Senior Helena Bondolowski started horseback riding non-competitively at the age of three after her parents enrolled her in a horseback riding summer camp. Bondolowski started competitively riding more recently, at the age of 13. Horseback riding is an intricate sport involving a combination of reins, leg pressure, and body movements. The sport requires trust between the rider and the horse, along with communication. Although it isn’t a sport offered at Paly, horseback riding is just as dynamic and time-consuming as any other sport.
Despite the public’s opinion on horseback riding regarding cost, animal welfare, safety concerns, and environmental impact, Bondolowski shares the special bond and sense of fulfillment she’s made with her horse.
“Even though it is not as physically demanding, horseback riding takes mental strength as if you are managing an animal that is 10 times your size,” Bondolowski said.
Bondolowski’s start to horseback riding began very smoothly and promisingly. She has gone to various shows throughout her career where she has ridden and placed well.
“I have been champion of my division at multiple shows and my biggest accomplishment was getting 3rd at National in 2021 leading our team to the Middle School victory,” Bondolowski said.
Bondolowski has had many memorable moments in her horseback riding career, and while some experiences haven’t always been perfect, they have always taught her valuable lessons. And most importantly, she doesn’t let the tough learning obstacles bring her down.
“My most memorable event was winning nationals,” Bondolowski said. “On the first day, I fell off of the horse I was randomly assigned to but I didn’t let that bring me down and I ended up 3rd the next day.”
Beyond just weekly riding, competitions and shows are a big part of horseback riding. However, while they are a good way to showcase skill and improvement, they can also be very stressful, demanding, and time-consuming. Competitions are a long process because trainers need to prepare horses a few days before the show, and shows are normally four to five days long.
“Competitions, or shows, are very competitive within the barn and between barns,” Bondolowski said. “Honestly, I feel that shows are a very toxic environment but it is always fun to be able to relax and ride your horse because that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.”
There are two types of riding, English and Western. Bondolowski only participates in English, and the individual styles within English are; eventing, hunters, jumpers, and equitation. Bondolowski’s favorite categories to compete under are hunters and equitation. Hunters are where the judge judges the movement of your horse, and the rider determines how the horse moves.
“Hunters are the most fun for me because my horse is simply more comfortable in the hunter ring rather than the intricate courses that are in the equitation ring,” Bondolowski said.
Competing is such a unique experience because the riders can showcase the connection that they’ve cultivated with their horse. Bondolowski understands how forming a connection with your horse is extremely vital and the key to success.
“This is special as you slowly form a bond, and in my case, help train a young horse into their full potential,” Bondolowski said.
However, her success in the field requires a strenuous training regimen. Bondolowski works year-round, multiple days a week to maintain her horse and the skills required to ride and compete at a high level.
“ At the beginning of the week, we work on more foundational work, called flat work, and then later on we start jumping and increase the difficulty from there,” Bondolowski said.
The time commitment to horseback riding is similar to other competitive sports. It requires lots of time on the field and off the field with lots of preparation. Bondolowski’s training is rigorous and time-consuming.
“I have to train 6 days a week and each lesson is 1 hour, depending on what I have to work on,” Bondolowski said.
Addie Campany, Sacred Heart Prep senior and teammate of Bondolowski, rides with Bondolowki together at Stanford Barn. Campany notices Bondolowski’s work and how she is very focused on her skills and doing well in competitions.
“Helena is very dedicated and passionate about her sport, she always makes time to ride no matter what else she has going on,” Campany said. “The improvements she has made in the last year are amazing and she even competed in a national final this year as a result of the large amount of time and effort she puts in.”
Horseback riding has many difficult challenges, and one of the tough and main challenges with horseback riding is the expense. Expense in any sport is important, yet oftentimes overlooked by the general public. Horseback riding is up there as one of the more expensive sports, due to the maintenance required for the horses and the equipment required to ride. Bondloski feels the expense has challenged her along her journey as a horseback rider.
“A big challenge for me was the expense, horseback riding in general is a very expensive sport and this stopped me from progressing for a very long time,” Bondolowski said.
She understands this is one of the main reasons why horseback riding is not a Paly and school sport. But with this being said, horseback riding is a nationally recognized sport, as the Olympics also had it in their games this year in Paris.
“It is unfortunate that it is not part of Paly sports but with it being so expensive, it is inaccessible to most and would be very hard to charter and organize,” Bondolowski said.
Being a high school student, Bondolowski understands the difficulties of balancing her personal and athletic lives
“Balancing horseback riding, work, and school is definitely a struggle at times but I make it work because I love it so much,” Bondolowski said.
Bondolwksi’s horse means a lot to her as she relies on it to be successful in her races. She has recently gotten a new horse and has to start from the ground up, rebuilding trust.
“My horse’s name is Angel and his show name is Los Angeles, he is a pretty young horse and I haven’t had him for super long but we are slowly starting to trust each other,” Bondolowski said.
Bondolowski’s start to horseback riding was very smooth, setting the scene for a very positive future in riding. Not only have her skills showcased her dedication and work ethic but has also given her the recognition that she deserves through her victories and placements. She hopes to continue to build on her success and prosper in the future.
“ I hope to further develop my young horse with consistent rides and slowly move up divisions,” Bondolowski said.