By Diana Bezdedeanu
Portraits by Melissa Fuller
At 21 years young, Elena Haas has already achieved what many riders spend decades chasing: multiple podium finishes at five-star Grand Prix events, two Nations Cup victories in the iconic pinque U.S. team coat and riding in the Queen Elizabeth Cup. Yet Elena’s motivation goes beyond ribbons or classes—she rides for the grounding, healing presence of the horse itself.
A native of Oakland, California, Elena’s introduction to horses was far from conventional. Much of her childhood was spent on her grandparents’ cattle farm in rural Missouri. “My dad grew up on a small cattle ranch and both of his parents were immigrants. It was their dream to have a farm, so they worked very hard and eventually, they were able to purchase land,” Elena said. “When I was younger, we spent summers there and it was truly the best part of my childhood.”
It was on that farm that Elena first fell in love with animals. “We always had cows, and if there was a sick calf, I’d help my grandmother nurse it back to health,” she continued. “My grandfather saw how much I loved the animals so he went out and bought a retired broodmare named Sunny for $50—a bargain he still reminds me of today!”
Back in California, Elena tried volleyball and softball, but neither sport compared to the thrill of riding. Her parents found a local lesson barn by chance. “My dad just assumed I was riding Western. He didn’t know anything about the sport, so about six months into lessons, I said I was riding English, and he thought that meant sidesaddle. He immediately wanted me to quit and switch to Western,” Elena remembered, laughing. “But I’m very glad that didn’t happen!”
Though she started competing later than most of her peers, Elena wouldn’t change a thing. “I didn’t really start competing until I was 15,” she explained. “And I’m really grateful for that, because every time I go to a big show, I feel so lucky to be there.”
That same year, she got her first jumper, Ce Ce Senior—affectionately known as Rocky. “He’s the sweetest horse in the world. I jumped my first 1.10m and my first National Grand Prix on him. He was like my best friend in high school,” she said. Rocky remains in her life today, happily leased out and not quite ready to retire.
Soon after came Centana, the mare Elena credits with transforming her riding career. “I bought Centana when I was 16, and she was 9 at the time. Her first Grand Prix was also my first Grand Prix. She took me to my first Young Riders, my first Youth Nations Cup, and eventually I even brought her as my second horse when I jumped on the three-star senior Nations Cup tour. She had the biggest heart and probably ended up jumping bigger for me than she should have because she had so much fight. She was also the horse that moved across the country with me when I started college, so in many ways it felt like we were growing up together.”
Equestrian Education
Elena’s early riding education came from her own curiosity. She devoured everything online—live-streaming the Maclay Finals without fully knowing what they were, watching rounds at Spruce Meadows on YouTube, stalking the USEF website to track championships. The turning point came when she visited Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, at 15. “I just remember thinking, OK, this is really special. I want to figure out how to do this!”
Soon after, Elena told her parents she wanted to pursue the North American Youth Championships and they moved her to a more competitive training program under the tutelage of Richard Spooner—a show jumper she had long admired. “I’ve always struggled with confidence, and he was the first person who told me, ‘You’re good at this. You can do this!’” Richard traveled with her to her first Young Riders Championship and remains a mentor today. “Anytime I need advice—personally or professionally—I call him.”
That experience solidified Elena’s ambition. Competing on a team for the first time, with her parents watching and realizing the sport was much bigger than they had known, convinced Elena—and her family—that show jumping could be her future. For the past year, Elena has been training with international show jumper Darragh Kenny of Oakland Stables. “Everything he touches turns to gold,” Elena gushed. “But more than that, he’s helped me believe I’m good enough again—in and out of the ring. I’m very, very grateful for where I’m at right now.”
When it came time to choose a college, Elena knew horses would remain central to her life. “Richard once joked that I’d be miserable if I wasn’t riding,” Elena said with a laugh. She briefly considered riding on a team but ultimately followed her father’s sage advice: “He told me you can do two things well, but not three. If I really wanted to compete at a high level, I couldn’t balance a full course load, a team schedule and the sport. I had to choose.”
Balancing College and Riding
Always incredibly supportive, but grounding and realistic, Elena’s father urged her to focus her college search on academics, school size and easy airport access for Wellington travel, eventually landing on Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina. “I applied to so many schools, but when I walked onto the Wake campus it just felt like home. Even if riding didn’t work out, I knew I’d be happy there.”
Recently entering her senior year, Elena majors in environmental and sustainability studies, with a focus on politics and policy, and minors in health and human services. The first semester was a tough adjustment. “I didn’t handle that transition very well. I really missed my horses a lot,” Elena admitted. “My parents also realized how much I needed the sport to be happy—it’s just who I am.” By sophomore year, she was flying to Wellington nearly every weekend. “People always ask how I balance it. The truth is, I do my academics well and I maintain good grades, but when I’m at school, I’m usually bundled up studying in the library. I have a few very close friends at school who always meet me where I’m at, but the majority of my friends are in riding.”
Her passion for the environment runs in the family: Her father works at Orion Renewable Energy Group, developing wind and solar farms. “I think it’s really special to build a business on something bigger than yourself that can do a lot of good for the world. I really respect and admire my dad!” Elena said.
Looking ahead, Elena hopes to bridge her two worlds. “Our sport is not inherently the greenest, but there are so many opportunities to improve,” Elena said. “It can be as small as cutting down on plastic by drinking out of a reusable water bottle, sorting recycling or being responsible about how we dispose of shavings bags and manure. One person might not make a huge difference, but imagine if every single person at a horse show carried a reusable bottle—that would add up quickly.”
She also pointed out larger-scale changes: more efficient horse transport to reduce carbon emissions, barns installing solar panels or farms committing to partial renewable energy. “It can feel overwhelming, but the more people get used to the small things, the easier it is to think about the bigger changes,” Elena said. “There’s nothing too small.”
Elena is also aware of the perspective it takes to stay grounded in a demanding sport. “Who you surround yourself with is so important. I’m really lucky I have an amazing team around me, between my grooms, my trainers, my friends and my family’s support. It means so much more to have these moments when you can share them with people you love and care about. This sport is tough, and you have a lot more bad days than good, so I try to remind myself to take a breath and appreciate where I’m at.”
Mind and Body
Mental health and longevity are top of mind for Elena, who hopes her openness helps others. “We are athletes, and this is a very tough sport, but taking care of your mind and body is so important. Asking for help is always a good thing—you don’t have to pretend to be strong. You should never suffer in silence. This is a sport you can do for a long time, but you want to be able to do it without getting burnt out and still remember why you started in the first place.”
Her humility and honesty set her apart in a sport often defined by perfectionism. “For a long time, I tried to act like I had everything figured out—like no one could question me, that I knew exactly what was happening. But that’s just not reality. You can help a lot more people by being honest and saying we’re all just doing our best. I believe comparison is the thief of joy and it’s so important to stay focused on your own path, because everyone is different and everyone’s experiences are unique. All you can do is try your best and that will always be enough.”
While she’s still figuring her future out, Elena Haas is already proving that age is no barrier to making a lasting impact—on the sport, its environmental impact and the people around her.
Follow Elena on Instagram @elena_.haas
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
