Page 34 - Sarita Maybin

Incredible Kids of San Diego

MANDA WHITE IS 14 Amanda is like my big ever since. At first, I leased a Amanda’s trainer Ann was
Ayears old, a freshman at sister she's very smart, and she horse for a year; named Festival definitely correct, after selecting
Canyon Crest Academy and my keeps her horse at the same Sundance, Sunny where we her new horse, Qua-Drangle,
friend. She is a member of the barn where I keep my horse. competed in Hunt Seat Equita- Cody, Amanda won her first
Equestrian Club at school and Amanda has many talents, she tion and Pleasure and Classic Morgan World Championship.
participates in the United States is the fitting and showmanship Pleasure Driving at the Morgan They went on to win many local
Equestrian Federation (USEF) world champion, which is Grand National and World and regional championships
High School Equestrian Athlete when a handler and their horse Championships. Even though in Hunt Seat Equitation and
Lettering Program. Amanda perform patterns in unison in Sunny and I did well, Ann, said Pleasure and Western Pleasure.
lives in Carmel Valley with her front of a judge and the judge that I would need a different And, Amanda was fourth in
the Grand National and World
Championship Junior Judging
Amanda White, competition.”
One of the things I like
most about Amanda is that no
matter how many champion-
Equestrian ships or awards she wins she
still tells me that one of her
favorite things is to work at
Written by Nini Hodge and Amanda White the same camp where she first
Photos Courtesy of Amanda White learned to ride. Amanda shares,
“I enjoy teaching new riders. I
bases her or his decision on horse to compete as I advanced really like when campers who I
how well the horse and handler to the next division of compe- worked with in summer camp
were in sync with each other. tition. I was sad not to be able move on to take more lessons
Aside from being a talent- to ride Sunny in competitions at Miller Equestrian. It is fun
mother, Sarah, and her dad, ed Equestrian Amanda gets anymore, but I knew she was to share my love of riding with
Peter, lives in Clairemont. top-notch grades in school and right." advancing riders. I also like
Amanda started riding at has several other interests, one For those of you who participating in the school
age 8 through the Ecke YMCA which is a love of cooking. She might be thinking, what is a visits where we bring one of the
camp. The Ecke YMCA has has taken quite a few cooking Morgan Horse, it is a breed horses and teach students about
their camp at Miller Equestrian classes over the last couple of of saddle horses with very horses and riding. My goal for
and has a great program for years. Amanda also belongs special characteristics. The this year is to strengthen my
new riders. After her first camp, to FFA which is future farm- Morgan is a strong horse that relationship with my horse, im-
she was hooked and convinced ers of America, and she takes can run at fast speeds. It can prove my riding technique, and
her Mom to sign her up for agriculture classes. Her hopes also go long distances without win the Hunt Seat Equitation
other Ecke YMCA camps later are to one day become a large getting tired. The Morgan is World Championship for 14
that summer. animal vet. considered a good-natured and 15-year-olds. Eventually, I
With camp lessons behind Amanda’s interest in riding animal. It is usually good with hope to take my knowledge of
her, she moved up to private has been growing over the children and has a kind and horses and become an equine
and group lessons. Amanda years, “Initially I learned how willing disposition. veterinarian."
has told me, "I really appreciate to ride Saddleseat. In my first
all the driving my Mom does few horse shows, I competed in
to shuttle me from Carmel Saddleseat as an Academy Rid-
Valley to Escondido and back; er. About the time, my mother
sometimes up to a hundred was going to buy me a saddle
miles a day and up to 7 days and other tack as part of the
per week. Because I spend a process of an advancing rider,
lot of time in the car, I do a she said, ‘the minute I buy this
lot of homework on the drives saddle, you are going to want to
and having a Hot Spot helps. switch to Hunt Seat.' My trainer
I tried out a few other barns Ann thought that might not be
closer to home but always a bad idea so at my next lesson
returned to Miller Equestrian I tried riding Hunt Seat. Some-
because this is where I feel at thing about it just clicked, and
home." I have been riding Hunt Seat

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