I will always remember my first riding lesson on an old pony named Bugsy. It was my 7th birthday and I had no idea how much I would fall in love, but I did. Once a week lessons turned into lessons 3x a week, that turned into a shared pony lease. One day, I was blessed with my first small pony lease. His name was Chasing Chance and we rolled into the 2019 Pony Finals without a clue as to how this one pony and this one time experience at pony finals would pave my future. From there, I moved into the equitation and knew I had found my calling. I currently train with Tiffany Morrissey and Maggie Gould at East Wind Farms. Some of my highlight achievements include 12th on the flat at Jumpseat Finals 2023 with an 88, 11th overall at Jumpseat Finals 2023, 6th at NCEA Finals 2023, 6th at Taylor Harris Finals 2023, WEF 3rd Place High Score Junior Rider 2024, 3rd place SFHJA Finals 2023, Year End Reserve Champion 12-14 2024, 1st place Age Group 14-15 2024 at the National Horse Show, and TCHS 12-14 Equitation Champion. Some other achievements are qualifying for Maclay Regionals 2025, as well as the Gladstone Cup 2025 in Traverse City, MI.
I’m currently a sophomore at Gulliver Preparatory High School in Miami, Florida and am extremely focused not only on my riding, but also on my academics. Throughout sophomore year, I have maintained a 4.29 GPA taking all Honors and AP Classes. Some of these classes include: AP US History, Biomedical Sciences II, Chemistry Honors, Algebra 2, and Advanced English Literature.
When I am not riding or studying, I am a part of the Varsity Gulliver Swim Team and attended Districts last year. I love spending time with my closest friends and family, as well as spending quality time with the horses.
Having the opportunity to ride at the collegiate level would be amazing for me, as it helps confirm that all the blood, sweat, and tears have amounted to something where I can be part of a team and be part of something bigger than myself. I am very passionate about finding the right university for me and riding at the NCAA level. I am very blessed to have horses who have taught me perseverance and hard work. I can’t wait to commit myself to a future team!
~ Pavlina Escobedo