Teen headed to national equestrian competition

Three days a week, Ali Kuhn is doing her homework in the car during a 1½ hour journey to the Albertville stable where her pony, Pascal, is boarded. 

Her riding lessons and travel time don’t leave a lot of time for other hobbies, but the Ross Bridge resident and Shades Mountain Christian School eighth-grader’s hard work has paid off. Kuhn and Pascal recently qualified to attend the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s 2017 Pony Finals.

Kuhn began riding horses at age 6 and began showing at 9. She moved up from walk-trot shows centered on the fundamentals of horsemanship to hunter pony classes, where she and Pascal fly over jumps up to 2 feet, 9 inches.

“I’ve always loved horses,” Kuhn said. “In the beginning, it was just about being around the horses, but then I learned that there was a competitive side to it. I’m a really competitive person, so if I can do what I love and be competitive, that’s a win-win for me.”

She and her pony are a “perfect match,” Kuhn said. Pascal moves and jumps well, but Kuhn said he’s full of personality.

“He’s really prissy,” Kuhn said. “He’s kind of a drama king.”

But when they’re in the show ring, Kuhn and Pascal are a team with a single goal.

“You just start to click, and you don’t really have to think about what you’re doing. You just do it,” she said.

To qualify for the U.S. Pony Finals, Kuhn had to place as the champion or reserve champion at least three times in shows in her division. While there aren’t any pony shows in her division in Alabama, Kuhn competed around the Southeast and racked up her champion wins based on performance in four jumping rounds and one flat (or non-jumping) class per show.

Once she met the qualifications for Pony Finals, Kuhn said she actually began to perform better as she came to each show more relaxed.

“Every time you go to a show, there’s a little bit more of a burden if you haven’t qualified,” Kuhn said.

Though it’s hard to balance school and riding at times, Kuhn said she loves the show environment. She prepares for Pony Finals by watching other riders and spending plenty of time in the ring with Pascal.

“It’s really fun to be just there, because there’s tons of other stuff you get to watch and learn and see all these things, like, ‘I want to do that one day,’” Kuhn said.

The U.S. Pony Finals are Aug. 8-13 at the Kentucky Horse Park, where Kuhn will compete in the Green Hunter Pony division. After finals, Kuhn wants to keep competing, eventually moving up to riding horses in the junior division and competing in jumper shows.

Whether she’s at the barn or at a show, Kuhn said riding has brought a lot of excitement to her life, as well as the perspective that comes from caring for and working with an animal that relies on her.

“It adds a lot of joy,” Kuhn said.