The adult amateur community is unique in that most of us are in different seasons of life, different ages, different levels of seriousness about riding, yet our umbrella title as a group creates an amazing community of less pressure, relatability, and supportive people. Being an amateur in the hunter jumper world can mean so many different things. Some just ride for fun, some for ribbons, some to produce top horses alongside their trainers and team. The past 3 years of earning my title as an ammy has brought me together with many others, adding so much fun to the horse show environment and wonderful friendships. I had many good friends as a junior as well at the horse shows, but it definitely felt more divided, competitive, and I had a lot less friends from other barns/teams. I’ve loved getting to horse show with my friends as an adult too, because no part of me is thinking about how there can only be one winner. As an amateur, seeing my friends win is a win for me too.

I wanted to ask a few of my amateur friends & peers about their experience and opinion about the community, to show the variety of ways the community has brought people together, supported us as horsewomen, and taken the title of “adult amateur” to a whole new height.

When did you start riding, and what first drew you to horses?

“I started riding during Covid 19 in May 2020. I was in eighth grade at the time and was a competitive dancer. I did not feel that dance was my forever passion and when everything became remote, I felt even more detached from the sport. Doing my dance classes on zoom felt isolating and unmotivating. My sister grew up riding on and off and wanted to try it again while we were on break from school. I agreed to get on a horse. I immediately got the hook of the sport and wanted to ride every single day. The rush, adrenaline and excitement of riding an animal made me feel unstoppable” – Alix Weiss

“I started riding when I was 6 years old, my parents signed me up for horse camp and I fell in love. I was immediately drawn to the kind and gentle nature of horses” – Allison Beck

“I’ve been riding since I was seven years old. My mom and grandmother grew up riding so she it’s in my genes” – Tarrin Kirby

What keeps you coming back to this sport, even on the hard days?

“What keeps me coming back is the special relationship I have with my horses. I can be having the worst day, and riding horrible, and my horses never hold it against me. They are emotionally smart and I think that is such a special thing.
Outside of horses I’m pretty active person, I love working out, long walks, cooking, and hanging out with my friends. Being able to keep the balance of horses and being a normal teenager is very important to me” – Allison Beck

“The confidence and excitement of getting it right. Having a great ride is unmatched. I always say you can’t have good days if you don’t have bad ones” – Tarrin Kirby

Tell us about yourself outside of horses.

“I am a professional braider in Ocala Florida, mostly as WEC. I also work for a local credit union as a loan officer. Outside of my jobs I love being on the water and fishing/ scalloping with my husband” – Tarrin Kirby

What accomplishment in your amateur years are you most proud of, and why?

“I would say my biggest accomplishment in my riding journey so far is Low Adult circuit championship at WEC ocala winter 2026 with my then 5 year old mare Brie. But I am most proud of how far we have come in our consistency over the past year. When your rounds are not good by luck alone and you feel like you’re really getting in a grove with your horse” – Tarrin Kirby

How do you balance life, work, and family with riding?

“I’m super bad at this. I definitely overload myself at all times. I don’t really think I have much of a work life balance. But this sport is expensive, and I enjoy my work so it’s worth it. I definitely have to actively plan time w my family and husband. He doesn’t seem to mind lol” – Tarrin Kirby

“I have learned that a balance of work, school and riding is extremely important in my mental health. When I became an amateur rider, I decided I wanted to try to focus on socializing in college and have riding as a fun hobby on the side. I didn’t want as much pressure on the sport I loved so dearly. After a couple of months and some really rough days, I realized that life was not meant for me and I needed to prioritize my riding journey to make myself happy. Today, I work part time remotely as a social media assistant for a corporate company, run multiple barns social media accounts, have a show bow business that I have created, enrolled in Pennsylvania State University, and show competitively around the country. This may seem like a lot but I feel I balance it out well. I stay busy but still get down time. It also helps me be able to afford to ride at the degree I want to. On days that get hard I remind myself of my goals and what shows I would like to go to. I have learned, doing jobs that I enjoy makes me feel less drained and more productive” – Alix Weiss

What does being an amateur mean to you?

“I would say being able to enjoy the sport without having the pressure of a professional. Spending a majority of my time on just one or two Horses instead of having to spread it between several. I think professionals wish they had more time to spend with their own personal horse. I’m lucky enough to be able to spend way too long, grazing grooming, and just being with my horse” – Tarrin Kirby

What advice would you give another amateur rider?

“I have two pieces of advice I would give to another amateur. 1. If you’re not winning, you’re learning. This sport has so many ups and downs and it’s so important that you are able to look for the good, even in your worst rounds. You only learn by making mistakes. And 2. this is supposed to be fun, do it for the love of the horses, and always trust your gut” – Allison Beck

“If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong. We don’t always ride well, we don’t always win when we do ride well, but we always do this because we want to! If you’re taking time from your family to do something you love you better be enjoying it! No one‘s gonna remember that you were third in the derby that one time. But you were going to remember the long walk you took with your horse at the Kentucky horse park and you saw all the fireflies and it was magical” – Tarrin Kirby

What’s one thing horse friends do for each other that people outside the sport probably wouldn’t understand?

“I think other horse people understand how special these animals are to us, and will go out of their way to help no matter the circumstances. I recently had a horse do something pretty stupid the day I was leaving the country, and one of my friends stepped up, driving 40 mins round trip in order to help them and ease my stress while I’m away. No questions asked, just because they understand how special these animals are. I think that’s so admirable, and non horse people wouldn’t understand going out of their way” – Allison Beck

“Besides the obvious fact of moral support and mutual understanding… This one is easy. My horse friends understand why I go MIA four days at a time and then pop back up like nothing ever happened. My outside friends don’t understand why I spend so much time with the horses” – Tarrin Kirby

What makes your fellow amateur friends different from your friends outside of horses?

“I’ve noticed that a lot of my fellow amateur friends have incredible work drive, knowing this sport is not easy and hard work is so important. I’ve noticed that so many people work like dogs to do what they love, and I think that’s so special” – Allison Beck

Can you share a favorite memory with your horse friends?

“I’m sure I’ve had many over the years. But most recently I got to go to adult Hunter finals with my best friend. We were able to go full-blown horse girl complete with super long night checks and long walks for grazing the horses. One of the first nights we were there we went for a walk and there were lightning bugs everywhere, something we don’t see much in Florida. It was very magical and I think we both felt very grateful to be there in that moment… not only together, but at adult Hunter finals checking so many things off our bucket list” – Tarrin Kirby

What’s the kindest thing another amateur has done for you?

“One of the kindest things another amateur has done for me was a consistent act. She always showed up to the ring, supported me, and talked me out of my head more times than I could count. She wanted me to succeed so bad that she worked constantly to make it happen” – Allison Beck

“I think that the adults have a certain camaraderie that the juniors and kids might not share. As we are only slightly less competitive… lol. Recently I went to get ready for my class and my shadbelly was way too big. I have not worn it in a long time and did not realize it was so big on me. My friend had just purchased a brand new shadbelly the day before. And she let me wear it in my class!” – Tarrin Kirby

How do you try to support other amateurs, both in and our of the show ring?

“I always try to support other amateurs by wishing them good luck, being there if they ever need to talk, and understanding that progress isn’t linear and you’re going to have amazing days, and awful days too” – Allison Beck

“I think I try to support other amateurs by being friendly at the ring and at the barn. Everyone looks very nervous (myself included) when they’re about to go show. I like to try and make friends and assure them that we are all in the same boat. We may all be nervous, but we’re all excited to be here. I also tried to be at the ring to watch my other friend show as much as possible. Love a good cheering section!” – Tarrin Kirby

Finish this sentence: “being an amateur is about more than competiton because…”

“Being an amateur is about more than competition because it fives you the opportunity to grow as a person next to such incredibly intelligent animals” -Allison Beck

“It’s about the friendships you’ll make with fellow equestrians. The bonds you will have with your horses. Relationships that will continue long past your riding years. It’s about setting goals for yourself and overcoming obstacles. Making memories that’s will last a lifetime!” – Tarrin Kirby

I can sum this post up by saying no matter what background you came from, or what has brought you to this point in your riding career as an amateur, there are things that we all share that make this crazy lifestyle even more special. Riding horses is unique because you will have friends that you would probably never have unless you were united by horses, and in my experience these are the people that you are most grateful for. There’s always someone to learn from and there’s always someone who will be there for you- whether it’s lending you a bit at a horse show or giving you one last hug before you show in an important class. This is truly what it’s all about.