The Palisades High riding team, under the direction of health teacher Susan Ackerman, participated in the season’s first Interscholastic Equestrian League competition last weekend at Hansen Dam.
The event featured over 75 public and private schools competing at different levels.
Photo: Kalea Martin
Blue ribbons for first place are hard to come by with as many as 25 riders in each event, but that didn’t deter Dolphins junior Arienne Martin, who earned blue Sunday riding the 17 hand horse “Rhythm and Blues” owned by longtime Palisadian Mindy Wood to victory in the hunt seat flat equitation event.
Martin trains in three-day eventing, an Olympic sport comprised of dressage, cross country and stadium jumping. Martin has competed in various horse shows such as the three-day event at Shepherd Ranch in Santa Ynez.
Martin trains in the eventing discipline with Palisades’ own Cory Walkey (a local legend and award winning trainer) at Mill Creek and Erin Duffy of Erin Duffy Show Stables in Malibu for show jumping.
Martin works out other people’s horses to underwrite some of her training expenses. She also volunteers each year for the local “Horses in the Hood” program.
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