SYRACUSE – When the Otoe County Fair's 4-H horse show started Thursday morning, Autumn Cary had a daunting task ahead of her.
She had been badly injured earlier in the month when her horse Trigger reared up and fell, crushing the hand she normally uses to hold the reins. Two days after the accident, the show horse that she had been working with and expected to take to the state fair was dead. The horse slipped on mud and ripped ligaments in his ankle.
Her mother calls it a tough couple of weeks, but the 14-year-old Syracuse girl resolved to continue riding, accepting the hardships associated with what she calls her sport.
Cary: "I pretty much fought the surgeon to ride. I like riding. It's my sport. It's what I do."
Cary entered the soggy fairgrounds arena on Trigger, the horse who had fallen on July 14th. The 11-year-old paint's official name is Pure Country Dust on the show program and he is the horse that Cary first learned to ride with.
Despite having to switch hands and bringing Trigger back to the show ring, Cary prevailed over 10 competitors to emerge as the champion of her horsemanship class.
Soon after, the realities of equestrian danger showed itself. A 10-year-old girl was thrown off a bucking horse and hit the arena fence. She was taken from the arena by Syracuse Rescue as a precaution.
Anne Bennier , Bailey Boitnott and Olivia Leonard won showmanship championships in their classes.
Bennier showed the champion stock type horse and Valerie Miller showed the top pleasure type horse.
Daisa Schmidt had the top pony.
[caption id="attachment_1132291" align="alignright" width="150"]
Jenna Knake[/caption]
Her mother calls it a tough couple of weeks, but the 14-year-old Syracuse girl resolved to continue riding, accepting the hardships associated with what she calls her sport.
Cary: "I pretty much fought the surgeon to ride. I like riding. It's my sport. It's what I do."
Cary entered the soggy fairgrounds arena on Trigger, the horse who had fallen on July 14th. The 11-year-old paint's official name is Pure Country Dust on the show program and he is the horse that Cary first learned to ride with.
Despite having to switch hands and bringing Trigger back to the show ring, Cary prevailed over 10 competitors to emerge as the champion of her horsemanship class.
Soon after, the realities of equestrian danger showed itself. A 10-year-old girl was thrown off a bucking horse and hit the arena fence. She was taken from the arena by Syracuse Rescue as a precaution.
Anne Bennier , Bailey Boitnott and Olivia Leonard won showmanship championships in their classes.
Bennier showed the champion stock type horse and Valerie Miller showed the top pleasure type horse.
Daisa Schmidt had the top pony.
[caption id="attachment_1132291" align="alignright" width="150"]
Jenna Knake[/caption]
