Sports are a major part of many teenager’s daily lives, however, some sports are often forgotten. Kate Stowe, who is a junior at THS, is a horseback rider. Stowe has been riding horses for 12 years, and her experience with how her love of horses came to be is very interesting.

“Sounds a little crazy, but when I was 3 years old, my grandma took me to a picnic and there were a couple of ponies at the picnic. I fell in love with horses instantly. From then on, horses have been in my life and I owe it all to my grandma,” said Stowe.

Once Kate became infatuated with horses, her parents started asking around to see if there were any local stables that she could ride at. “I used to ride at Longacre stables, but now I ride at my house,” said Stowe.

Stowe’s favorite type of horse is the American Saddlebred. “These horses are a little crazy at times, but beautiful.”

Kate implied that there are many types of riding styles such as Huntseat, Saddleseat, Western, Dressage, and English. Her favorite type of riding style is Saddleseat.

Stowe rides for fun at her house and competes at local shows.

“It’s thrilling to ride such a powerful animal and they just like to show off a bit,” said Stowe.

While riding horses, it is important to wear the correct equipment. Kate emphasized that while she rides, she wears a helmet, riding boots, and jods, which are riding pants. Also, she mentioned that there are a variety of saddles and saddle sizes.

Stowe expressed that her favorite part of riding horses is everything.

“Most people don’t think riding horses is fun, but for me it’s a thrill every single time,” said Stowe.  

Currently, she does not have a horse of her own, but she had a horse named Heir Girl Pearls, a.k.a. Pearls. Kate had her for two years and she is an American Saddlebred.

Kate plans to continue riding and incorporate these beautiful animals into her profession somehow.

“I plan on continuing riding horses no matter what. They have been part of my life for many years and I enjoy being around horses.”  

Stowe is looking into becoming a large animal veterinarian or a horse trainer. She has looked at two schools that offer horseback riding, which are the University of Lexington and the University of Kentucky.

“Both are beautiful schools that let girls, like me, keep the dream of riding horses.”