United States Eventing Association

Below is the winning essay of the 2015 Worth the Trust Adult Amateur scholarship. Congratulations to Kate Vane, and best of luck in the future!

They say good things always come to those who wait. Well, I have waited. I have been riding and around horses ever since I can remember. My first pony ride was in kindergarten, when I got to sit on the back of a magnificent little Shetland pony for a 90-second thrill ride at a local farm. Ever since, I’ve been surrounding myself with horses. I set lofty goals for myself as a teenager, when I aimed my OTTB toward a CCI* in Lexington, Kentucky. We didn’t end up making it there, and for a while I thought that was the end of it. It has been twelve years since that happened, and last summer I was given the unique opportunity to ride and train a four-year-old named Louie. Between his penchant to nibble whatever grazes his muzzle, and my newfound love for his big and willing heart, we established a strong partnership and connection. After all this waiting, I feel that I have finally found a horse with whom I could potentially compete in a CCI*.

My experiences coming of age around horses swayed me into my decision to become an educator. I always enjoyed teaching horses and young riders alike, and it seemed very naturel to continue to help foster and cultivate a love of learning with today’s youth. I have spent the better part of the last six years in middle school classrooms teaching students not just about history and geography, but also about balance, resourcefulness, and perseverance. As a teacher, I work to instill these qualities in my students, and as an equestrian I try to “walk the walk” as well. I’ve also worked hard to give back to the local riding community through volunteer work; I serve on the board of the Eventing Association of Michigan, am a scheduler for a local pony club, and coach the equestrian team at my school. Consequently, it’s no shock that I have a modest teacher’s salary and find it difficult to be an active equestrian and keep up on all the bills.

Horses have gotten even more expensive for me in the last year, as I have been putting a lot of time, energy, and resources into Louie. With him, I have found myself working more than ever on the values I’ve been instilling in my students: balance (not just at the canter, but also finding time for him between lesson planning and school meetings), resourcefulness, and perseverance. I want to challenge myself to enter the one-star in Kentucky next fall. In order to obtain this goal, I will need to finish qualifying to move up, and then compete successfully at the Preliminary level. Between board, the coast of shoes from the farrier, vet bills, and trailering to local and out of state competitions, I find I have none left over to take the lessons and clinics Louie and I need to improve and eventually move up to Preliminary and the one-star level.

I would use the funds to gain a greater knowledge and understanding of navigating safely around both a difficult cross-country course and a precise dressage test. I would also use this scholarship to better acquaint myself with the necessary care of the upper level event horse. This past year I was able to take lessons wit top riders and trainers, such as Susan Harris, Dorothy Crowell, and Cathy Wieschhoff. Next year, I hope to take more lessons with these talented women, and also venture down south to Virginia for a week or two to work closely with Stephen Bradley. These funds would also allow me to take some lessons with regularity from our local top rider, Robin Walker.

As a teacher and a lifelong lover of learning, I’m excited to get lessons when I can, but this scholarship would really afford me the possibility to improve and reach my goals. I feel like I have come a long way from that kindergartner who got that 90-second ride on the back of the pony, but one thing remains the same: I love horses, I love the thrill of riding and competing them, and I love giving back to my local riding community through coaching and volunteering. I look forward to hearing from you about my eligibility for the Worth the Trust Scholarship, and thank you in advance for your consideration.