by Ashton Eley.

They approach the jump; both horse and rider prepare for the leap. This is what they have trained for everyday, what junior Sarah Barnett has practiced for years.

Barnett has been training and competing in competitive show jumping for over five years.

“I started in sixth grade because I like horses,” Barnett said.

Barnett and Princeton, her mixed quarter horse, have been competing for four years and have developed a special bond.

“He is a good boy,” Barnett said fondly.

His largest jump to clear was 2 feet and 3 inches. Barnett competes in highly competitive races with about 20 fellow riders in her division.

“It’s me versus 20 other girls. There’s six jumps and a lot of little things you can get discounted for, a lot of little things from your horse taking too many steps to how you hair is fixed,” Barnett said, “It’s really competitive so it’s hard to place.”

Barnett is not discouraged by the competitive nature of her sport. Instead, she goes to Midland Farms and practices jumps with Princeton everyday.

“My favorite part is definitely winning,” Barnett said.