48 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Arianna Delin
Sarah Sturges has taken the Amateur-Owner Hunters by storm
with her “Steady Eddy” One Shot. Sarah and Steady Eddy had a
successful Indoor circuit as well as a winning streak in the hunter
rings at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Juggling college and a
chaotic show schedule can be hectic for many, but for Sarah, it
only makes her want to work harder to fulfill her dreams.
Sarah rides with David Belford and Christopher Payne of New
Hope LLC in Cincinnati, Ohio, who have trained some of the
country’s top show hunters. “I think that David and Chris do the
most amazing job making horse and rider pairs work together,
and they do an amazing job as far as horse care. They really
specialize in figuring out what makes each individual horse go
well, and I think that’s something that’s easy to lose track of when
you have 30 horses,” Sarah said. Sidelines caught up with Sarah
to find out how she juggles her busy life.
What do you like about your horse One Shot and his attitude?
One Shot is 11 years old, and I have never had a horse that is
so willing to win. He never goes into the ring to be stupid or to be a
loser, he works with me and he’s always got his head in the game.
I really appreciate him for that because I’ve been doing this since
I was four and have seen a lot of horses that set you up to fail and
I can count on one hand the number of times he has let me down.
What are your goals with One Shot the rest of the season?
I hope to make it into Devon. We finished up last year in the 3’3”
and it’s a little hard sometimes with the qualifying period when you
move up in December. We’re working on all the things that make
it good. It would be great to go to Devon and Indoors, and be as
wonderful as we were last year.
What is the most important thing that you have learned from
your trainers, David and Chris?
I have learned a ton about adjusting your ride to match your
horse. Good riding is good riding. You have to know the horse
and be able to go into the ring being very smart and knowing what
makes the horse you are on go well. I think it all goes back to
their horse care and understanding that they are animals and not
machines, and you need to devote a lot of yourself to them.
With your busy schedule, how do you handle balancing
school and the show circuit?
I am at the University of Cincinnati and majoring in Finance.
Right now, I am taking classes online. I am crossing my fingers
and am set to graduate in December if I do classes this summer
and fall. Hopefully, I’ll be done this time next year. I take classes
online during the winter portion and when I go home, I take
classes at the University. When we go home, we are basically in
Kentucky, and the school is only an hour away, so it is easy for me
to jet back and forth.
What are you planning on doing with your degree?
I haven’t really decided yet. I would love to continue working
with the horses, and I think that being able to do this was a good
choice – I really do enjoy it. I’m looking at my options, whether I
should go into the horses professionally, or just be an amateur,
so I haven’t quite decided. Going into the horses would be my
ultimate goal.
Juggling School and the Show Ring
e
Sarah Sturges and One Shot competing at the Winter Equestrian
Festival.
Photo by Phelps Media Group
Sarah Sturges and her horse One Shot.
Photo by Phelps Media Group
