By Laura Tomion Comerford
I started riding lessons when I was six years old and competed for years in both western and hunt seat, first in 4H, then at Arabian breed shows, and I continued to do so as part of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) team in college. A knee injury sidelined my competitive career, but I stayed involved in horses as a 4H leader, and helped with high school equestrian and IHSA teams well into adulthood. After I married my husband Scott and became a stepmom to his four kids, I stepped away from the horse world to focus on my new family.
Ten years passed pretty quickly, and my husband and I welcomed a daughter (Harper) together to complete our family. A visit to the Arabian gelding I’d bought at 19 (and given to a friend to live out his retirement) turned into a chance to ride him again with my daughter – an experience I had never dreamed of. Scott remarked that he’d never seen me smile so much and asked if I’d ever thought of riding again. With the encouragement and networking of friends, I sat on the rail to watch a lesson a few weeks later – so mesmerized by it all that my Apple Watch yelled at me for not having moved for an hour. I soon found myself in a local tack shop, overwhelmed with all of the new options for helmets and breeches – quite a bit had changed over the course of the intervening years! On August 21, 2021, I took my first-ever dressage lesson with trainer Andrea Landis. My 41-year-old body took some time to remember the mechanics of riding, but my heart remembered it all, and one weekly lesson on school horses quickly became two.
I first met Botero HGF, the horse that would become my partner, when he arrived at Andrea’s barn to be sold. I fell in love with him immediately. Botero is a cuddly 16.2-hand bay PRE gelding who thrives on hugs, selfies, and handfuls of treats. A dear barn friend watched my first lesson with him and declared, “That is YOUR horse.” I laughed – I wasn’t looking to buy a horse, and I doubted he’d be in my price range – but the stars aligned, and I had the opportunity to lease Botero. We trotted down the center line for my first-ever dressage show held by our local GMO, and I was hooked. Botero’s affable nature at home blossomed into a brave, bold horse in the show ring. I started the conversation about purchasing Botero the next week, and the sale was finalized on his birthday – June 21, 2022. We competed at a few more local dressage shows that season and spent the winter working hard together.
In the spring of 2023, Andrea and I discussed my goals for the season. My first USDF-recognized show would be at Albion College, and I set what I thought was a realistic goal of qualifying for the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Championships.
I was excited and terrified at my first recognized show, convinced I would make a fool of myself. Botero and I earned respectable scores at both Training and First Levels, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons. My favorite memory is the judge’s comment in my first test: “Use of voice – I can hear you saying ‘good boy.’ I am required to deduct points every time I hear you – this can be expensive.” We all had a good laugh, and I have kept my feelings to myself while in the arena since!
After a few more successful outings, we qualified for Regionals at both Training and First Level. Regionals brought several “firsts” for both Botero and I – neither of us had competed at Lamplight Equestrian Center or a Regional show before, and I’d never driven a trailer so far from home. Once we survived the Chicago traffic, we settled in and explored the showgrounds a bit with our group – finding a bar right next to our barn was certainly a highlight! After a schooling session on Thursday and two warm-up classes on Friday, we were as prepared as possible for our championship classes on Saturday and Sunday.
I vividly remember feeling his energy and our connection as we trotted around, waiting for the bell to ring so we could start our First Level Championship test. Tears filled my eyes when I heard my name and hometown announced along with “riding her own Botero HGF.” I pulled my attention back to our test, and my brave and bold horse gave me everything he had. After my final salute, I hugged my horse and burst into tears. It was hard to believe that we’d made it so far and finished the test without any major errors. We stopped at the checkpoint, and Andrea was quickly there – tears pouring down her face as well. We scored 68.611%, and I was overwhelmed with pride at that accomplishment. I’d dreamed of someday wrapping white polos and galloping in an awards ceremony, but I knew in a class of 41 amateurs it would be tough to earn a spot. Hour by hour, test by test, I refreshed the scores on my phone. My entire support system at the show and back home encouraged me throughout the day, and we ended up sixth overall! Botero is a consummate showman; my favorite memory of that day is feeling him puff up when he heard the cheers from the stands and our wonderful group as we galloped around.
Sunday brought our Training Level test, and the field of 28 felt much more manageable than 41, but I was still tightly wound as we started our test. Botero once again met my energy with his own, and we scored 69.6% for fifth place and another chance to gallop in our white polos!
As we waited for the last award ceremony, I realized I’d earned a wildcard spot in both levels for the US Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan®. I was excited, but I knew I’d blown my horse show budget prior to Regionals – I couldn’t imagine spending more money on a trip to Kentucky. My parents and grandma volunteered to cover my entry fees for Finals, and my husband encouraged me to use some of our savings to cover the rest of our expenses. I sent in my entries the very next morning, before doubt could creep in and change my mind!
And so we got back to work to prepare for Finals. Each time I sat in the saddle, I felt confident that we were still finding small improvements in our tests. On days I didn’t ride, I questioned whether we were “ready” to compete at such a large event, fretting over the blown budget and how much I would be spending. My supportive husband, loving family, incredible barn buddies, and amazing trainer helped build me back up when I was doubting everything.
The weeks passed quickly, and soon, we were packing up the trailer and en route to Kentucky with an entourage of family, barn friends, Andrea, and our puppy. Driving into the Kentucky Horse Park was intimidating, but we quickly found our stalls and started to get settled in. We had just enough time for a quick schooling session before the arenas closed and the daylight was gone. Botero and I both were tense and overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds around the showgrounds. Andrea’s calm voice in my ears helped tremendously though, and we ended on a good note.
We entered a warm-up test for each level, held on Friday before the Championship classes on Saturday and Sunday. During our warm-up tests, my uncertainty poured tension into Botero, and I felt more out of place than ever. At dinner that evening, surrounded by my family and friends from near and far, I felt my tension, stress, and worries begin to subside. Since my closest friends and family believed in me so much to travel to support me, I realized I could start to believe in myself, too.
We scored 65.556% in our First Level test on Saturday – a respectable score, but in a talented field of 25 other amateurs, we were placed outside of the ribbons.
We were down to one last chance to bring home a ribbon with our Training Level Championship on Sunday. Finally settled into the moment, Botero and I entered the ring with the same level of energy that we’d had back at Regionals. I wrapped my arms around his neck after the last salute, knowing we’d given it everything we had. Once again, tears flowed down my face as I waited for our score – we earned 67.4%, and several hours later, it was official! We placed tenth overall, earning a gorgeous neck ribbon and an award ceremony gallop in white polos in the Alltech Arena.
Back in April, at my first ever recognized show, I never dreamed that we’d end our season with a victory lap at Finals. I’ve learned so much this year, but my biggest lesson has been to keep chasing my dreams. Returning to horses after so many years away has brought back a piece of my heart that I didn’t realize I’d been missing. Working hard and chipping away at my goals week by week has given me back confidence in myself and strengthened my connection with the horse I didn’t realize I needed. Outside of horses, it’s been a year of personal challenges, and ending my season with a support group on the rail at Finals left my bucket overflowing with gratitude. Whenever I described my riding experience in the past, I’d say I was a western equitation rider, since that’s where my competitive career ended in college. Now, I’m proud to refer to myself as a dressage rider – I think I’ve earned that title. Botero and I are back to work, learning the movements in both Second and Third Levels with a goal of earning my USDF Bronze Medal in 2024. When I set my goals for the next season, the US Dressage Finals will be on that list from the beginning.
