Ride on

It's 6 a.m. on a Saturday --do you know where your alderman is?

If you live in the seventh ward, your alderman, Dave Brown, is probably watching his daughter, Katie compete in an equestrian event at a horse show.

Katie, a senior at Batavia High School, has been working with horses since she was a little girl. She has moved up in the ranks and was recently named second in the nation by the U.S. Equestrian Federation for the small junior hunters 16- and 17-year-old class.

All of her hard work has paid off. The straight-A student recently signed a letter of intent to compete for the University of Georgia's equestrian team.

"I'm thrilled that she will continue to be a Bulldog at Georgia," wrote Dave Brown.

Katie also is excited about the opportunity.

"Everyone there is so friendly," said Katie, who is featured in a story on the university's web site, georgiadogs.com. "It really feels like home to me."

According to Katie's mom, Marge, Katie first became interested in horses when she was 3 years old.

"I would take her over to Sunny Acres to ride the ponies," Marge said. "She wouldn't get off so I would just give them extra money and they would let her ride."

When Katie was 5, she signed up for lessons and was deemed a natural by her teacher. She became involved in 4-H and then started competing in shows.

It was in a stall working on her horse with her mom that the Browns realized a small problem. Marge was allergic to horses. Dave Brown immediately took over the duties of taking Katie to competitions.

"I'm OK if the competition is outside and I don't touch a horse," Marge said.

Unlike the jumping competitions many are familiar with, the hunter jumper competition is based not only on the execution of the jumps but also on how smoothly the horse and the rider go over the jumps.

"I love competing," Katie said. "I don't get nervous going over the jumps, which can be as high as 4 feet."

She is committed to the horse that accompanies her to the meets. Her horse, Don, whose formal name is Ravello, has been with Katie for the past five years. She plans to sell him to help pay college expenses.

"That's going to be the hardest part," Katie said. "It's kind of like having a pet. You are together so much but he is at his prime and he needs someone to ride him everyday. I just hope he goes to a nice home."

Don is no old slouch. He has often beat out million-dollar horses to win at various levels.

"Don always held his own," Katie said. "He even won horse of the year. I'm really going to miss him."

At Georgia, Katie will have a whole stable of horses to ride.

"The competitions at the college level are a bit different," she added. "You don't train on one specific horse. Each rider draws from a lottery for a horse to ride and then you and your opponent get a few minutes to get used to the horse and then you both compete using the same horse."

Katie has put in plenty of time developing her sport. She rides at least five days a week and misses school two Fridays a month to compete.

Then there is the upkeep of her horse. Her previous horse had a problem and had to be walked daily. The Browns drove 45 minutes to Minooka and then Katie would walk the horse and care for it. Then there was the 45-minute ride back.

"There is a lot of time invested but it is a sport I hope I will be able to continue into adulthood," she said.

Twenty-one Division 1 schools in the United States have equestrian teams, and Katie looked at several before settling on Georgia

"Georgia seems to be concerned with all of their athletes getting a good education as well as having the opportunity to compete. That really impressed me," she said.

In addition to the scholarship she received from Georgia, Katie was also the recipient of the Illinois Hunter Jumper Scholarship.

"I'm just happy to have the opportunity to continue riding," she added. "And I'm happy I'm still a Bulldog."