Wilmington Standlee Sunday Spotlight: Emily Reder

Wilmington, Ohio – This week’s Wilmington Standlee Sunday Spotlight shines on Emily Reder. From her early start in the saddle to competing on the equestrian team at Baylor University, Emily continues to stay active showing at the top of the sport with her mare, Favorite Du Chateau, while managing a full-time career. We caught up with Emily ahead of her round in the $30,000 Grand Prix to learn more about her journey!

WEC: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your background in the sport.
I started riding when I was five years old and began training with David Beisel in 2012. I competed with him throughout college as well as while riding for Baylor University. After graduating, I continued showing as much as possible while balancing my work schedule. I travel fairly often for my job, so finding balance has been key. Right now, I’m showing about every six weeks, which works well since my horse is incredibly forgiving and amateur proof! David and the entire team do a great job keeping everything running smoothly while I’m on the road.

WEC: How do you juggle your full-time job and riding career?
My job requires me to be on the road about two nights a week, and I try to schedule travel early in the week. I’m lucky to have flexibility with my work schedule. When I first graduated, I covered Michigan, most of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia, which worked well when we were showing at Traverse City. Now I cover Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana, which makes it easy to balance work with showing in places like Lexington and here in Ohio.

WEC: Tell me about your mare, Favorite Du Chateau.
I imported her somewhat on a whim after unexpectedly having to retire a previous horse. One of my best friends was living in Europe at the time and sent me a video and thought that she would be a great horse for me. I sent David [Beisel] the video and told him to have a stall ready because I had bought another horse! She has a huge personality and will eat absolutely anything, but more than that, she loves her job. She’s pretty lazy on the flat, but once you start jumping, she turns into a rocket!

WEC: What has your experience been like developing your partnership?
WEC has been incredible for her development. There are so many different class options, which has allowed us to progress her gradually while still staying competitive. It’s also given me flexibility. If I haven’t been riding or showing consistently, I can step down and do the Futures Prix. When I first imported her, I was a little rusty, so having that range of options, great footing, and quality classes made a huge difference.

WEC: What are your goals for in the sport?
I want to do this for as long as possible. My biggest focus right now is becoming more consistent. I can be a bit cautious when it comes to speed and inside turns in bigger classes, so learning to harness that and be more competitive is my goal. At the end of the day, like most amateurs, I just want safe, fun rounds and to enjoy the experience!