Gina Kumar's Equestrian Life
Gina Kumar is one of OHS' many competitive equestrians. Find out more about riding's influence on her life in Anthony Mosavi's interview with her.
Pixel Journal: What is it like being a competitive equestrian? What challenges do you face, and what motivates you to keep at it day in and out?
Gina Kumar: Being a competitive equestrian comes with its own unique set of challenges. We equestrians have to regularly travel for competitions, which is very stressful. It also makes me need to acclimatize to new settings quickly and regularly. We also aren’t just competing and caring for ourselves; we’re competing for the horse too. If the horse isn’t healthy or happy, we can’t expect good results, therefore it is our responsibility to care for and cater to them. We have to learn how to listen to our horses and understand how much work they need, and when they need a break. We also have to keep ourselves physically fit, which means not just riding but also conditioning.
I am motivated by the time I spend with my horse. Horses are some of the gentlest, quirkiest beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with, and they always bring something fun and new every day. There is also no better feeling in the world than finally nailing a difficult jump or having a competition where there was almost perfect communication between the horse and yourself. Even when I have a bad day, I know that I need to stick it out for my horse because it is always there for me, so I need to be there for it.
PJ: How often and long do you train?
GK: During a typical week, I’ll ride for 3 hours each day, except for Monday when my horses get the day off.
PJ: What do you identify as your biggest riding accomplishment?
GK: I definitely feel that my biggest riding accomplishment was placing fourth in a national final. That was an amazing day for me. I am also quite proud of the fact that I am able to compete against some of the top junior riders in the country, and consistently place in the top 10, coming from a part of the US where top equestrians are not generally from.
PJ: What other professional riders do you admire, and why do you admire them?
GK: There are several professional riders that I admire. I especially admire my trainers because I can personally see the effort that they are devoting to making sure that my horse and I are in top shape. I admire their ability to give such devoted effort and time into my passion, while also competing successfully and running their business. I am continually impressed by their work ethic, their tenacity, their kindness, and their sportsmanship. I also admire many of the top riders in the sport. Despite their ranking and accomplishments, they remain down to earth and always eager to impart their knowledge on others. They travel and host clinics where they teach us everything from basic horsemanship to the most successful way to navigate a course.
PJ: How do you balance riding with your schoolwork? Is OHS easier to manage due to it’s schedule flexibility, or is it harder to manage because of its rigor?
GK: Having an extracurricular pursuit makes time management extremely necessary. I’ve learned to look at my schedule months in advance so I can make sure that I work ahead on the major assignments that are due near my big competitions. This enables me to have the weekend free to purely focus on the competition.
I find OHS to be both easier and harder to manage with riding. OHS teachers are incredibly flexible and accommodating, and they go the extra mile to make sure I am comfortable. Whether it is giving an extension on an assignment or letting me switch sections during hectic travel periods, I always feel that I can ask them for help. This flexibility is tremendously helpful.
But, at the same time, OHS is incredibly rigorous. The amount of schoolwork OHS assigns does limit my free time and my extracurricular activities outside of riding.
PJ: What is your main riding career goal? Where do you see yourself taking riding?
GK: My main riding goal is to reach the level where I am competing at 1.40 meters before I go to college. I can see myself competing in college on a team, however that is not my ultimate goal for riding or college.
PJ: Is riding a very social sport? Do you have a team that you train with? Is your team closely bonded? Or is the sport too individual to create bonds?
GK: I think there are some places in which riding can be a social sport. I have been in a unique situation in that, where I am geographically, there are not a lot of very competitive riders. The few of us that are in my area do congregate at the same barn, which does gives a community feel to riding. But it is not as cohesive as, say, a team of soccer players. There is an incredibly close bond between the horse, rider, and trainer, though, and the relationships that I have made with both my horses and my trainers are incredibly important to me.