The A Circuit – synonymous with gorgeously turned out hunters that equal the cost of a small house and girls wearing breeches more expensive than my lessons for a month. At least, that is the answer I would have given if I was asked my knowledge on it a little over two years ago, when showing at rated shows was only something I could dream about while living vicariously through the glossy feeds of juniors on social media.
The version of myself that sits typing in front of my laptop would give you a contrastingly different answer, one which involves lifelong friendships, a ridiculously supportive family, two four-hooved partners who have reshaped my world, and of course, a buttload of hard work.
I first plunged into the horse world by chance at age 7, but what makes my riding story unique is how it breaks the tradition of the typical ‘moving up through the pony divisions’ background that many of my competitors have. Up until March of 2019, I was riding on a weekly basis at riding schools, including a brief stint in eventing. While this meant I did not have access
to high caliber training or exposure to the show ring from an early age, it gave me the opportunity to ride a variety of horses and instilled a deep sense of gratitude which remains with me today. From taking a freshly off the track thoroughbred over her first jump to getting the barn’s resident stopper over fences, I relished every learning opportunity I could get my hands on during these first 7 years of my riding career.
In 2019, my extremely wonderful and hardworking parents made the decision (and sacrifice) that would ultimately change my life for the better. In a turn of events that still sometimes makes me pinch myself, they committed to supporting me as I pursued my dream to compete on the A Circuit. While this may not seem like a big deal to some, coming from an immigrant family who had to fight tooth and nail for what we have now, this decision was not one which I took lightly, and I promised myself that as soon as I was able, I would make it my responsibility to cover as many costs of riding as possible. Due to this, I am very grateful to be able to work two part time jobs as a retail associate at a tack store and the barn while balancing a rigorous high school curriculum in order to cover riding expenses.
Recent events from this year have shed light on a large issue within my beloved sport – the lack of diversity. I like to joke with my friends about how easy it is to spot me on the showgrounds, being one of very few Asian riders on the circuit. Rather than having this lack of representation discourage me from pursuing the sport, I actively work to promote increased diversity through advocacy in person, and embedding it throughout my social media.
Having moved to Canada from China at the age of 5, I am proud of my Asian heritage, and am known to promote the sport to fellow young Asian Canadians in hopes that they will one day help me work towards increased acceptance and diversity in equestrian sport.
This season, I competed in the 1.20m jumper division with my horse, Klaas Klever and am currently ranked 4th in Ontario for it. Our results have qualified us for both the provincial and national finals, which I will be attending this October and November. Next season, I am set to compete in the Modified Grand Prix with him, along with the Big Eq and Pro Derby divisions on my other horse, Lotus HT. I also feel extremely fortunate to have been selected as 1 of 24 members of Ontario Equestrian’s GRIT team, a high-performance development program aimed to help competitors reach podium goals with the help of Olympians, nutritionists, and fitness professionals. Towards the future, I am actively pursuing goals to represent Canada on the Young Riders Team and later, Nations Cups Grand Prix. Although unconventional, my riding journey has taught me to be a resilient problem-solver, and I have come to truly appreciate the obstacles I have had to overcome as they have taught me priceless life lessons.