A Different Kind Of Ride

 

How a former stock-seat champion turned Adult Amateur dressage rider found success at the 2016 U.S. Dressage Finals.

- Jennifer Keeler

During an unforgettable trip to Kentucky as a teenager, Terri Sue Wensinger earned a stunning silver trophy and had her name added to the historical ledger of American Horse Show Association (AHSA) champions by winning the prestigious Stock Seat Medal class at the 1978 Arabian Nationals. Forty years later, Wensinger was back in the Bluegrass State for an equally memorable ride, but this time in a very different saddle as an Adult Amateur competitor in the U.S. Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®.

“I remember watching the Finals for the first time online on the USEF Network and wanting so badly to compete there someday,” said Wensinger, 56, of Dallas, Texas. “I had my first opportunity in 2014 when I eked my way in but didn’t do very well. But this year I really felt like I deserved to be there after winning at the Regional Championships, and it paid off with top-10 placings in all three of our Small Tour classes. Walking from our barn down to the Alltech arena on Friday night for the Intermediate I awards ceremony, I had tears in my eyes thinking about how special it was to be there with my horse. You have to embrace these types of special opportunities while you can.”

A Good Diversion