We posted about an Equestrian Champion last weekend who had won nationally at the Royal Fair in Toronto. We were surprised to learn New Brunswick had another Equestrian champion (reserve champion to be specific), Jessica Leota Spilman, who won the Open Pro Rider division, for riders with horses that are at least 3yrs old who have not yet won $2500, at the All American Quarter Horse Congress!
What distinguished Ms. Spilman was the fact that she had no tension on the reins, relying instead on her close connection with the horse, Maddie (owned by Katy & Ashley Muenchen), and some middle-of-the-night preparation to familiarize Maddie with the course. It's a beautiful event. Even if you're not a regular fan of Equestrian sports, the video of Jessica's performance is mesmerizing. With a score of 242 in an event where 210 is a respectable result, Jessica won her gold for New Brunswick with flying colours. Here is Jessica Spilman, in her own words, on her athletic journey leading up to the All American Quarter Horse Congress:
"I have been riding since I was two years old. Back in 2016 my older cousin went and competed at the Congress. Up until this point I had only been showing locally so AQHA shows were very new to me. I remember watching her show on the livestream and it looked like so much fun! It quickly became my dream to show my youth horse there.
The trail is unique because every rider enters the pen with a different approach. Although we all go through the same course, changing the way you approach and handle the obstacles gives you an opportunity to stand out against your competitors. Developing my own style has certainly been my favourite part of showing in the trail.
At the Congress you are only able to ride in the show pen during the night. We typically found ourselves in the very crowded pen every night around 3am. Knowing this is the case, it was important to me that Maddie knew her job and felt confident working her through a course before we left for the show. This way we could have quiet and easy rides through the night to familiarize her with the space rather than worrying about how she’ll be over the poles.
Prepping Maddie (the horse) has been a wonderful experience. The trail is all still very new to her as we only started her over poles this year. It takes a long time to get a horse truly broke for the trail, but she was a natural from day one and has picked it up super quickly.
Finally, I believe it takes a village in order to succeed in this sport. Surrounding yourself with the right people can make all the difference in the world. My mentors, Jennifer Stein and Chase Barnes have been a vital part of my journey. They have given me so much support and guidance along with creating a professional yet fun environment to train in. Becoming a Reserve Congress Champion has been a dream come true and I couldn’t have done it without them!" Congratulations Ms. Spilman, and thank you for representing New Brunswick so well on the international stage.
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