Elliana hops onto her horse. Back straight, hands resting on the reigns. She’s been preparing for this moment, there’s no room for mistakes. She trots into the ring, hoping to win a ribbon.
In April of this year, eighth grader Elliana Scott competed in the IEA equestrian nationals in Tyron, NC. IEA, or the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, is an organization that allows for grades 4-12 to compete in horseback riding.
Scott has been riding since she was 6 years old and she has been working hard for the past seven years. She said that she practiced for three days a week and every session lasted for about two hours. Her selected event that she competed in was dressage.
According to Wikipedia, Dressage is a French word meaning “to train” or “training.” Dressage is when the rider and the horse must synchronize together to create graceful movements. It requires discipline, patience and years of hard work to master. The end result is worth it though because you acquire the skill to ride with grace.
Scott had some challenges when it came to riding horses.
“Sometimes, I didn’t have enough time to practice,” Scott said.
Scott was involved with many other extracurricular activities, which sometimes caused her to not be able to train as much as she would have liked.
Scott said, “I just had to practice longer on the days I was able to go.”
Adrenaline is the reason Scott loves being an equestrian.
“It could be a near death experience.”
This is true since horses usually are double the size of a person and have double the strength. It’s especially scary when you are unfamiliar with the horse you’re riding.
“At nationals, we weren’t allowed to ride our own horses,” Scott said,”We had to draw out of a hat.”
Even with begin unfamiliar with her horse, Scott did incredibly well and placed fourth in the nation. A huge accomplishment to say the least.
Scott said I never expected to get this far and I am very proud.
“It felt great, but I was so nervous,” Scott said.
It’s safe to say; however, that Scott’s family and friends are very proud of her hard work and dedication.
We hope to see Scott compete again next year!
