Page 166 - PINE CREST 2015

s enior Sydney Landers has been riding and are extremely hard to qualify for, even more patience

is required. In order to qualify for nationals, she
competing with horses for as long as she
can remmeber. Overtime, her relationship
of judges her basic competition skills.
with each of her eight horses must attend a showing where she proves to a panel
“HOLDING A “You need a certain number of points
has gotten more personal, so
training for competitions is a very for each thing you do. You need to
FEW NATIONAL
deliberate and individual process. control your horse well and make
“You work slowly. They’re smart but him do everything properly- like
they need time- you have to ease them CHAMPIONSHIP walking, trotting, and cantering, and
into things and continually teach them show that riding the horse is easy.”
how to do one thing.” Sydney explains TITLES” Sydney sure makes it look easy, even
that patience is a huge component to holding a few national championship
working with horses, “one skill can titles. Although she doesn’t think
take over a week for the horses to master, but once the Olympics are in the cards for her “because of
they have it, it’s hard to forget.” Also, since Sydney too much anxiety,” she hopes to continue showing
competes in high status national competitions that her horses, and competing for as long as she can.

STOPY I JODIE KAHAN
Passionate about hordes, *
j:* ^ sure makes