Audrey Bennett, a freshman at Steinbrenner High School, is an upcoming equestrian star. Bennet has been horseback riding for nine years and is ranked 3rd in the nation for her division. Most recently, she went to The American Eventing Championships. It was in Lexington, Kentucky and took place the week of August 30th. It is extremely difficult to qualify. Riders of all levels attended, and even some members of the US Olympic Riding team competed. Bennett ended up placing 12th out of sixty-five in her division, which was fifteen- to eighteen-year-olds. She also placed 7th in her Regional Competition back in June.
Competitions consist of three main parts. First, they perform dressage, a style of riding where a trained horse shows how well it moves through gaits like walking, trotting, and cantering. Next, they compete in cross-country jumping, where the rider and horse must maneuver through natural obstacles like logs and streams. Lastly, the rider and horse perform stadium jumping, which requires them to navigate and jump poles and fences in a show ring.
“My favorite is cross country jumping, because you go really fast but still have concentrate on making it through the obstacles,” says Bennett. “You get a lot of adrenaline, and once you are done you feel super accomplished.”
She started when she was only five years old, and her mom was the one who really encouraged her to keep practicing. She trains with her horse several times a week and is very dedicated.
“I do it because of all of the opportunities I can have if I succeed,” says Bennett. “My goal is to get a scholarship at some point and get into a good college.
One thing she is aiming for this year is to get a new horse. Her current horse Bones is becoming too small for her as she’s getting older.
“We’re trying to find a horse that’s just as good and has just as much potential as my horse now,” stated Bennett.
Audrey has accomplished so much at such a young age and has worked so hard to get where she is now. Seeing all the effort and time she’s put in it is clear as to why she is so successful at horseback riding.
Megan Menendez // News editor
