Junior Taylor Hoffman is currently at the National Academy Championship Horse Show in Tennessee for horseback riding. Nationals, which started Nov. 3 and will continue until Nov. 5, consists of different events and types of horsebacking. Hoffman is competing in two of those events this year.

Hoffman goes to Fire Stables and is competing in a part of the competition named saddle seat.

“What I do is called saddle seat, so there’s not barrels or jumping or anything,” Hoffman said. “The easiest way I can explain it would be like a beauty pageant for horses.”

The first component of saddle seat is equitation. Hoffman says she has to look up, her elbows should be at a point and her hands should be up and forwards.

“You want to see which horse and rider looks the best together,” Hoffman said.

The second component is horsemanship, or pleasure, which focuses on the horse, not the rider.

“Horsemanship is based on how my horse looks and how well they respond to me and listen to me,” Hoffman said.

Competing in nationals has taken Hoffman months of preparation. Hoffman’s practice regimen includes riding two to three times a week and doing different types of lessons to strengthen her muscles.

“I do things called lunge lessons, where my horse gets put on a long rope and I go in circles around my trainer,” Hoffman said. “I’ll either do it without any reins, so I’m not holding onto anything to practice balance, or I’ll do it without irons so I have to practice strengthening my legs.”

Hoffman says she has been preparing for nationals since the time nationals ended last year. Hoffman had a successful competition last year, qualifying past the first day, but she didn’t make it past the second day.

“I think to do better than I did last year, I definitely need to sharpen up my riding and how I look,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman got involved with horses when she was younger and has continued doing it since.

“Growing up, when I was really, really little, my great uncle had horses at his house,” Hoffman said. “I would go over there all the time and he would set me up and let me ride around in the field. Once I got to be 4 or 5 I started asking about lessons.”

Hoffman was granted lessons and has been enjoying horsebacking since.

“It’s just really fun to get a bond with people who like the same things as you because not a lot of people do horsebacking,” Hoffman said. “I know that when I’m there, obviously they like it too.”

Hoffman plans to continue this love of riding into her future.

“I would like to continue for as long as physically possible,” Hoffman said. “I want to be a trainer after college. I plan to go to William Woods University [in Missouri] and major in equine science.”

Hoffman had successful practice rides at nationals and advanced in both horsemanship and equitation, winning fifth in equitation and second in horsemanship.

After advancing to the second day, Hoffman didn’t advance in equitation, but she placed sixth in horsemanship, which will advance her to the National Championship Pleasure Class, which will take place on Nov. 5.