Freshman Selah Fritz has a passion for horseback riding.
She said she became interested in horseback riding when she was eight or nine years old. She added that she fell in love with it when she rode a horse at a church camp.
“I rode a horse there and decided I wanted to keep doing it,” she said.
Selah said she has a barn down the road from her house where she boards her horse. She added that she rides almost every day after school for about two hours and on weekends whenever she has free time.
She started competing this year, in “eventing,” which involves three phases: dressage, cross-country and show jumping, Selah explained.
Selah added that she has to travel far to compete since there are no competitions locally. She said she travels as far as Maryland and New Jersey.
Selah said that her favorite part of competing is jumping and cross-country. She added that good cardio is helpful for the riders competing because of all the jumping. She said that she also loves spending time with her horses.
She said she has to wake up around 3 a.m. on competition days, which is difficult for her.
“Waking up early is hard sometimes, and packing is stressful, but it is all worth it when you get there,” she said. She added that she struggles with nervousness or anxiety beforehand, but it eases off as she goes.
Selah said she only has one horse, Delilah, that she trained herself. She uses her friend’s horse, Sunny, to compete most of the time.
Selah’s horse trainer, Mr. Nick Hansen, said that Selah has improved her skills and is doing a really good job training her horse, considering the horse was young and uneducated when she started.
“Selah has set bold but achievable goals for herself and Delilah, and with her dedication and work ethic, I am confident she will reach those goals,” he added.
Selah added that she made many accomplishments this year. She said that she had many top eights and multiple first place finishes. She finished sixth out of 17 people in her first competition, adding that her results varied throughout the rest of the season.
She said some future goals include competing at higher levels or even internationally.
