LoginMy name is Christa Jolin, and I am 15 years young. I live in Columbia, Maryland, and I compete in Area II.
My horse story begins when I was five-years-old, and my crazy Aunt bought me riding lessons at a horse farm down the rode. I was hooked the second that I got onto that little pony.
My instructor, who has been with me from the very beginning, is one of my favorite people in the entire world. She got me into United States Pony Club at a very young age, and that has molded me into the horse rider that I am today.
My very first event was when I was nine-years-old and it was on a little welsh pony who was five-years-old. We made a great team, and he kept me safe the entire time, even when we got eliminated on the cross country course. I had a blast, and I was hooked on the drug of Eventing.
For Christmas in 2006, I was gifted an Appendix Quarter Horse named Sailor’s Delight (barn name Red) and he was my pride and joy. I took him to many events, and we even went to Nationals in Lexington, Virginia for Eventing. We competed through Novice, until last summer when he became lame and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong. We spent tons of time and money, and finally we just hit rock bottom, and I ended up trading with my instructor for an extremely green Thoroughbred mare.
USEA has given me hope during very difficult times; when I couldn’t ride because I fractured my back, when I was going through a rough time with school, when I just desperately wanted to do things that I physically couldn’t be able to, because of my health. I would just say to myself “Wait for Eventing season.” I made it through, and I can honestly say, I feel the happiest, the safest and the best when I am galloping full tilt down a cross-country course, all breaks aside. When I let my horse just GO, I feel so good.
So, thank you, USEA, for being there, for me.
