I started taking lessons at the age of five and quickly fell in love with horses. At nine, I got my first horse, an older Morgan gelding, and we competed at local pleasure shows together. Over the years, I explored different barns and disciplines, from dressage to gymkhana, and in-hand to over fences. In 8th grade, I joined the John Stark Equestrian Team, which introduced me to new challenges and opportunities, including competing at the state level.
Currently, I train with Susan Russell, who teaches me mostly from a classical dressage perspective, but she does have experience in eventing. This past year, I had the incredible opportunity to lease her homebred horse, a Lusitano Thoroughbred gelding. Bringing him back into competition shape has been one of my most rewarding experiences. Together, we qualified for and competed at the State Show for the equestrian team and at the NH State 4-H Show. I will be competing with him again during my senior year on the equestrian team in the spring and 4-H through the summer.
I am a senior in the class of 2026 at John Stark Regional High School in Weare, NH, with a class rank of 11th and a 4.3 GPA. I have earned AP credits in English Language and Composition and U.S. History, as well as taking many honors classes. I am also an active member of the Spanish Honor Society and Photography Club at my school. Beyond the classroom, I volunteer as a ski patroller at Pats Peak, where I practice emergency response and leadership skills while ensuring the safety of others. I serve as Captain of the John Stark Equestrian Team, and I am currently President of the Appleton Clovers 4-H Club. I am also working at Elegante Performance Horses, caring for horses and gaining further hands-on experience in the equestrian world.
Horses are my passion and my anchor; they’ve given me discipline, resilience, and a community. One of my dreams is to own and operate a horse farm that offers lessons, training, and breeding, as well as opportunities for young riders through programs such as 4-H. For obvious reasons, horses are essential to my college experience, and riding in college is more than the chance to continue competing; it means that I get to be a part of a team where I can learn from other dedicated riders, push myself to new levels, and contribute to something larger than myself. I know that a collegiate equestrian team will be new for me both as a rider and as a person, but I’m ready to take it in stride, as it is the next step in becoming the best rider, leader, and teammate I can be.
~ Sierra McCabe