Kristen is the Winter 2022 OYES Scholarship Award Winner, sponsored by Mare Goods.
Howdy hey! My name is Kirsten Polk, I’m nineteen years old, and I was born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas. At the age of nine, I started volunteering and riding at Whispers of Hope Horse Farm, a therapeutic riding facility three minutes away from my house. After school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would rush to the barn and help with the therapeutic sessions either as a horse handler or a sidewalker. In that arena, I found my passion for working with children of all ages, with or without physical or mental disabilities. From there, I became active in my local 4-H chapter showing horses, competing in various competitions, serving as a livestock ambassador, and holding several office positions, including but not limited to President and Vice President. Two highlights of my 4-H career include being the first African American to win a District 3 4-H Horse Show title and being a member of an all-girls team to win the 2019 Swine Quiz Bowl Contest at the Texas 4-H Roundup.
When I was a freshman in high school, I joined the local Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter. Through FFA, I showed pigs, lambs, goats, horses, in addition to serving as a chapter officer for three years and a member of the horse judging team for four. Horse judging was where I really found my stride, earning several Hi-Point Individuals and top ten finishes across the state, including a top ten finish out of 897 individuals at the Tarleton Invitational. I continued my horse judging career into college. I went on to win Hi-Point Limited Individual in the collegiate division at the AQHA World Show in November of 2021. I still have one more year left of eligibility, and I am excited to see where it takes me. My current riding goals are to gain enough experience to show on the Texas A&M University – Commerce’s stock horse team. I have big dreams of competing and finishing in the top ten at the VRH World Show, AQHA World, and the SHTX World Show.
But life hasn’t always been rosy for me. In 2018, after my aforementioned win at the District 3 Horse Show, my grandparents went through a nasty divorce a week before the Texas 4H State Horse Show. My grandma was forced to come live with us, and it put a financial and mental strain on the entire family. After practicing so hard, I was unable to attend the state show, and at the time, it felt like the end of the world. However, my bad luck did not end there. Later in the season, two weeks before one of the season’s biggest shows, Rusty coliced and passed away suddenly. To this day, I still haven’t found a horse that I have a connection with and want to show.
Being a young, African American woman in this industry certainly has been a feat. I’ve experienced blatant exclusion and racial discrimination firsthand at a young age that I would wish not upon anyone. But those experiences only fueled my drive and made me work harder to look my best and be the best at all times. Currently, I juggle being a full-time college student, TAMUC horse judging team member, and working part-time. Between tuition, everyday expenses, and bills, I’m saving to pay for show fees, stalls, and other related costs. Being a recipient of the Optimum Youth Equestrian Scholarship would be a tremendous help in lifting some of that financial burden. $500 out of $600 will go towards the mandatory Texas A&M Commerce Stock Horse show team fee. This money covers practices three times a week with the coach Mr. Nathan Wells, entries to four SHTX shows, and hotel fees. The remaining $100 will go towards travel expenses such as food and hotel costs accumulated during the spring horse judging season.
In the next seven years, I plan on having my degree in Masters of Science in Counseling and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in the Dallas area. So far, I am in my second year of college and in my first semester of actual counseling-related courses. I still plan on being very active in the 4-H/ FFA community of whatever county I live in, as a volunteer, horse judging coach, and scholarship donor. I also plan to continue showing stock horses and eventually venture on to the All-Around and English events.