In the span of just two minutes in late April, Peyton Zelenak proved her horseback riding mettle when she earned a top five finish at an international equestrian competition. That’s impressive for anyone, but especially for Zelenak, who is new to the sport.
“I don’t know where it came from,” she says. “I never had any animals other than dogs. I just really like taking care of (animals).”
Zelenak, a senior at Grove City High School, began competitive riding just this past year, which makes her fifth-place finish at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) competition in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, all the more impressive. The competition has shown that she can meet with a new horse, connect with it and train it to execute a series of tasks – all within one day.
In dressage, a rider carries out predetermined movements with their horse. For the IEA competition, riders are paired with horses they have never worked with before.
The key, Zelenak says, is connecting with the animal. She says each horse has a different personality and a rider must quickly attune themself to the cues that their companion will respond to.
For Zelenak, that analysis of a horse begins before the competition even starts.
“The people that own the horse ride it around an arena with all the other horses and you can look out for mistakes,” Zelenak says. “Things like if the horse flinches or gets spooked, you’ll want to write that down.”
She also takes note of the speed, weight and responsiveness of her horse as soon as she gets in the saddle.
“It’s hard to describe,” she says. “It’s just a feeling.”
While Zelenak is new to equine sports, she is no stranger to athletic competition. She’s been a cross country runner at GCHS since her freshman year. Her family also instilled a value for
fitness in her early on. Her mother, Trish Zelenak, helps local women create and maintain healthier lifestyles.
Trish credits the community with helping lead her daughter to horseback riding. When a friend mentioned horseback riding, it seemed a perfect fit for Peyton, who has a deep love for animals. She’s ridden at Cherokee Stables in Grove City and Hold Your Horses Stable in Ashville. Both have been influential in her development as a rider. Hold Your Horses is where she connected with her current coach, Arianna Mathias.
Equine sports can seem cost prohibitive, but Trish emphasizes that it’s not necessary to own a horse or even have prior horseback riding experience to get started with the sport. The Zelenaks, for example, do not own a horse.
Riding has taught Peyton valuable lessons as well. A favorite expression she’s learned from her coaches: “Heels down, head up.” It refers to technical riding posture but carries another meaning as well.
“Heels down is in reference to being set on your goals and head up is keeping your eye on a goal and striving for it,” Peyton says.
That mantra is always on Peyton’s mind as she looks toward continuing on to intercollegiate equestrian competitions and a future career. She’s an executive officer in the Navy Junior ROTC program at GCHS and hopes to someday connect that experience with her love for animals as a veterinarian for the U.S. Army.
Tyler Kirkendall is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com.
