Reanna is the recipient of the Spring 2023 Reserve Champion Award.
As my mom says, I got bit by the horse fairy at birth, and I have been involved in horse riding since I was four years old. My passion for horses started when I joined a lesson program for toddlers in Denver, Colorado, where the barn was located next to a women’s prison. I spent most of my childhood riding and learning the ins and outs of horse care. A few years later, my family and I moved to Carmel, California, where I joined a women-owned private ranch to further my riding skills.
My riding goals have always been ambitious, and I am currently training to reach the Grand Prix level in Dressage. I am also training my two-year-old Friesian Sport Horse, which has been an exciting and challenging experience. However, my passion for horses goes beyond just riding. I aspire to establish an equine therapy center that will cater to the needs of disabled riders, individuals with financial hardship, and those struggling with mental wellbeing and trauma.
In 2022, I launched my own magazine called KISMET, a sustainable digital and animated magazine featuring female sustainable fashion designers, artists, photographers, writers, musicians, athletes, business owners, and much more. As the editor, photographer, fashion stylist, and video editor, I have poured my heart and soul into the magazine. We are currently releasing our third issue in April and have hired Holly Lovejoy, a para dressage Olympic hopeful as our Executive Creative Coordinator and Sales Account Manager. (Holly is the Fall 2021 OYES Travel Fund Awardee.)
To further my reach and help the equestrian and para-equestrian community, I am in the process of creating a KISMET App that will include meditations called Mind, Body, and Soul. The meditations will be created by equestrians/para-equestrians who are struggling with different mental health topics and will be customized by a licensed meditation therapist. The app will also include KISMET Magazine, KISMETTV, KISMETFashion, KISMETItalia, KISMETKids, and much more.
As an entrepreneur and a rider, I have experienced financial difficulties, and it has been up to me to financially own a horse. Thus, I have saved every cent since birth. With the scholarship funds, I will allocate 30% towards building the app, 10% towards administrative costs such as website fees, 10% towards horsemanship training for my two-year-old horse in dressage, 30% towards travel expenses to go to a clinic in Fresno to photograph para-Olympic hopefuls in dressage, and 20% towards unexpected business expenses.
My equestrian goals are not just from a personal level but an entrepreneurial perspective as well. My ultimate goal is to establish a center of excellence barn that caters to para and non- para equestrian needs, involving therapy horses. With hard work, dedication, and a passion for horses, I believe that anything is possible.