Hailey Johns is a fifteen year old equitation rider from Indiana. She currently owns one hoses, Conaro, an eight year old Holsteiner gelding. "He was imported from Germany as a jumper prospect in 2014. I have been riding him for about a year now and he showed in the 1.30 jumpers before I got him. I show him in the big equitation classes. Conroe has handles the transition to the equitation ring beautifully and I couldn't be happier with him! I am also beyond grateful and lucky to have many riding opportunities within my barn. Everyone at home is extremely kind and supportive and it has allowed me to ride a lot of wonderful and talented different horses. It has helped my riding tremendously and I am so thankful for it!" Johns trains with Katie Kappler at Katie Kappler LLC out of Always Faithful Stables. "I started riding just before I turned 4. No one really knows why I wanted to start, or how I even got the idea, but I woke up from a nap & pronounced that "I was born for horses & horses were born for me!" My mom found a barn for me to ride at that day & about a month later, I ended up in a traditional, competitive hunter jumper program. I have been hooked from that point on & haven't turned back!" Her favoriting thing about riding and showing is being around the horses! "It is such a privilege to share time with these exceptional creatures." When asked if she sees herself being around horses forever, and having a career based around them, Johns responded that she can definitely see herself spending time around and riding horses for the rest of her life. "I am not sure what career path I will take yet, but horses will always be a huge part of my life." "I have been extremely lucky throughout my career thus far. I have only ridden with a handful of trainers in my 11 years, but they have all been wonderful in different ways. All of the extraordinary horses & trainers I have had the pleasure of working with throughout my riding have gotten me to where I am today. My parents have also been extremely supportive throughout my riding, allowing me to continue to improve & move up in the ranks. I am so grateful for the foundation that I got with Mara Glunz at my initial barn, where I rode for 8 years. The classical hunter jumper ways & horsemanship I learned there stick with me wherever I go. In between Mara's program & my current barn I rode at Judgement Farms, where I was very fortunate to have a wonderful children's hunter, The Best Man. For the past year & a half, I have been riding with Katie Kappler at KKLLC! It is a perfect fit for me. I love the atmosphere, training & the whole team! Katie has not only taken my riding to completely new levels, she has found me the best partner I could have dreamed of, Conaro. She has such a wonderful eye for pairing horses & riders & is truly exceptional when it comes to the training. Katie & her carefully selected team have taken my career to the next level in such a short time. I am so grateful for the opportunity to ride & show with KKLLC. They have really gotten me to the point I'm at now." "This year, my main goal was to move up to the big equitation, which I did at WEF. Now that I have accomplished that, I am working towards more consistency in the ring & qualifying for Maclay regionals! In the long term, I hope to find success in the big equitation & get as much in the ring experience as possible on as many horses as possible!" Johns looks up to Laura Bowden Steffe. "She won USEF Medal Finals in 1991 on Double Murmur, a horse that she made. She did all of the work herself & trailered from show to show following Geoff Teall. She has proven that you don't need an infinite budget to be competitive at the highest levels of the sport." Her advice to anyone who has hopes of showing as much as she does is to "develop relationships, build a positive relationship for yourself, and gladly take any opportunities that come your way! Having a solid group of supporters & people who want to help you is a huge part of it. If you are always working hard & projecting positivity & happiness, people will notice & opportunities will eventually come your way! Also, it is important to remember that this sport is one of personal best. Comparing yourself to others & becoming overly competitive won't get you anywhere. Working towards your goals & appreciating the small victories as you work for the bigger ones is what will get you where you want to be!"
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