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Wednesday, December 01 2021 / Published in Weekly Feature

Loving Life and Working Hard, From Softball to Horses

Sydney Wilson

Alpharetta, Georgia

Hunter rider and Dover Saddlery employee

How long have you been part of the horse world? 

I’ve been riding for fun for about eight years and competitively for about two years. I had a babysitter who had a horse and would take me to her barn when I was 6 years old. That’s when I fell in love with horses. I started taking lessons when I was 8 and stopped at the age of 10, then started back up again just riding for fun at the age of 14. I played softball for 11 years from the age of 5 to 16. I thought that I would be going to college for softball and had just started getting into recruitment and signing up for showcases. My arm had started to hurt a lot and that’s when I got my MRI and found out I had a SLAP (superior labrum anterior and posterior) tear and lots of inflammation. I ultimately decided I had to quit. I immediately switched my focus back to horses and riding!

What part do you play in the horse world?
I work at Dover Saddlery and I love assisting people with everything that they need at the barn such as tall boots, helmets, shampoo etc. I also got my first horse, Ava, in November 2020! I spend every day at the barn with her. It was intimidating switching to a competitive barn where everyone’s been riding for many years. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to keep up, that I was too far behind. I quickly was accepted and we are all like family. I learned that even though I started really late, with a lot of dedication and hard work, anything is possible. I went from jumping 2’ to around 3’ in just a few months! My equitation has never been better and I’ve learned so much more about this sport.

What’s your favorite thing about what you do? 

My favorite thing about what I do is being able to help people and make sure they get the best products for their horses. I always want to make sure the rider and horse are happy.

What’s it like owning your own horse?
I learned about loyalty, trust and persevering from Ava. Since I was young, I dreamed of owning a horse. I can attest that dreams do come true. At age 16, with hard work, my dream came true. I arranged to trailer Ava from South Carolina for an on-site trial. I fell in love immediately. When I tried her, she was “bombproof and had more whoa than go;” she was also very skinny, so I spent a lot of time with a friend trying to build her top line and improve her health overall. After a month of having her, she did a 180—she starting spooking at everything, was very frantic and just unsure of her surroundings. It took months of bonding to finally get her to trust me. We recently competed at our first AA show where we were reserve champions!

What’s your biggest achievement?

My biggest achievement would be how far my horse has come along. Ava and I moved to an “AA” circuit barn with a reputation for having amazing riders, and I was just a novice rider with a green horse. It was intimidating, but I was eager to learn. 

What are your goals for the future?

My goals for the future would be to continue to ride when I’m in college and do more A shows.

What is the best thing about your life?

The best thing about my life is 100% my horse Ava! She really knows how to make my day when I’m sad or upset. Riding is a way to calm my mind.

What’s something you would tell everyone if you could?

It’s never too late to start riding! Don’t think you can’t ride because you’re too old. Everyone starts somewhere, so why not start now?

Photos by Jena Golden Photography

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It’s been a while since I’ve shown. After Indo It’s been a while since I’ve shown. After Indoors we turned the horses out and let them be horses. But now it’s time and I’m getting ready to head to Florida for the winter circuit. I’m feeling a bit anxious about getting back into the competitive state of mind, doubting myself and feeling more stress than I did when I was showing. Is this normal? What’s happening to me? What do I do to get back into the right place in my head? Why do I keep going back to this if it does what it does to me at the start of each season? - a Sidelines fan

"Throughout human history, people have enjoyed organizing competitions—the Ancient Greek Olympic Games go back to 776 BC. If you look around, you’ll notice that competition is everywhere in the modern world. Many historians believe that 'competitiveness' is a biological trait that co-evolved with the basic need for human survival. However, returning to a competitive state after time off from being a competitive athlete can be quite daunting," says sports psychologist Margie Sugarman.

"The proper mindset keeps you grounded in the present instead of solely focusing on the results. This automatically helps lower the performance brain state and allows for better focus, performance and results- Focus on what you can control."

Read the full column at the link in our bio!

📸 Ruby Tevis #paard #eventing #pferdeliebe #horsemanship #equinelife #jumping #horsepower #equestrianlifestyle #caballos #horsestagram #pferdefotografie #horsegirl #horseshow #equestrians #ponies #quarterhorse #horselovers #mare #thoroughbred #showjumper #equinephotographer #instagram #horsephotographer #equitation #horseaddict #horsetraining #horseoftheday #gelding #equestrianphotography #sidelinesmagazine
Emily Dulin has always been an animal lover, and h Emily Dulin has always been an animal lover, and helping others is in her blood. She’s the daughter of a Venezuelan ambassador and has spent much of her professional career working in social services and animal welfare. In 2015, Emily took on the role of chief executive officer of Brooke USA Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the welfare of working horses, donkeys and mules, and helping the people that depend on them for survival worldwide. 

“We are making a difference,” Emily said. “We will evaluate an animal at the start of a new program, and then just one, two and then five years later, we see marked improvements in terms of how they are handled, husbandry practices, what they eat and even how crops are being grown just to feed their animals—how feed is stored—and more. To see that end result firsthand is what I find most satisfying.”

Get to know Emily and how she helps working equines as the leader of @brooke_usa at the link in our bio!

Thank you to Brooke and Cody Holcomb of Wyco Ranch in Ft. Pierce, Florida, for the use of your farm, donkeys and horses for the Sidelines photo shoot.

📸 Melissa Fuller #equine #horse #equestrian #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrianlife #horseriding #dressage #instahorse #pony #horselove #pferd #equinephotography #showjumping #horselover #horselife #cheval #horsebackriding #horsephotography #equestrianstyle #donkey #pferde #horseofinstagram #equestriansofinstagram #riding #photography #equinesofinstagram #caballo #dressagehorse #sidelinesmagazine
The February issue of Sidelines Magazine is here a The February issue of Sidelines Magazine is here and it's filled with love - including the love story of dressage riders Sarah Lockman Tubman and Lee Tubman! Thanks to photographer Kristen Scott-Crocker for the beautiful photos and Kimberly Gatto for sharing Sarah and Lee's story. 

We have so many amazing stories in this issue—get to know Sharn Wordley and Craig Martin of Wordley Martin Equestrian, LLC, the two Kiwis have had a fascinating journey in the equestrian world! And meet three day eventer Liz Lund who not only has a great story but wins the award for holding the most horses in one photo taken by Sidelines photographer Melissa Fuller. Hint, it's more than five but less than seven - and everyone had their ears up!! Amazing! 

Also meet hunter-jumper rider and photographer Kirsten Hannah Lafforthun, artist Vanessa Whittell Equine-art, dressage rider Brett Ingram and Emily Marquez-Dulin of Brooke USA, which is a great organization to support - make sure to visit them! 

Meet Madison Ibach and Reagan Ibach, sisters who work at the Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort and have a huge social media presence - make sure to follow them on Instagram! We are excited to continue our Women Entrepreneur stories and introduce you to Gigi Stetler, President/CEO of Broward RV. 

We also feature three great breeding and stallion stories and introduce you to John Almond and Margaret Hoffecker Almond of Loafers Lodge Welsh, and Craig Heckert and Patty Larson of Rivervale Farm, and Kelly Sigler Patterson of Looking Glass Farm. Mary Choate has great answers to share in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists Rob R.L. Jacobs, George Williams, Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing and Margie Sugarman. 

Make sure to sign up for a year's subscription to Sidelines by visiting our website, www.sidelinesmagazine.com so you can get a copy of the magazine sent to your house or barn every month! Enjoy reading this issue now - link in bio!
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