WICHITA, Kan.—
Often an overlooked sport, horseback riding is an activity that is not only fun, but fun to watch. One Lady Spartan has been a rider for years and hopes to continue riding as long as she can.Maddie Daley, a junior at Collegiate, has now been riding since she was five, with a five-year hiatus in the middle. She started riding again when she moved to Wichita back in the sixth grade. Daley competes in many competitions all over the place: from Oklahoma City to Manhattan, and even occasionally in California.
Daley practices at Palmer Ranch near Augusta on her International Sport horse, also known as an Oldenburg, with pinto coloring. Daley rides alongside Alli Hatchett, another senior rider from Collegiate. Both are coached by Amanda Eggleston, but Daley is also coached by Linda Bates in California.
When she competes, Daley enters in Hunter and Jumper shows which are mostly all jumping and flat events. Her favorite part about the competitions is the rush before and after a big jump.
"My favorite part about riding would have to be jumping,” said Daley. “[I like] the tense feeling you get right before a big jump, then after [you land], the feeling of relief that rushes over you.”
Daley is excited to compete next year as a senior, but hesitant about competing in college.
"I'd love to continue riding in college," Daley said. "But it's going to be difficult. I think of riding as one of my main hobbies, and I'm not as serious about competing in college."
Her next competition is in November at Pinto Worlds in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is an enormous competition with riders competing from all over the nation.
