New Jersey equestrian gold medalist to compete against the world’s best

An equestrian gold medalist from New Jersey is set to compete against some of the world's best riders.

News 12 Staff

Jan 24, 2019, 12:19 PM

Updated 1,927 days ago

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An equestrian gold medalist from New Jersey is set to compete against some of the world's best riders.
Hallie Ricci has competed against the world's best since she was 11 years old.
Now 18 and a senior at Allentown High School, she’s getting ready for what could be her last competition before college and possibly her career.
Millstone Riding Club in Allentown is one of the stables where Ricci learned the skill of saddle seat riding.
It's a specialized sport that involves showmanship.
The horse is trained to trot with its head up and legs high.
Ricci's job is to have good form, look graceful and control the horse's movements.
Anne Butler is a third generation horsemen, and just like Ricci who's mom and grandmother also competed, they put her on a horse just about as soon as she could walk.

She often travels, at least once a month, to practice at her trainer's facility in Ohio.
For the past seven years, she's been to the World Championships, where she won in 2016 and 2018.
Ricci is one of 18 selected to the U.S. Equestrian Young Riders team.

Ricci and Team USA will face some of the world's best four months from now at the U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational, which she says is their Olympics.
After that, she wants to focus on college.


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