Hi! My name is Amelia VanDevender. I’m a high school sophomore from Chicago, Illinois and I am passionate about riding and horsemanship.
When I was younger, I tried different sports and activities, but nothing ever felt right. As a middle schooler, I began to wonder whether I would ever fit in anywhere. Around that same time, COVID hit. Quarantine was one of the most difficult and confusing times of my life. I was desperate to try something new, but, of course, it was almost impossible to find anything to do when the world was shut down. One day my mom heard about a barn that was willing to take new students and, knowing that I’ve always loved being around animals, suggested we visit. I took one lesson and something magical finally clicked. I’ve spent almost every day at the barn since that first lesson – it’s the only place I want to be. Who knew that I would have COVID to thank for helping me find my passion?
I train under the guidance of Lorrie Canady at Galway Farm and currently compete in the 3’3 junior hunters, equitation and national derbies on several different horses. After only a few months of 3’3” equitation competition, I qualified for and competed in the 2024 Hamel Foundation NHS 3’3 Medal Final at The National Horse Show in Kentucky. Most recently, I’ve moved up into the 3’6” equitation classes with the goal of qualifying for Maclay finals in 2025. I typically ride 4-5 horses each day and assist our team at shows by preparing our horses for their classes in the grooming stall and schooling ring, helping my teammates walk and learn their courses, and completing barn chores under the watchful eye of Galway’s head groom, Sergio. While I enjoy all these responsibilities and continue to seek out more opportunities to advance my riding and develop my horsemanship skills, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the moments I spend with my teammates, both human and equine, after the chaos of the show day is over. Supporting a friend after a difficult ride, celebrating a win or special accomplishment in the ring or just sitting in my horse’s stall after a long day of competition, brings me the sense of belonging I had been looking for when I was younger.
Riding a variety of horses at home, in the show ring and at clinics has helped me develop into an adaptable and educated rider who accepts feedback and critique, learns from mistakes and corrects them gently and quickly. I have had success in the ring on several horses at HITS Lamplight and Ocala, World Equestrian Center (WEC) Ocala and Ohio, Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington (WEF) and the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) in Traverse City, however, the most rewarding riding experience has been developing a young green hunter along with my trainers over the past year. We’ve had some setbacks on our journey, but after working with this talented, sensitive horse for many months, we finally started to see some consistent results, top placings and division championships in the Children’s Hunters division this past summer at HITS Chicago and GLEF. Knowing that I had a hand in developing this special mare is one of my most cherished accomplishments.
Outside of the barn, I focus on excellence in the classroom. Unlike most of my friends, however, my “classroom” is online. In order to accomplish my equestrian goals and succeed academically, I’m enrolled at Upper Echelon Academy (UEA), based in Wellington, Florida. At UEA, I’m able to maintain a challenging course load and a rigorous horse show schedule without compromising either. I currently have As in all my classes and have taken the unique opportunity to enroll in equine-based electives to expand my knowledge of horses and the equestrian industry.
I would love the opportunity to continue my equestrian journey at the collegiate level where I could continue to pursue my passion for horses in a team setting. This sport has taught me so many lessons in patience, compassion and resilience in and out of the saddle and I am excited to continue to dedicate myself to those pursuits at the right program and commit to my team.
~ Amelia VanDevender
Additional Information
USEF Number – 5725019
NCAA Number – 2409414232
YouTube – Amelia Vandevender 2027 Jumping Seat Candidate – YouTube
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Email – [email protected]