Being a member of a family of six isn’t always easy. I was the middle child which usually gives the stereotype of being forgotten and is true in some way. My name’s Arthi, but people usually call me by Arista, it’s what they call my Play Game Name. As a kid, I was always labeled as the athletic kid, I was jumping from sport to sport after I perfected it, which would usually be through levels and the maximum accomplishments one could achieve. Those sports were available everywhere, being from martial arts to gymnastics. At 11, I found other sports that would basically have no end, the end is not through a black belt or the highest level of recreation. I found my love for riding horses and fencing.
I started riding horses in Olathe with a high-end trainer, and I thought it would be the best. Throughout those five years with that trainer, I was pushed aside with the rest of the lesson kids that did not own their own horses, and being a person of color usually left me unfavorable in the equestrian world. I was stuck on cross rails for the five years I was there, the assistant trainers that she had were the only thing that kept me in the sport. I went through four assistant trainers and I decided it was time to move. I moved to a barn nearby and she moved me up to the 2’3-2’6 divisions. It’s been a struggle for me since I rarely attend any lessons and being 17, I also try to ride IEA but the travel expenses end up being too much, so I have to bail on some of the trips with my team.
It’s important for me to always give my best, and why I continue on pursuing this in the future. Being a person of color has faced me with many challenges, I’m not as respected as other riders based on the color of my skin and being portrayed as too nice to be in this sport. Being a nice person has caused me to be lighter with the hatred in the equestrian community and realizing that, at 15, I had to learn to stand up for myself.
The worst part of being an equestrian is to attend shows and get stared at by other people, and the judges. Everything where I live is a “go big or go home” especially when it comes to horses, people base you off your tack and the horses you own. For example, if you own a CWD or Voltaire, you’re instantly liked, but the moment it’s any other brand, you are looked down upon. Another thing for me is the fact that “you’ll never be enough”. Riding once a week has left me with less skill, but more work. I work by myself until everything’s perfect. Showing season usually leaves me drained, financially and mentally, starting later compared to others has left me with the hunger to work hard, even if it means I get the minimal training, scores, availability, I work as hard as I can to even get near a tri color ribbon.
It’s what sets me back in my riding goals, the people. My said goals would be to not only move up heights but to be able to work with multiple horses on a daily basis to improve my riding ability, as my trainer had remarked that I’m a “adaptable rider” with most horses. My goals for the future would be to be a pilot, as a kid I’ve had many birds and still own them to this day, and aviation is a big dream for me. I adore watching the Red Bull Air Races and I’ve been blessed to be able to have wonderful people in the aviation field that have helped me in aviation in order to get my solo pilot’s license for single engine planes, through being a working student and learning the engineering of planes to having cheaper flight lessons, since the total cost of getting a license is $12,000. Being a commercial pilot means a lot of hours, approximately 2,000 hours in the air, and being able to cover at least 500 hours is getting me closer and closer to my goal.