This week starts a regular column in a series titled “On the Road.” Street to Stable will follow junior rider McKenna Norris, our junior advisor and jr editor, as she provides advice and insight while seriously pursuing her final junior year of USHJA competition in all three rings.
Written from the perspective of a junior rider, McKenna's insights and observations will resonate with all ages of competitive equestrians. In fact, this week her tips for travel correlate almost directly with similar obstacles I face as a business professional.
We look forward to following McKenna for an entire year and better understanding the grit it takes to become a top rider, regardless of age, career or geographic location.
Salut!
TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND MORE TRAVEL
The struggle is real when it comes to being a full-time public high school student and a competitive equestrian. Juggling notes, projects, homework and deadlines, while also mentally and physically preparing for a horse show can be extremely challenging.
In one year, my junior status will be ending. At the end of last summer, my parents and I made the tough decision to move my horses from the isolated region of Sun Valley, Idaho to Northern California to further my riding career and maximize opportunities. I now train with Julie Young of Silver Bay Stables in Santa Rosa, California, thus better affording me access to competitions all year long. I compete in horse shows on both coasts, which means that I spend a lot of time traveling and I regularly miss attending classes.
Flying from Sun Valley/Hailey, Idaho to Santa Rosa, California requires three flights/connections. I dedicate my Fridays and Sundays to traveling between airports for practice. On horse show weeks, I usually fly to California on Thursday, show Thursday through Sunday, and return to Sun Valley for school on Monday. The countless days I miss is the priceless time where teachers lecture, assign work, and collaborate with students.
3 TIPS FOR BALANCING HORSE SHOWS AND WORK
Through experience, I have mastered the following three tactics to successfully meet both my academic and riding goals:
- Email. I can not stress enough how many emails I have sent to current teachers regarding absence, homework, and deadlines. I find that constant communications with each teacher reiterates my dedication to academics. Additionally, receiving assignments on the same day they are allocated to my classmates alleviates the stress of additional work when I return.
- Incorporate Work into Every Day. Even if you only have 15 minutes, at least get something checked off of your list of to-dos. These small chunks definitely add up over time and lightens the end of the weekend workload. I am then not bombarded with a pile of assignments to be completed before I return to school.
- Plan. One of the worst feelings when traveling is realizing I forgot something. I always make sure that I have access to my textbooks (online and/or print), pack extra chargers to my devices, and bring a battery pack. My battery pack is my life saver; I’ve been on thousands of planes and visited multiple horse show grounds where there is no access to a wall port.
Remember horseshoeing and academics and/or work is doable, although it is a balancing act that you need to manage. Ultimately, we are lucky for the opportunity to be equestrians.