Winter 2023-2024 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Winter 2023/2024 Page 7 Visit us online at www.eastcoastequestrian.net Locals Win US Equestrian Scholarships US Equestrian has awarded five $1,000 USEF Higher Educa- tion Equestrian Scholarships, two to regional students. The schol- arships are awarded annually to graduating high school seniors who are committed to continuing their involvement with horses and equestrian sports through their higher education. Marley Rizzi (Wall, NJ) is a Sport Business Manage- ment major and member of the equestrian team at the University of Tennessee at Martin. A former gymnast, she turned her focus to hunter seat equitation and has been a successful competitor in that discipline at the regional and national level. “Equest Show Stables is a working barn, meaning that we do not have hired help to take care of our horses,” said Rizzi. “I am responsible for washing, brushing, and wrapping my horses’ legs. We help the owners water, hay, and clean the stalls. I come home dirty, sweaty, and smelly daily.” She has been on the honor roll every semester during high school and a member of the National Honor Society since her junior year, volunteers as an elementary school religious education aide at St. Catharine’s Church, and has a special affin- ity for working with children with disabilities, informed by her own experience with dys- lexia. “Helping children reach their full potential, making learning fun, and being a role model for the students is fulfill- ing to me,” said Rizzi. “I feel like I belong and can make a difference.” After college graduation, Rizzi aims to use her studies in Sports Business Management and her passion for childhood education to make a positive im- pact with a national professional sports foundation. Alexandra Stewart (Cream Ridge, NJ) is a saddle seat equitation rider and a freshman at the University of Kentucky where she is pursuing a degree in Equine Science and Manage- ment and is a member of the UK Saddle Seat Team. “I started to accomplish my goal of becoming a top-tier equitation rider in the Northeast, winning classes including at Devon, Syracuse International, and Twin State Octoberfest,” said Stewart. “I also won the presti- gious New England Horseman’s Council Medal Final in 2020. To prepare for these shows, I was at the barn every day, riding 4-8 horses daily.” Competing on a national level, Stewart found new learn- ing experiences that altered her equestrian focus. “Showing with the best in the world was electrifying, but I lost frequently,” said Stewart. “It wasn’t until later that I saw that I learned so much more when I lost than I did when just winning. Losing can be tough, but it’s also very common. It helped me gain perspective on why I compete and how to lose gracefully. Throughout my years competing, having an amazing barn family made me recognize the impor- tance of community. Although it is an independent sport, it takes a village to get a horse and rider in the ring, and that includes parents, supporters, coaches, grooms, and more.” Stewart volunteers at Saddle- bred Rescue, a non-profit organi- zation that focuses on rehabilitat- ing and rehoming rescued and at- risk American Saddlebred horses. Now an intern there, she assists with evaluating and retraining horses to ultimately place them in adoptive homes. Her long-term goal after college is to work as a professional horse trainer. Tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian!