Jumping for Joy

Leah+Estes+and+her+horse+Vinni+practice+jumping.+Photo+courtesy+of+Leah+Estes

Leah Estes and her horse Vinni practice jumping. Photo courtesy of Leah Estes

Trips to Germany and horseback riding keeps FCHS Junior Leah Estes on a tight schedule. Her mother was born in Germany and she visits her distant family multiple times a year where she enjoys shopping in Berlin and spending time with her family at her grandparents’ house.

Estes’ favorite after-school activity is horseback riding. Both of her parents rode and encouraged her to start horseback riding at a very young age. “I love riding because it’s not like any other sport. It can get frustrating, but that just makes the outcome more rewarding. In riding, your teammate is an animal that has a mind of its own, and you have to communicate with them and understand them,” Estes explained.

She competes in many shows with her team, the Blue Ridge Equestrians, and The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), one of her favorite competitive groups, awards points to riders at every horse show and at the end of the year the points are tallied and awards are handed out accordingly. Estes’ qualified for Regionals at IEA last year and won Reserve Champion on her first horse, Vinni.

When she’s not doing schoolwork and riding horses, Estes enjoys reading books, watching TV, and playing video games. Her favorite book series is Skulduggery Pleasant, though she is also a fan of nonfiction. She loves a variety of games, but her top choices are GTA V and The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. “Right now, my top priority is binge-watching Breaking Bad,” Estes said.

An honors student, Estes is in Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School. “Governor’s School was one of the best choices I’ve made in school. It has prepared me for life and college more than I ever expected it to. It was hard, but it’s more than rewarding,” Estes said. She plans to attend college in the future, possibly Johns Hopkins. Although she’s not exactly sure what she wants to study, she’s most interested in biology, physics, and mathematics.

However, with the riding season quickly approaching, she is putting thoughts of a future career on the back burner and prepares for the competitive season with high hopes. “I’m looking forward to the end of the year show, as well as a fun IEA season with a bigger team,” said Estes.