the bond and connection you can build with a horse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Luebbe said. “I know all the hard work and time I put into this sport will pay off in the future.”
Even if other students don’t go down the English riding path, Luebbe and Albers still encourage them to think about horses in general.
“I would recommend English riding to people because you create strong bonds with your horse and you meet a lot of friends along the way,” Luebbe said.
