Tag: OYES

Holly is the Fall 2021 OYES Travel Fund Awardee.

My name is Holly Lovejoy, and I am a 21-year-old grade 1 para equestrian with cerebral palsy, ADHD and bipolar disorder. I was first introduced to horses through hippotherapy as a toddler, and it has been an endless love affair ever since. Horses have become my life, my way of accepting myself and my reason to chase success. I was classified as a grade 1 para equestrian at the age of 13 and have kept my eyes on the goal of becoming a Paralympian.

I am currently riding the Elite level tests and preparing for my first National Championship in October 2021. That Championship should act as the stepping stone to prepare for my International debut in 2022.

Riding has always been my way of making sense of myself and moving through life. I was introduced to riding through hippotherapy as a toddler, and it became the only therapy I would tolerate. As a disabled child and one in a set of premature triplets, horses became my outlet for independence. On a horse, I could balance myself both physically and emotionally. Discovering the Paralympic Games and connecting with horses opened a door to my future. With a manic dream flying high and the insatiable drive to ride at the highest levels, I was inspired to develop the skills to do so no matter what. Though we lack funds due to our family situation, I’ve never let that dampen my ambitions. Horses became my do-or-die and my way to comprehend and accept a situation I hardly wanted to fathom. Despite constant financial and logistical challenges, I continue to push boundaries, make connections with the world and pave my way to gold. Through chronic pain and doubts of every kind, I use riding as a means to improve my quality of life and change my outlook on the world as a disabled individual. Horses have given me a way to love myself and this fairytale of a life that I am beginning to live. Viewing myself as an athlete has allowed me to examine my health needs through a new, more positive lens. I have taken my physical therapy into my own hands and continue to search out the best of opportunities with my incredible team. I refuse to let myself be counted out as a future member of Team USA. I want to show the world that a broke, “crazy” disabled woman can beat the odds and ride under the lights with the best of them.

I plan to use my funds towards my first National Championship which will be the inaugural National Dressage Pony Cup for the West Coast. I am coached by Tracey Hill, and the show is located at the beautiful Starr Vaughn Equestrian in Elk Grove, Calif. I feel beyond lucky to be finally competing at this elite level. Without the endless, creative support of my team, it would not be possible.

Mia is the Fall 2021 Dressage Dreamer Awardee, sponsored by Optimum Equine.

First generation American, daughter of a refugee, wheelchair user, advocate, assault survivor, unashamed. Mia Rodier-Dawallo is a Grade II, international Para Dressage competitor, a Persian-American, a survivor, and a rising star. She is ranked 3rd in the FEI World Individual Ranking in her grade for Team USA, and she is well on her way to making her dreams of Olympic proportions come true. 

Although Mia, a lifelong rider, has made it to where she is today, she is insistent on giving thanks to her amazing community of family, friends, and teammates, (including those of the four-legged kind) at every step of the way. Her road to the Olympics has been a long one, paved with perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and exercising gratitude, patience, and perspective. In 2013, her life changed forever when she survived a brutal assault. Mia is very open about her mental and physical health and shares her experience with surviving assault saying, “People think that ‘surviving assault’ is just staying alive through being attacked, but the reality of the situation is that the real fighting for your life comes after. Fighting for your life after trauma comes in the form of living life through victim blaming; through coming to terms with your newly different and permanently disabled body; through learning to love yourself unconditionally; being patient with your brain while you struggle with brain fog, confusion, and fatigue; and being patient with your heart while you learn to manage the symptoms of your PTSD. This gave me a whole new perspective on life and gratitude. There were a few days where I wasn’t sure that I would live to see another day. But with a lot of work, I am thankful for every moment that I am alive. I am thankful not only that I have a future but that it has been made so bright by the people in my life. I have survived everything life has thrown at me to make it to exactly where I am meant to be, today.”

Outside of her Dressage career, she has been an avid advocate for the intersectional rights of marginalized people, women, people of color, the disability community, and low-income communities, amongst other causes. These causes are especially personal to her because she checks every box. As a child of an immigrant family, being a first generation American, Muslim and Baháʼí family, growing up in a post 9/11 world, life has been a slippery slope. She speaks, in length, about the triumphs and tribulations of what life is like for a young, brown girl, living in a country whose culture is so vastly different than that of the home she grew up in: to feel unseen, invisible, but still a threat. When you compound that with a stark lack of representation in popular culture and the public eye as a whole, we have a serious diversity problem on our hands. When you grow up to realize that most of the representation of the people who look, talk, and act like you consists of terrorists and “Apu”- type caricatures, it’s no wonder there are so many close-minded, preconceived notions. As Jen Richards said, “There is a one-word solution to media representation: more. Then, the occasional clumsy representation wouldn’t matter as much because it wouldn’t be all that there is.” We need more beautiful Black and brown faces in places that have been historically white; namely, the equestrian world.

    This brings us to Dressage, and more specifically, Para Dressage. The “Para” in Para Dressage is short for parallel to signify equality between Dressage and Para Dressage. However, although Para Dressage athletes pour their blood, sweat, and tears into this passion, Para Dressage still seems to be an unknown sport altogether to a majority of the world, especially when compared to the mainstream international popularity of Dressage in general. It is hard to ignore the implication of implicit ableism that tinges the air in which the words “para” dare be uttered and dismissed. Mia goes on to state that, “with each layer of marginalization, it is almost like the world adds a weight to your back. This makes it so that you have to work twice as hard to get half as far as those who carry nothing on their back. This is the burden of POC, the burden of immigrants, the burden of the disabled, the burden of women, and the burden of those who don’t know where their next meal might come from.” This is very true of Para Dressage riders in general, but especially POC and low-income Para Dressage riders such as Mia. But what is the solution in a sport that is prohibitively expensive to many and invisible to even more? When there is no visibility, you are essentially training people to be unaware. Mia’s dreams and goals are to be the first ever person of color to compete in The Olympic and Paralympic Games in her sport. You heard that right, thus far, in this sport’s hundreds of years of history, there have been none. With just over a year until the World Equestrian Games in Denmark and a little over three years to go before the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, she has big dreams and the talent to match. In steps Patty Mayer (Bailiwick House and Patty Mayer Dressage), Robyn Fisher (of R Farms Eventing and Dressage), Michel Assouline (Team USA Para Dressage Head Coach), Hope Hand (Paralympian and President of the United States Para Equestrian Association), and Laureen Johnson (Director of Para-Equestrian and Vaulting) to make those dreams come true. 

As for Patty Mayer, she is the one who started it all. She has provided the training, networking, experience, and expertise to really catapult Mia’s career to full speed. Bailiwick House is where Mia began to form her string of champion horses provided by the syndicate of amazing women made up of Patty, her clients, and notably, Lynn Scheck. Those horses are Cato, a 14-year-old Bay Grand Prix Dutch Warmblood gelding; Kai, a chestnut six-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion; and most ostentatious of all, Maddox, a 14-year-old Pinto Vanner with one blue eye and white feathers. Between the three of these promising horses, they possess more cunning, kindness, and determination of a whole herd, and then some! 

Through Patty, Mia had the honor and pleasure of being introduced to Robyn Fisher. Robyn has given Mia the opportunity of a lifetime to ride and compete on Jayden, aka Pudding, a six-year-old KWPN gelding whose big heart and charm is matched only by his skill, passion, and promise. These are the horses that will be taking Mia on her Team USA journey and making dreams come true. 

As for Assouline, Hand, and Johnson, they have completely revolutionized the sport via borrowed horse programs, networking, and programs that foster diversity and inclusivity. Recently, the USEF and FEI updated their rules to include more room for expressing yourself when it comes to protesting injustice and being vocal about social justice issues. Mia hopes these changes will make more room for open discussions on issues like race and privilege as well as creating a safe(r) space for Black and brown voices to be heard. Mia is well aware that discussions on inequality and disrupting the status quo can be uncomfortable after long periods of silence, but progress can feel uncomfortable, and that is a good sign. Mia quotes Robin DiAngelo, author of one of her favorite books “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism,” “For white people and systems who have just recently recognized their own complicity in America’s racist systems and are looking to ‘fix’ that, it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s a little bit like saying ‘I want to be in shape tomorrow.’ This is going to be a process.” In the wise words of Beyoncé, “It’s been said that racism is so American that when we protest racism, some assume we’re protesting America.” Wise words from wise women. Although there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to diversity and inclusivity, Mia is confident that these recent shifts in policy and ideals are a wonderful change and a great start. This is what the face of progress looks like, and Mia is confident this is only the beginning.

It is easy to feel invisible when you don’t fit the mold, and it is even easier to feel erased when your sport, your struggle, and your generational trauma is invisible too. But Mia speaks fondly about words of wisdom she has received from her “Baba” through actions and the wise words of Rumi. Her favorite being, “تو با بال به دنیا آمدی. شما هرگز در زندگی نخواهید خزید.” “You were born with wings. You will never crawl through life.”

Even though she may have had to work twice as hard in life when compared to her more privileged peers, this has taught her to be a fighter. We have no doubt that she will excel at all of her goals and endeavors to come; continue to overcome each obstacle with grace; and be a role model for all young girls of color when we see her face in Denmark 2022/Paris 2024/LA 2028 representing her country amongst the best and brightest.

The A Circuit – synonymous with gorgeously turned out hunters that equal the cost of a small house and girls wearing breeches more expensive than my lessons for a month. At least, that is the answer I would have given if I was asked my knowledge on it a little over two years ago, when showing at rated shows was only something I could dream about while living vicariously through the glossy feeds of juniors on social media.

The version of myself that sits typing in front of my laptop would give you a contrastingly different answer, one which involves lifelong friendships, a ridiculously supportive family, two four-hooved partners who have reshaped my world, and of course, a buttload of hard work.

I first plunged into the horse world by chance at age 7, but what makes my riding story unique is how it breaks the tradition of the typical ‘moving up through the pony divisions’ background that many of my competitors have. Up until March of 2019, I was riding on a weekly basis at riding schools, including a brief stint in eventing. While this meant I did not have access
to high caliber training or exposure to the show ring from an early age, it gave me the opportunity to ride a variety of horses and instilled a deep sense of gratitude which remains with me today. From taking a freshly off the track thoroughbred over her first jump to getting the barn’s resident stopper over fences, I relished every learning opportunity I could get my hands on during these first 7 years of my riding career.

In 2019, my extremely wonderful and hardworking parents made the decision (and sacrifice) that would ultimately change my life for the better. In a turn of events that still sometimes makes me pinch myself, they committed to supporting me as I pursued my dream to compete on the A Circuit. While this may not seem like a big deal to some, coming from an immigrant family who had to fight tooth and nail for what we have now, this decision was not one which I took lightly, and I promised myself that as soon as I was able, I would make it my responsibility to cover as many costs of riding as possible. Due to this, I am very grateful to be able to work two part time jobs as a retail associate at a tack store and the barn while balancing a rigorous high school curriculum in order to cover riding expenses.

Recent events from this year have shed light on a large issue within my beloved sport – the lack of diversity. I like to joke with my friends about how easy it is to spot me on the showgrounds, being one of very few Asian riders on the circuit. Rather than having this lack of representation discourage me from pursuing the sport, I actively work to promote increased diversity through advocacy in person, and embedding it throughout my social media.

Having moved to Canada from China at the age of 5, I am proud of my Asian heritage, and am known to promote the sport to fellow young Asian Canadians in hopes that they will one day help me work towards increased acceptance and diversity in equestrian sport.

This season, I competed in the 1.20m jumper division with my horse, Klaas Klever and am currently ranked 4th in Ontario for it. Our results have qualified us for both the provincial and national finals, which I will be attending this October and November. Next season, I am set to compete in the Modified Grand Prix with him, along with the Big Eq and Pro Derby divisions on my other horse, Lotus HT. I also feel extremely fortunate to have been selected as 1 of 24 members of Ontario Equestrian’s GRIT team, a high-performance development program aimed to help competitors reach podium goals with the help of Olympians, nutritionists, and fitness professionals. Towards the future, I am actively pursuing goals to represent Canada on the Young Riders Team and later, Nations Cups Grand Prix. Although unconventional, my riding journey has taught me to be a resilient problem-solver, and I have come to truly appreciate the obstacles I have had to overcome as they have taught me priceless life lessons.

My riding journey began at age 10, while I was spending a large amount of time at the Seattle Children’s Hospital to determine what was causing my severe health issues. I was granted a scholarship to attend a summer pony camp where I found myself and discovered the therapeutic benefits of being around horses. Upon returning home, I called every single stable listed in the phone book until I found one that would let me clean stalls in exchange for lessons.

Over the next several years, I was a working student at many barns, studied classical dressage, hunters, jumpers, and eventing, volunteered at a therapeutic riding program, retrained OTTBs, and taught lessons. Horses have been the focus and saving grace in my life as I have fought through physical disability, mental health challenges, abuse, assault, and sex trafficking, homelessness, and recovery.

I live with a combination of balance disorders called Vestibular Migraine and Meniere’s Disease. Both cause severe vertigo, imbalance, nausea, and hearing loss. For a period, I was wheelchair bound and have spent many months bedbound as well. At times, I use walking sticks for balance support. Doctors initially told me I would never ride horses again. When I am at the barn, my horse knows when I am feeling dizzy and patiently lets me lean on her. However, I am largely able to get around on foot except when the episodes strike. In the saddle, I have found that the increasing symptoms over the years have changed my proprioception in such a way that I struggle with some of the things that used to be very easy, like diagonals and seeing distances. I am confident walk/trot/canter and have popped over some very small jumps, but I need to regain confidence and foundational skills.

One major result of these disorders is that I am unable to drive. Because of this, I must pay a premium to have my horse located in the city, where I can bike to her. I also must factor the cost of transportation through rideshare apps in my lesson and showing budget. As a low-income person who comes from an extremely poor family, this has been a significant barrier. I also live with Bipolar 1 disorder, anxiety disorder, and C-PTSD, which has led to several hospitalizations. I’ve worked hard in therapy and have identified the grounding, mindful feedback from horses to be a key element in my overall wellness. When I spend time with my horse, I know I am in a safe place, but I also know that I must take responsibility for my verbal and nonverbal behavior and react intentionally.

I currently live in Olympia, Washington where I work in mental health and substance use recovery services for a nonprofit called Peer Olympia. I am working on my master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University and am expected to graduate in May 2023. I hope to obtain PATH Int. and HERD Institute certification to provide equine assisted psychotherapy services post-graduation. I am especially interested in developing peer-focused equine therapy programs as I believe deeply in the value of peer work. I have a beautiful OTTB I retrained prior to my vertigo reaching its peak who I am lucky to be able to keep, though I am struggling to afford anything beyond her basic care and vetting.

As far as my riding career goes, I have an ultimate dream of showing my horse at one of the Cascade Horse Shows hunter shows in 2023. Even if we are only able to do a cross-rail course, it would bring me immeasurable joy. I feel that I need to take some lessons on a simple, schoolmaster type hunter to regain confidence after years of struggling with balance.

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.

I’ve always loved horses, I’d do every school project on them and would cut pictures out of magazines and tape them to my wall (yes, I was that kid). When I was 10, I began riding lessons, I started off by riding once a week, this is when I discovered my heart belonged to horses. I started asking my coach if I could come out to muck stalls, feed and clean tack. I did this every chance I got. In return I got to watch my coach teach various lessons and help her start some green horses! This is when I realized I loved the process of training horses to be brave, expressive and relaxed.

I always told myself that when I turned 18, I would buy an OTTB that I could retrain myself. I saved up all my money for over 8 years to achieve this. In September of 2020, I turned 18, had a full-time job and my goal of buying and retraining a horse was in sight. A month later, I was scrolling on facebook and saw an ad for a OTTB. Something about this horse spoke to me and I bought him sight unseen that day. 

On October 3^rd 2020, the trailer dropped my horse off and I quickly realized this horse was in need of lots of TLC. He showed up very underweight, with a pretty nasty eye infection and terrible ground manners. I decided to name him Mickey because Disney has always been about following your dreams and my partnership with this horse happened because I followed mine! This 16.1hh bay gelding was a lot of work, for months he hung out in the field acclimatizing to his environment and gaining some weight. I did solely groundwork in his paddock with him for the first 6 months of our partnership as he was absolutely terrified of going into the indoor arena. In true Canadian fashion, I just decided it was easier to hang out with him outside in the -40 degree weather than to try and trek through the deep snow and ice with a terrified horse just to get him into the arena. Now that we’ve gotten some warmer weather, I’ve restarted him under-saddle and he’s coming along very nicely!

Mental health has been a big part of my life, especially when It comes to riding. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety at a very young age, This has definitely been a big challenge for me to overcome. Bullying in the equine industry is a huge issue, I’ve had to leave barns that I absolutely loved due to the overwhelming amount of negativity and bullying that happened to me which led me to be too anxious to go to the barn for my lessons. Throughout this rough time in my life I always told myself I just had to push through till I was out of school and could jump into a career in the horse industry, this was my motivation and I was beyond excited. 

When I graduated high school, I started to look around for my dream job! I got hired at a local riding school and was thrilled. One major thing I’ve sadly realized about this industry is how much power people feel they have over those trying to find their career path in horses. I’d work day and night, put blood, sweat and tears into what I did and it never seemed to be enough for higher ups. This is not okay and has definitely been far too normalized in our industry.

This excitement of working in the industry quickly left as I realized the environment I was in was very detrimental to my mental health. Instead of letting this experience ruin my happiness, I found myself trying to find ways to make the equine industry a better place for those starting out. 

Being a plus sized woman, shopping for clothing can be very triggering: the sizes at most stores don’t even come close to fitting me. I found this a huge issue when shopping for riding equipment, the boots didn’t fit my large calves, the breeches wouldn’t go past my thighs, and I couldn’t even get half the shirts in the store over my head. 

This got me thinking about the need for an inclusive tack store in my area, a store that welcomes all body types, sexual orientations, gender identities and races. 

My plan is to open a store that truly supports and empowers the equestrian industry. Not only do I want to ensure that the store itself is a welcoming and safe environment, I want to support various small businesses by carrying their products rather than just supporting the large corporations. Another one of my plans is to run sponsorship programs that provide funding and products to help bridge the gap through the sharing of knowledge, opportunities and solidarity (Just like OYES is doing).

I’m currently working at a small locally owned pet store to learn about running a successful pet related business.  My favorite part about working at a pet store is getting to talk to people about their animals, seeing how their faces light up when they describe all the amazing things animals have done for their health really pushes me to work towards my goal of opening my own store.

I’m also taking Equine Business at Guelph University. This has helped me write a full business plan and given me great insight into the business market. I plan on taking various other courses Guelph has to offer such as Equine Science and Equine Welfare, these will definitely build onto my knowledge of the industry and horses as a whole. 

If I was awarded the money I would start off by buying some products that I could sell (like saddle pads, brushing boots, and bell boots) to help me save up for the cost of renting a retail location to open a physical store. I am also budgeting for packaging and shipping labels and the business registration fees in Canada.

My name is Cam Davis, and I am 24-year-old black, queer non-binary person. I have been interested in horses for as long as I can remember, but when it came time for me to first try horseback riding at my friend’s sixth birthday party, I was too scared. I was so disappointed in myself as I watched the other children ride. The adults asked me if I would like another chance, and the moment I tried again, I was absolutely hooked. Never having my own horse growing up, I rode school horses, training horses, and leased when possible. When I was younger, not having a horse made me feel inferior, but so many different horses made me the well-rounded rider I am today.

Horses have helped me through so many challenges. When I was twelve, I was bullied to the point that I considered ending my life to free myself from the unceasing torment. I didn’t trust anyone to tell the severity of my situation, so I turned to horses. As my only escape, horses genuinely saved my life, and I knew that I wanted a career in assisting others through horses. From volunteering at Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) and working with three untouched Mustangs, I’ve learned that horses and humans going through hard times have a lot in common. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and OCD after five years of struggling through debilitating symptoms. I can empathize with how it feels to be mistreated due to being misunderstood, which helps me connect with difficult horses. Now, I am entering my second year of a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at Johns Hopkins University. My education has been a long, arduous journey, but I’ve persisted in the hopes of becoming the kind of mentor I wish I had growing up.

I was so fortunate that my parents supported my involvement with horses through high school, but when I started college, they believed that I should focus on my academics and were no longer willing to contribute resources to horses. After meticulous research and budget planning, I asked if they would help me pay for what I believed would be the experience of a lifetime: competing in the Extreme Mustang Makeover. In this event, trainers have only around one hundred days to prepare a completely untouched Mustang for an in-hand and ridden show. Since the training would take place over the summer and not conflict with school, my parents agreed.

Unfortunately, my very first Mustang was one that a trainer recommended I put down for being too dangerous. Despite our rocky start and inability to compete, Kovu and I gained each other’s trust to form a remarkable bond. Three years later, I decided to give the Mustang Makeover a second chance without my parent’s support. With three years of Mustang experience, I thought that I would at least improve from the previous time, but it was even more of a nightmare. My new Mustang barely let me touch her. I got the help of two professionals, but nothing worked. I ended up rehoming her to a more experienced trainer and made the heartbreaking decision to send Kovu with her since the two horses had become very close over the course of the summer. I’ll never forget my father’s words when I told him what happened: “Have you learned your lesson?” It was one of the most painful things I had ever heard, and I was also left confused: What lesson? The dangers of not listening to them? The naïveté of trying to follow my dreams?

Regardless, they encouraged me to “find out who I was without horses.” As much as I tried to find myself, I only came to one conclusion: I was a shell of a person without horses. My bipolar depression hit me harder than ever before, and once again, I was thinking of ending my life to escape from the vast emptiness. Finally, I found hope in the form the counseling Master’s program at Johns Hopkins University. The faculty page was full of people of color, and the program emphasized diversity and social justice at every turn. My buried dreams of helping people and horses heal each other came trickling back, and what better environment to learn in than one taught by people who looked like me?

Since then, I became a full-time student and part-time teaching assistant, horse trainer, riding instructor, and freelance illustrator. My teaching assistantship ended in June, and in the fall, I will begin a graduate research assistantship at Hopkins. Feeling a sense of security for the first time in years, I got another dangerous thought at the beginning of this year when the Extreme Mustang Makeover announced they would be holding an event in Logan Township, New Jersey—under three hours from where I live: Was it time to try Mustangs again? I tried blocking the thought as much as I could until I saw an online post from my good friend, Mustang trainer, and international clinician Hannah Catalino. She was holding a summer student program on her Montana farm. I got a wild idea: What if I began training my Mustang under Hannah’s guidance then finished the training on my own? It would be a logistical nightmare. Whitehall, Montana is over 2,000 miles away from where I live and work with horses. Despite the uncertainty, I knew that my past failure with Mustangs would haunt me until I succeeded in my goal, so I took the week-long trip out west.

Under Hannah’s guidance, the Mustang I named Zen has become every bit of the miracle I could have hoped for. Zen and I took on the unique challenge of starting our gentling process at liberty, and I am so grateful that I dared to pursue my dreams one more time. I would not trade this experience for the world, but it does come at a hefty price. It cost $2,494.52 to get Zen and myself to Montana, and the journey east starting August 4th for the remainder of his training and the competition in October will cost me $1,700. While that is nearly triple the scholarship amount, $600 toward transport costs would go a long way in giving me more financial leeway to give Zen critical off-site exposure before the event and help cover the transport costs to the event itself. Training Zen has been so much more than a competition for me. It took a lot of perseverance to push past the fear of failure and disapproval from my parents to enter another Makeover. I am also proud to represent as one of the only—if not the only—black and queer people at the event given the largely white percentage of Mustang enthusiasts. Zen has made me a better person and motivated me to use Mustangs and rescue horses in equine-assisted therapy once I complete my Master’s degree. I am so grateful for the opportunity to apply to this scholarship and am humbled by the work that the Optimum Youth Equestrian Scholarship does to empower and inspire young, marginalized horse people to succeed.

My name is Carismeldi Maria Estevez Garcia. I was born and raised in Santiago, Dominican Republic. My passion for horses started when I was around 4 – 5 years old, I remember that day as it was yesterday. My dad grew up in the countryside, at a place called Manacla. He grew up with donkeys and mules because his family grew up by doing the coffee business. My dad had around 12 mules and donkeys all combined. It was during the beginning of the year of 2008 that my family and I went to visit my dad’s family. My dad put me on top of his favorite mule, his name was “Mulito Prieto”) I was so happy, I just loved it afterwards.

Every time I used to go visit my dad’s family in the countryside, I always used to ask if I could ride, it was to the point that they were getting annoyed by me, but oh well. By that time, I did not take riding seriously because in the Dominican Republic, the equestrian sport is not very known, so there weren’t stables where I lived. On December 21st, 2014 my parents decided to move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in search of new opportunities for themselves, and for my older brother, my younger sister, and I. The first 3 years, I spent it by just staying home, doing homework, and taking care of my younger sister. In the summer of 2017, I realized how much I miss horseback riding; therefore, I started looking for summer camps near where I currently live. I found a facility that is based on polo, and that they also do lessons, and summer camp. I went for a week and I honestly did like being back on the saddle, and being around horses, it made me so happy. However, I did not know anything about riding horses, I never trotted or cantered, I was a complete beginner. I came back for 2018, but this time I volunteered. I was also paying for lessons at the same facility only for summer time. I wish I could do it more often, but I did not have enough time because of school.

I stayed there until 2019 and I left because of the drama, and how rude the owner is. I was there for 3 years, and I helped around at the barn. Cleaning stalls, feeding horses, turning in and out the horses, basically all barn chores, but the owner never let me ride a horse not even if it was for a free lesson, I had to pay for the lesson. I never bothered, I just loved so much being around horses, that as long as I could spend time with them, I did not care at all. I went to volunteer on Saturday morning at another facility. At that facility, I got free lessons as a reward for my work. I stayed there for around 3-4 months, but I couldn’t keep going because it got so complicated for my mom to drive me because of her job. I have realized that being around horses makes me so happy that I have decided I want to pursue a career in the horse industry. I am currently a junior at High School, and my main goal is to attend Delaware Valley University, located at Doylestown, for the class of 2026. I want to major in Equine Management, and minor in Equine Science with a focus on pre-vet. After I graduate college, I want to keep going with my education and become an equine veterinarian and own a stable of my own because that is my biggest dream.

My riding goals would be to keep taking lessons and get better with my riding skills when it comes to jumping. I prefer to be outside, so if I ever get the opportunity to show, it would be in eventing. Because my parents own a mini market, they do not have time to drive me to take lessons. I have been trying to find other facilities near me, but they are either too far, or confusing to get at and because I have to take an Uber, it gets complicated for me. I have a friend that she has been riding her whole life, she owns a horse and is also an instructor for lessons. After my past instructor moved out of state, I recently started going to Windswept Acres, located at Boyertown, Pennsylvania, which is where my friend is working at and giving me lessons. It is an hour away from where I live (which is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), but is it worth it because I am with someone I know at a place that it is easy for an Uber to get to, and the price for the lesson is affordable to me. For an Uber, I pay as much as $100 – $130 just for me to get to the barn depending on how busy Uber drivers are, and for lessons I pay $45 for an hour private lesson. My friend/instructor drives me back home, which I’m very grateful for. I am trying to save up for college, so the price for the lessons are affordable to me, but the price of the Uber it’s just taking away what I mostly make at my job at my parent’s mini-market as a cashier. I had to reduce the amount of lessons I take from once a week, to twice a month. It has become a challenge, but all I want is to be around horses, love and care for them.

My goals are for the long run, this is what I want. I am planning to move to Ocala, Florida as soon as I am done with veterinary school. For the veterinarian school, I either want to attend the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary, or Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. I am mostly nervous about Veterinary school, but hopefully I will get scholarships that will help me pay it off. I really don’t want to come out of my education owing money, that is why I’m planning to look for jobs and internships that will help me out to pay for my education, and at the same time, learning more about the horse industry, and the world of an equine veterinarian. I will work as hard as I can to make a difference in the horse industry, and to make my goals and dreams come true.