Many students at ODA are passionate about the athletics, and pursue their talents at impressive levels. One student, Jade Bond, brings her athletic fervor and talent to a very unique sport, an equestrian mounted drill team.

Ever since she was five year old, Jade has had a passion for horseback riding. Having two horses of her own, Jade loves being around horses and enjoys to ride in her free time. She has competed in horse shows in the past, and when she was presented with an even more unique opportunity to pursue her love for riding, she jumped on it.

Jade’s dog trainer happens to be the coach of an equestrian drill team, and when she learned of Jade’s talent, she offered her a spot on her team, Gypsy Gold. An equestrian drill team is, essentially, a group of riders performing choreographed maneuvers to music while mounting a horse. The hardest part for Jade upon joining the team was getting used to this new twist to traditional horseback riding.

“The hardest part for me is memorizing the drills and the spacing. However, the music helps me keep my rhythm and timing.”

Recently, Jade competed in her very first State Championship. The teams all get judged on their overall performance, as well as their music selections and costumes. Gypsy Gold was faced with tough competition; some teams even incorporated props and flags into their performance. However, with long practices and hard work, Jade and her team created a performance that won 4th place in the Open Division and 2nd place in the Quad Division. Jade was so excited to take part in this competition, and loved the experience she gained from it.

“It was fun, exciting-and exhausting! Overall it was an amazing experience.”

Jade would like to thank her coach Diane for giving her the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful team, and for helping her succeed.  Congratulations, Jade! We at The Bolt are excited to hear about your future successes!