42 / Sport and Trail Magazine
I'm Aboard SS Endurance
By Jenna Asnault
When I first became interested in horses and riding, I was not sure what I wanted my preference to be. I knew of so many different riding styles and disciplines, like ships passing by the shore, but was unsure which I wanted to practice and specialize in. I didn’t know which ship I wanted to board.
The first ship I saw was the one carrying my neighbor and her horse. These were the first horses I ever rode and her style of riding. Primarily with her, I just rode on the trails in Bidwell Park in the town of Chico, California. I have always enjoyed the trail rides, but I knew that was not all I wanted to do.
Soon another ship sailed by. On board was a different lady with a different style and a different discipline. So I started taking lessons from her. I soon discovered that she competed in schooling shows with her students, and under her training, I ended up in two different shows. Both resulted in ribbons for me and general overall pride in my accomplishment. However, I was not really learning as much as I could from this trainer, and I was not fond of her ideas about training and disciplining horses. So, I jumped off that boat and swam out to find a new one.
Soon another ship sailed by. On board was a different lady with a different style and a different discipline. So I started taking lessons from her. I soon discovered that she competed in schooling shows with her students, and under her training, I ended up in two different shows. Both resulted in ribbons for me and general overall pride in my accomplishment. However, I was not really learning as much as I could from this trainer, and I was not fond of her ideas about training and disciplining horses. So, I jumped off that boat and swam out to find a new one.
Jenna's trainer, JayaMae Gegory in the foreground with Jenna (L) and Aurora (R)
The next boat I boarded was closely related to my previous one. It was barrel racing, which was an exciting sport that I knew many people participated in and enjoyed. However, poor preparation for my first official barrel race resulted in the horse throwing me off on the home stretch. I had by no means lost my confidence in my riding ability, but I did come to the conclusion that barrel racing was not for me.
Before I could commit myself to something new, an unexpected boat sailed by and picked me up. On Christmas Day, 2012, my neighbor gave me my first horse. He was a horse that I had been riding and caring for frequently, and who I adored. I rode him frequently in Bidwell Park, taking trail rides of varying lengths, exploring the park further, and just having great adventures. For three spectacular years that horse and I were together, but his death in 2016 transferred me to a whole new ship as his sailed away forever and marked a turning point in my life. He had been a good