Wilmington, Ohio – This week’s Wilmington Sunday Spotlight shines on junior rider Avery Roper. The 11-year-old athlete hailing from her family owned and operated Roper Farms in Hobart, Indiana, can be found in all three rings at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington with her string of horses and ponies. We caught up with the joyful, hard-working young rider to learn more about her riding journey, her horses, and her goals!
WEC: How did you get started riding?
My family has always been into riding and owns a barn in Indiana, so it just came to me! My mom and my aunts ride too. I loved horses at a young age. I got on my first horse when I was just a tiny baby. I have been doing it ever since. I love it. Now we ride and train with Quincy Hayes and Stonehenge Stables. Linda Radigan helps as well. She has helped me a lot!
I can’t thank my family enough for the amazing horses that they put me on and just getting me into the sport. They really paved the path for me and it has been a lot of fun.
WEC: Tell us about your reining horses.
I also ride reining horses! I have two at the moment. I have one that I have won a lot with. They bought Spanky for me at a young age but my aunt loved him so much that she took him for all of the years that he could do the big stuff. I got him back last year. He is the best! We just went to North Carolina a few weeks ago and he won a class. My other one’s name is Bullet.
WEC: Tell us about your horses showing at WEC.
I have two ponies, two hunters and my jumper here this week. My jumper, his previous owner was Carly McCutcheon. He was her first grand prix horse. He is a great horse for me to start off my jumping journey. His barn name is Slim and his show name is MTM Unexpected. He is the safest horse and he is the most fun!
I have one other horse named Capsen aka Henry. We just came back from Lamplight where he won the 2’6” derby two weeks in a row. He got champion both weeks too. He’s a really nice horse. He was injured for a while, so, he’s just coming back now and he’s been a lot of fun. He loves his job!
My ponies are Willpower and Sparkle. Wilbur [Willpower] can be a big troublemaker. He likes to cause trouble but when he is good, he is one of my best derby ponies. He’s still a green pony so we are saving him for next year for the greens. Sparkle is my division pony. She is great! We are going to try to get both ponies qualified for Pony Finals next year. I am also showing the horse that my aunt showed in the derby, Pierogi.
It is so hard to pick a favorite! They all have a special thing about them that I love. They can be goofballs!
WEC: How do you balance schooling and your riding?
I’m going into sixth grade so balancing school and riding can be hard sometimes. I’m on summer break right now which is lovely. I fly or drive back and forth on the weekends. It is a lot of traveling back and forth but I love it so much!
WEC: Tell us about your experience showing at WEC – Wilmington.
I love the people here! They are all very nice. The rings and the jumps are beautiful. I love everything about it. The stalls are very nice, it’s very clean. There aren’t any negative things to say about this place because it’s just so pretty! And I love the Home-Away-From-Home’s, the cabins and The Paddock Club. There are activities every week. It is also so nice to have a place to eat dinner on the grounds. Since I have been showing a lot I know a lot of friends at the shows so that is fun too.
WEC: What is your favorite thing about the sport?
I love the bonding experience with the horses and how nice all the horses can be.
I just love the sport in general because it’s a lot of fun going over the jumps and learning all kinds of new things. And there’s not a lot of people that do it!
WEC: What are your long-term riding goals?
I want to move up with my jumper. We’re thinking about it this winter, moving up to the 1.10m. I want to be one of the best in the world one day!
Thank you, Avery, for taking the time to speak with us! We wish you continued success in and out of the ring with your horses and ponies!