BY KAITLYN YOURKOSKI
Lauren Little may be young, but she is proving herself in the equestrian industry. At only 14 years old, she was awarded circuit champion in the large pony hunters at the Sonoma Horse Park and also won two classics in one day. One of her classic wins included The Plaid Horse Hunter Classic.
Her success has come in a short time, as she began riding around five years ago. Her first two years as a rider were spent at a schooling barn where she took lessons and showed in IEA. After a year of participating in IEA, Lauren and her family agreed that riding was a passion she should pursue more vigorously. She eventually moved to Burgundy Farms under Meredith Herman and fell in love with the program.
Today, Lauren rides with trainers Meredith Herman, Shannon Beck, and Ann Ruffer. Going to school in the eigth grade and riding six horses, she’s a very busy young lady. Lauren competes in the Junior Hunters with her horses Surf’s Up and It’s Coolman, the Large Pony Hunters with Blue A Kiss (owned by Virginia Bonnie), the Low Children’s Jumpers with Ultra D’ Eclipse, and the Age Group Equitation and the 3’ – 3’3 Equitation Medals with Nom De Guerre (owned by Stella Buckingham). She is also an ambassador for Horse Treatery, the Fit Equestrian, Onthebit Videography, as well as acts as a Hermès Junior Ambassador.
This year, she hopes to show at Junior Hunter Finals with both Surf’s Up and It’s Coolman in addition to having a consistent 2019 show season with all of her horses.
Lauren loves to spend quality one on one time with her horses by giving them a light hack. As a young rider, she is a role model for her junior peers. She thinks that it is important to have a strong mindset. Lauren tries to stay positive in and outside the ring and believes that contributes to her success.
Another big factor in her success is trusting her horses. She believes that if you do your job, putting faith in your horse to do theirs builds a healthy relationship. Another part of a balanced partnership is loving your horse no matter how good or bad your rounds were in the show ring, even when it’s hard. “You have to remember that they are living creatures and have good and bad days too,” she said.
As a California resident and a normal teenage girl when she is not busy showing or riding, Lauren enjoys video editing, watching Youtube, and spending time with her friends. One thing Lauren reminds others is to, “Always have faith in yourself, and never compare yourself to others. you can only perform at your best and push your personal boundaries.”
