our youth: AG STARS
‘National Sarah’ —
Aledo Teen Balances Arabian Show Career and Educational Endeavors
By ALYSSA “PEPPER” PURPURA
S
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ince 2010, when she entered and
won her first national title, Sarah
Porter has been making a name for
herself in the world of Arabian hors-
es. Now, after serving as the Arabian
Horse Youth Association (AHYA)
director of Region 9 for the past three
years, and vice president of the asso-
ciation in the US and Canada, she
has been elected youth president.
Though she’s always had a love for
horses, Sarah found her success with
Arabians through her aunt, Robin
Porter.
“I kind of got into horses when
I was about seven,” Sarah said. “I
used to ride Hunter-Jumper horses,
then my aunt used to be a breeder.
She’s the one who got me into the
Arabian circuit, and I started show-
ing Arabians when I was, I think,
nine years old. In 2010, I was nine
and that year I won my first National
Championship my first year showing.
It’s been a roller coaster ever since.”
Since then, Sarah has claimed 12
national championships and eight
reserve national championships
in Western Pleasure, two national
championships and a reserve nation-
al championship in Hunter-Jumpers,
two national championships in
Saddleseat Pleasure, and a national
championship and two reserve
national championships in Reining.
Additionally, Caliente Virtuoso, one
of Sarah’s half-Arabian Western
Pleasure horses, recently won his
22nd national championship and has
been named the Winningest Western
Pleasure Horse of all time.
As a senior at Aledo High, balanc-
ing her passion with her education
proved difficult.
“There were a few late nights
where I had to figure out and think,
‘What’s more important?’ Getting
all your school work done and then
getting all your requirements done
for the vice presidency, it was hard to
balance,” said Sarah. “Eventually you
get the hang of it, and you make time
for what you want to make time for
and what means a lot to you. I think
it meant so much to me to be a part
of that, and I think since it meant so
much I was able to make the time
that I wanted to make for it, and it
wasn’t too bad.”
With the presidency this coming
year, Sarah realized the effort she had
put into school gave her a unique
opportunity. “I decided to graduate
high school a semester early, and I’m
going to graduate in December. Then,
I can focus on the presidency and
riding as well as I can my last year at
Youth Nationals and coming home
with as many roses as I can,” Porter
said.
Sarah is unsure about where
she wants to attend college, but is
interested in studying business and
marketing. Though she isn’t looking
to join an equine riding team through
school, she hopes to stay local so
she can continue her training and
compete in US nationals as an adult.
“I’d rather just focus on school, and
let school be school, and then have
horses on the side,” she said.