The Grier equestrian team traveled to Florida over winter break to compete at the Winter Spectacular horse show hosted by the World Equestrian Center (WEC), a famous show ground in Ocala, Florida. They took Grier horses, as well as some of their own, and came out with new experiences, fun memories, and several ribbons in the jumper, hunter, and equitation categories.
“It’s like Disney world. Everything is huge and beautiful,” said Logan Faison, ‘27, when describing the WEC show grounds. “Everything looks like it’s supposed to be there. There’s not a grass blade out of place.”
Preparation
WEC’s Winter Spectacular is an extremely important horse show that many riders spend weeks preparing for. Preparing for a WEC show is not just a simple run through the day before. Instead, preparation requires many steps and a lot of forethought.
“To prepare the horses, we jumped them up to the height we’d been showing at about a week before and flatted them before we left,” said 8th grader Ava Bives. To “flat” a horse refers to not jumping them but instead walking, trotting, or cantering to loosen up their muscles. Bives emphasized that the riders have to prepare themselves as well as their horses. “For me, since I had a couple days off where I wasn’t with the horses, I kept my exercise going, ate well, and got the sleep I needed,” Bives said.
No matter what level a rider shows at, it is important for them to know themselves and their horse well enough. In the unfortunate possibility that something goes wrong, every rider needs to be skilled enough to recover and knowledgeable enough to know what to do next. “As a rider, mentally and physically you need to be aware, and you need to be connected with your horse at all times and all moments,” said sophomore Hazel Pratts, explaining the importance of the connection you have with your horse. For her, the preparation with her horse, Cloud, began long before the show was even in the question. “I’m prepared because me and Cloud spend a lot of time together, so I know him. When we’re in the ring, I can feel when something’s going good or bad. Preparation really does matter,” she continued.
Once the team arrived at the show, there was still more to be done. All of the riders were busy the second they arrived setting up the barn, riding, and making sure the horses recovered from the journey.
Showtime & Results
On the day of the competition, riders are required to learn the course quickly, a task that is made exponentially harder if they are competing in multiple categories. When asked how she goes about learning the more difficult courses, Bives focused on taking everything in stride. “For me, I can’t spend too much time on it,” Bives said. “I only learn one at a time so if I’m doing the jumpers and the equitation, I’ll learn my jumper course and then when I go to the ring I’ll learn my equitation course. I make sure I plan out my day to where I have the right amount of time and I’m not too rushed, but I’m not overthinking it.”
When asked about what advice they would give to young riders as they embark on their first shows, many members of the equestrian team discussed the need to just enjoy the experience. “Just have fun,” said sophomore Izzy Maroko. “Honestly, there’s nothing else to it.” Faison agreed, saying, “Don’t take it too seriously and enjoy it because this is the best time to be a rider. You don’t need to put a ton of pressure on yourself. You just need to have fun.”
Pratts also emphasized the importance of confidence. “Know your worth,” Pratts said. “When you’re going in the show ring, you should know that you have prepared for this moment and that you are ready. No matter what place you get, at least you’re there. No matter if you get last, at least you placed. All riders are at different levels, and you’ll get up there someday.”
All of these tips obviously served the Grier riders well as they excelled at the WEC show, displaying the results of all their hard work. Over the course of the competition, many riders took home prizes for hunter and jumper events, including Anleigh Ahlert, Lara Barjakly, Ava Bives, Vivian Bives, Ariana Froning, Izzy Maroko, Marian Pownall, Hazel Pratts, Dasha Belopolsky, and Natalie Townsend.
The riders’ favorite moments from the show include supporting friends and teammates, as well as winning awards. The WEC show sets the precedent for future success throughout the second semester. The work and time riders put into their sport is reflected not just in their wins, but also the team unity and lifelong friends created throughout this show.
