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Tuesday, February 25 2020 / Published in Weekly Feature

Bryn Sadler: Riding for the Love of the Game

Bryn Sadler

By Britney Grover

Portraits by Kristie Nichols

Bryn Sadler is a talented 25-year-old amateur showjumper from Ocala, Florida, who is about to finish college — but that’s about as far as “typical” goes for Bryn. For starters, the degree is her second. Ever since she was a junior, she’s traveled with her parents, bringing horses along, adventuring and showing all around the country — without a trainer since she was 17. She’s competed in not one but many HITS $1 Million Grand Prix and has a collection of ribbons from Lamplight to the Colorado Horse Park. And when she’s not riding or studying, Bryn can be found assisting her boyfriend with his profession — playing video games.

Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the youngest of six, Bryn was far from the first in her family to ride. “My mom rode when she was younger, and all of my siblings rode,” she said. “The reason I stayed with it was that all of my siblings went off to college and left their horses behind, so I accumulated around 20 of them. I rode 14 or 15 horses a day, so I said, ‘I guess this is what I’m doing now!’”

Bryn rode her sister’s hunters and did equitation until she was 13, but after getting tired of not knowing why she lost — and getting beaten a few too many times by her older brother — she found her passion in jumpers. At 14, Bryn and her family moved to Tennessee, and finally to Ocala, Florida, where Bryn trained with Sharn Wordley for nine months when she was 16. Sharn found Bryn her first grand prix horse, Bon Giorno, who just retired last year at 21 after eight years of grand prix with Bryn, including five million-dollar classes. But when Sharn decided to move to Kentucky, Bryn struck out on her own — with her parents’ support.

“Most of the reason we still like it so much is because we just started traveling around with the horses,” Bryn said. “We tried to go to four or five new horse shows every year, so we were showing most of the time. Since we were only at a new place for a certain number of weeks, we were motivated to get out and see and do everything we wanted there. My mom just loves to watch the horses, and my dad loves adventuring, so they would bring their bicycles and I’d bring the horses, and we’d go to horse shows.”

With some good results and great horses, Bryn and her parents have established a showing system that works for them. They still enjoy traveling to shows all around the country, and Bryn works with people like Kristen Vanderveen to co-own and bring along green horses — which is what Bryn likes most about riding.

“Part of why I got along so well with Sharn is that he was all about having positive rounds; it didn’t really matter what happened in the round, but if it was a positive round, you did a good job,” she said. “With all the horses, once we get to a certain point where we walk in and I know we’re going to do well, that’s what I like best. That’s when I feel most accomplished.”

Bryn has competed in not one but many HITS $1 Million Grand Prix and has a collection of ribbons from Lamplight to the Colorado Horse Park.

Loving the Game

In order to show two or three weeks out of every month as a junior, Bryn did online school — which set her up for success with her current studies at the College of Central Florida, 15 minutes away from home in Ocala. She’s finishing her last semester of her degree in business management, and already has a degree in accounting.

The current plan is to continue riding and showing — but Bryn is also pursuing graphic design as something she can enjoy on the side and as a backup plan. She’s already picking up design on her own, and has made artwork and animations related to another passion that she says not many equestrians share — at least that she’s met and admit it. “I love gaming,” Bryn said. “My boyfriend is actually a professional gamer. He and I game all the time.”

Her boyfriend makes a living by playing video games streamed live on Twitch.tv as Squiiddish, where he has over three million views. Sometimes, those streams and clips feature Bryn. “When we’re streaming, he’s the guy who knows everything about every game ever, and I’m the girlfriend who knows nothing,” she said. “I wander around and say things like, ‘Wait, how do I jump, again?’ and ‘Which button was that?’ There have been some really funny moments, and I’ve made T-shirts for his online store encapsulating those moments as well as some animations.”

Bryn’s boyfriend is a professional gamer and she said it’s easy to compare gaming to riding: “It’s about enjoying the round, not the ribbon.”

Occasionally, Bryn finds a game that she’s good at — with skills that have translated from her time in the ring. “If it doesn’t require too much coordination and too many buttons but is based on timing and reacting, I’m very good at those games,” she said. “But I also have such a singular focus from riding it’s detrimental in video games because if I have to keep track of a health bar, a magic bar, the map and what everyone else is doing, that’s too much and I just don’t have the brain capacity. If it’s one thing and it’s based off of timing, I’m really, really good.”

Bryn finds solace in the fact that as much difficulty as she has with gaming, her boyfriend has with riding — the one time he got on an old backyard schoolmaster. But ultimately, Bryn looks at gaming the same way she looks at riding: It’s about enjoying the round, not the ribbon.

“It’s not so much that I’ve gone anywhere and done anything amazing; it’s more about what I’ve been able to accomplish with each individual horse,” she said. “That’s what I enjoy about riding. I’ve been to amazing places; we won the grand prix in Lamplight, we’ve won quite a few other grand prix, but that’s just a day — it doesn’t really give you much to continue on with. You really have to love riding to stay with it; if you base it off of winning, you’re not going to have a good time.”

Photos by Kristie Nichols, moonfyrephotography.com

Bryn and her parents travel the country going to horse shows, and Bryn also likes bringing along green horses.

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Tagged under: britney grover, bryn sadler, kristie nichols

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

 ✨ALVESTA OWAIN✨
Thistledown Arctic Lore x Alvesta Fairy Lustre
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Stud Fee $750 (plus collection)
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Fairfield, VA

Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #sidelinesmagzine
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