Senior Samantha Mikesell and junior Abbi McComb placed third and sixth at the Youth National Horse Show this summer

     Imagine working toward something everyday for hours on end and not having your efforts recognized. At the end of August, Senior Samantha Mikesell and Junior Abbi McComb traveled to Oklahoma City to compete in the 2016 Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show and placed in the top 10. But their sport is so under-appreciated that very few people know about it.

Mikesell has been riding horses since she was six and has been showing horses since she was 10 years old.

“The form of riding I do, nobody really knows about,” Mikesell said. “It’s called saddleseat.”

     Saddleseat riding is a form of horseback riding that focuses on the movement and skills of specific horse breeds. McComb also rides saddleseat.

     “An Arabian saddleseat isn’t really heard of,” McComb said. “You hear about jumping and dressage (the showing of a horse focusing on obedience, flexibility and balance) a lot more, and I think that’s mainly because it’s in the Olympics. I really don’t know why it’s not heard of as much … it’s a big organization. It’s just kind of strange that people don’t know.”

     “I think it’s just a great sport and I think more people should know about the different kinds of riding there are,” Mikesell said.

     There were four different types of riding at the youth national competition. Riders from 16 regions across the United States and Canada attended.

     “A lot of people think you don’t do a lot, but it’s really kind of a mental thing,” McComb said. “Like you have to feel if the horse is getting long and you need to squeeze them and push their body together or if their head is getting too low and you also have to think about where the other horses are or if all of the judges can see you, so I think that’s pretty cool just to challenge yourself,”

     All of the training is extensive and requires lots of practice.

     “I go everyday and I intern at the barn for school so I’m there everyday,” Mikesell said.

     Mikesell has big plans for the future including owning her own barn.

     “I’d really like to become a trainer and have my own boarding facility where I can train client’s horses and take them to shows,” Mikesell said.

     At the end of the day, placing and recognition doesn’t matter according to McComb.

“Nationals was really a learning experience for me and my horse,” McComb said. “I just hope that I can encourage young riders to keep working hard.”