By LIZZY GORDON
Once the buzzer sounded, junior Samantha Adams heart rate escalated and she kicked her horse’s side. With a lasso in hand she wrangled a calf.
Adams has been riding horses since she was 2-years-old; both of her parents were horseback riders. For the past three years she has won the state championship in Western Equestrian riding.
“I had tears in my eyes. I felt so honored to be able to have that spot, especially against the older riders,” Adams said.
Adams horseback rides and practices at least three hours a day, on some days she practices for five hours. Adams partakes not only in calf roping, but also in barrel racing. In Florida, Adams practices at Wedgefield and when she is in Alabama she practices on her family’s property.
“I plan out my days. On Sundays I sit down with my coach and plan out the whole week,” Adams said. “It might be hard with school and practice, but it’s the rewards that get you through it.”
Before each race, Adams tunes out everything aside from her routine. For calf roping, Adams wrangles a calf and for barrel racing, she weaves through barrels scattered on a course as fast as she can.
“My dad puts a penny in my boot before each race, this is a tradition that has been passed down. My grandfather put a penny in my dad’s cleat before every one of his football games when he was young,” Adams said.
Five years from now, Adams sees herself riding during college. She has raised her horse, Player, for seven years and does not plan on leaving his side.
In the meantime, Adams is preparing for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association nationals that take place Dec. 27-29.
“[Nationals] do not affect my [school] schedule at all, it just adds more [practice] time on the weekends,” Adams said.