From Early Lessons to Eventing Ambitions
By Lennox Franks ’25
Isabelle (Bella) Bent ‘27 began her journey with horseback riding when she was eight years old. Her passion started with horseback riding lessons as a birthday present but she soon fell in love with the sport. Before long, she was gifted with her first pony which she named Cricket.
The equestrian discipline Bella competes in is called eventing, which is associated with English style riding. Eventing includes specialized equestrian activities such as dressage, show jumping, and cross country. “Between the different events/rides during horseback riding shows I have to make sure my horse is ready to compete and that I have memorized my courses and tests. It is vital to keep everything in order so to not get myself or my horse off track,” says Bella.
Her end goal with horseback riding is to attend a college with a riding team, preferably D1. She then wishes to compete successfully in the upper levels of the sport (professionally), which are called 4 and 5 star events.
“My experience with riding has really made me realize that this sport is a teamwork sport, and that if you don’t have a good relationship with your horse and the bond isn’t strong, it’s not going to have that end result you were aiming for. These animals are really smart and honestly they never fail to amaze me,” said Bella. She also loves sharing her passion with others, expressing her desire for people to learn more about this sport because it is truly amazing and has so much to offer.
- Independent Sport
- around the nest