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My name is Julia Szinte. I'm a senior at UWM
and my major is biology with a focus on neuroscience.
I ride here at Hunters Run with our trainer Lisa Behling,
and she is our coach for IHSA, which is Intercollegiate Horse Show Association
here at UWM.
I started riding when I was 4, and my dad introduced me into the sport.
You know, I eventually moved on to a different discipline so I really was
interested in the jumping aspect.
So IHSA, it's this big organization that basically
is for college students. Our region we go to Madison,
we go to La Crosse, we go to Notre Dame, we go to you know Northern Illinois for Augustana
and Northwestern.
Those are some of the schools that we compete against. We've had girls who've never
ridden a horse before,
and they go in these classes and they rock it out. It's really fun and everyone's
cheering for them.
So the divisions go all the way from beginners, you know walk-trot,
and all the way to the most advanced which is called open.
What happened was I pointed out in my division from intermediate
flat into open flat. And because I pointed out,
I made it into regionals and you know to make it up the levels you have to get
a first or second. I had received
a first at Regionals, and then I got to fly down to Texas
for zones. I had gotten reserve champion. So that was really exciting and then you know
then I got to go to Pennsylvania and Harrisburg
for nationals. An you know there are 15 girls the best in the nation in your
division.
Five of the 15 get honorable mention, but then the top 10
get you know a ribbon and a prize.
I was just one of the fortunate ones that got to be
in the top 10. When I'm out there on a course you know riding a horse,
it's really exhilarating because your really trusting this animal that they're
not going to just decide to throw you off. I mean you are riding a 1,200
pound animal.
Whether it's school and riding and studying you know whatever,
you have to have good time management skills because once you can't handle that,
something's got to give. And I'm not gonna let it be either.
So I work really hard to make sure that I have a very strict study schedule and
a very strict riding schedule to make sure I can fit everything in together.
I love riding it's exhilarating and so much fun to have a horse trust you enough
to get on their back and
jump these jumps.