Jessica Odom

I can’t remember “the day” I knew I loved horses and riding. It literally feels like I was born loving them from the start. Collecting my little ponies, breyer horses, even LEGO horses I would find in my brothers toys. My earliest memories were some trail rides here and there while on vacation with my family. It wasn’t long before I went to my first riding lesson.

I was on my way to Girl Scouts and my dad surprised me and took me to a riding lesson instead. Little did my dad know, I would never stop. Doing the small shows the stable offered and riding horses that people didn’t have time for, I could always be found at the barn.

Once I reached high school, my riding was out on hold to play volleyball, to divert my attention to something else. Turns out all my people jumping in the arena with my friends and my trainer’s dogs would give me some freakish advantage. I could jump higher than any freshman, sophomore, junior or senior there. It was like when Nick Skelton and Everest made the high jump record in 1978!

Back To My Dream

When volleyball was over, I wasted no time returning to riding. Asking my old trainer to give me a job, I was willing to do anything to be around the horses again and have any opportunities to ride. I would later ride with local GP trainers and gain more experience and knowledge around and on the horses. Eventually an opportunity came to run a riding school, that after a short while became my own. Overtime I expanded the riding school for trail riding, pony rides, camps, Birthday parties, and even Girl Scouts. I continue to ride professionally training at the National GP level, and work with those that may one day do the same. It’s been an absolute dream for me to turn my passion into a career. (Source)