By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Melissa Fuller
Growing up in Yorba Linda, California, Erin Nichols didn’t need to make the trek to Disneyland to find her “Happiest Place on Earth;” All she needed to do was head to the barn. With a mother, Diane Nichols, who has her USDF Bronze medal, Erin didn’t take long to make the barn her happy place.
“From the moment I was born, I spent all my time at the barn with my mom, helping her get ready for her lessons and feeding. My mom is my biggest supporter. Since she knows a lot about horses, she can relate and understand the sport and all the emotions that come with it,” Erin said. “She’s been with me on my journey every step of the way. We travel everywhere together for shows, including Europe.”
That journey began when Erin was 4 years old and sat in the saddle for the first time. When she was in kindergarten, her family purchased Velvet, her first pony. By 2012 when Erin was turning 9, she was competing with Velvet in intro level dressage and jumper shows.
Erin credits Pony Club with exposing her to so many disciplines and giving her important horse management skills she uses in the sport today. “I was very lucky that we had a Pony Club near my home in Yorba Linda. Pony Club offered both show jumping and dressage lessons as well as occasional cross-country clinics. It provided me with such an amazing foundation for horse care and riding,” Erin said. “I have lifelong friendships and fond memories of growing up in Pony Club.”
Pony Club camps were the pinnacle of fun for Erin growing up. “We had lots of activities, riding lessons with clinicians, horse management lessons and we camped right outside of the barn. At the end of the camp, we would have a game day where we played various Pony Club games,” Erin said. “Those days were full of fun, laughter and learning.”
When Erin wasn’t learning with her Pony Club, she could be found setting up jumps and obstacle courses in the small arena on her family’s property. “I would hop on Velvet and just have the best time. My mom had to drag me out of the barn at the end of the day, because I just wanted to spend all my time there,” Erin said.
Jumping and Dancing
Thanks to the early exposure to multiple disciplines through Pony Club, Erin didn’t feel the need to simply focus on one discipline growing up. Instead, she simultaneously pursued jumpers and dressage at a competitive level. “I was so lucky to compete in dressage and show jumping at the same time. My family always planned ahead with competitions and made it work to do both,” she said.
Erin believes being well-versed in both disciplines makes her a more effective rider. “I love that both disciplines can benefit each other. Jumping helps with dressage, because you can visualize and time where a movement should happen. It also has made me a more confident, brave dressage rider and helps me think quickly in the moment,” Erin said. “Dressage helps me with everyday flatwork on my jumpers to build their balance and adjustability.”
While doing the jumpers gives Erin an adrenaline rush as she flies over fences, she loves the feeling of dancing with her equine partners. “When it all comes together, in dressage, you’re working together as one, with the slightest of aids for each movement. It’s a discipline that gives me chills when I think about the magic a horse and rider create together,” she said.
Erin was very competitive in the jumper ring growing up in the 0.90m to 1.20m level on her jumpers Top Tier, Hindee and Fairy Tale. However, when she started competing her horse Handsome Rob at the CDI level, she started to shift her focus toward dressage. “I had some really exciting goals with Rob, such as FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships (NAYC) and the European tour, that I wanted to work towards. I still really love show jumping and try to keep it up as much as possible, but it’s more of a fun hobby right now,” she said.
Dressage Dedication
In September 2017, Erin bought a horse who changed the trajectory of her equestrian career—Handsome Rob. A 5-year-old bought from DG Bar Ranch, Rob was a dream horse for 14-year-old Erin. “It was really special to learn to develop a young horse and we learned together through the levels. I brought him from First Level to Prix St. Georges. Rob and I started at the local California Dressage Society shows and competed in the Southern California Junior Championships and Regional Championships,” she said.
As their partnership progressed, Erin and Rob competed in their first CDI at the FEI Young Rider level in 2021. They went on to compete at NAYC and on the Young Rider European Tour. “Once we ultimately reached the FEI level, I felt so proud to have developed a young horse to that point. I believe it’s so important for riders to develop young horses. It’s a skill that you can use your entire lifetime,” she said.
When the duo competed at the 2021 and 2022 NAYC, they had great success. “NAYC is an amazing competition to expose American riders to international team competition. Competing for Region 7 at NAYC is a special memory, because it was my first time ever competing on a team. My first year in 2021, our team took home the gold medal in the Young Rider division. The following year, our team placed silver and I was gold in the Young Rider individual test and freestyle,” Erin said. “In 2022, I had two personal best scores, which made it that much more exciting. It was such a special moment in my riding career.”
In July 2022, Erin purchased Elian Royale while on the European Tour. Elian Royale has had a significant impact on Erin’s growth in the dressage arena. “We’ve competed in Young Riders, U25 and now the senior Grand Prix. Together we’ve shown at incredible venues such as CHIO Aachen, where we were bronze, U25 Nations Cup in Wellington 2023 and the Senior Nations Cup in Wellington 2024,” Erin said. “Over the past two years, we’ve developed a special bond which is exciting as we continue our journey at the senior Grand Prix level.”
The largest equestrian event in the world, CHIO Aachen attracts the best in the sport. Each year, the nearly-350,000 visitors come to watch equestrians participate in jumping, dressage, eventing, four-in-hand driving and vaulting. “I was very honored to represent my country at CHIO Aachen, one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. I was one of the two Young Riders selected from the United States. Finishing on the podium with a bronze medal was an experience I will never forget,” Erin said.
Big Goals
In 2022, Erin had her first opportunity to ride in Europe on a United States team. “Riding for Team USA is such a unique experience. To be selected, you need to compete at CDIs during the qualifying period and apply for the tour, then the selectors choose the riders at the top of the ranking list for the tour,” she said.
USEF chooses the competitions for the European tour and the selected riders travel with renowned horseman George Williams, who helps the riders while on the tour. “In Europe, you’re exposed to a whole new level of competition. It’s a great way to compete against so many different countries and see where you stand on the world stage,” Erin said.
Erin has competed in The Netherlands at Kronenberg and Geesteren; Germany at Aachen, Hagen and Kronberg; and Compiegne, France. “In Europe I was able to focus on training and riding with no distractions. That allowed me to improve my skills and watch the top level of the sport as a student on the sidelines,” Erin said. “Equestrian sports are mainstream in Europe, which adds a different level of popularity and competition.”
Back in the States, Erin is keeping a bicoastal training and competition schedule. “I first went to Wellington in 2023 for the U25 Nations Cup. My first full season in Wellington was 2024 and then I split my time between Wellington, California and Europe,” Erin said. “Being bicoastal is tricky, but there are a lot of amazing opportunities in Wellington for an up-and-coming rider. You get a little taste of international competition because European riders travel to Wellington for the winter season.”
As Erin looks to her dressage future, she’s focusing on her two horses Elian Royale and Kind Pleasure. “My newest partner is Kind Pleasure; he’s a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood. He has a wonderful character and lots of talent. I’m hoping to show him in the Young Horse Grand Prix in Wellington this upcoming season,” she said.
Erin isn’t just busy in the barn; she’s also pursuing a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Florida. Looking to become a professional in the sport, Erin believes this degree will help her when she has a business of her own one day.
“I love that you can compete in equestrian sports for a very long time. It’s so motivating to me that there is always something to learn from horses and you never stop learning,” Erin said. “I have such a passion for these wonderful animals and want to continue to work with them for as long as I can.”
Erin is thankful for everything she’s gained from horses and the equestrian community over the years. “My journey with horses has given me an appreciation for perseverance, the ability to work through challenges, and patience. Horses have exposed me to opportunities I would have never had and taken me to incredible places I never would have visited,” Erin said. “I’ve made friends all across the world. Horses are a great common denominator to build unique relationships with like-minded individuals.”
For more information, follow Erin on Instagram @enichols24 and on Facebook at Premiere Sport Horses
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
