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Chelsea’s Anna King learning the sport of ‘dressage’ from the best of the best

Anna King and Cheddar warm up.

Most 14-year-old girls are still dabbling in different sports trying to decide what appeals to them.

Chelsea’s Anna King has already made that decision.

She’s chosen the equestrian sport of dressage and has taken her natural talents to a whole different level.

Committed, she works hard at it every day and has found what might be considered unorthodox ways to get the best training possible.

With her parent’s approval, she’s accepted working student positions and lived in different states – away from her friends and family in Michigan, all while keeping a 4.0 grade point average taking classes online.

And although her passion is equestrian sports, she also understands the importance of getting a classical education. And if those grades slide, it’s a deal-breaker, says her mom Lisa King and dad Michael King.

Anna’s already trained with some of the biggest names in the sport and found sponsors to help her parents pay for her horse, training, equipment and entry fees.

Anna and Cheddar training at Cobblestone Farms in Dexter.

But, let’s go back to the beginning.

Anna King began riding when most kids were learning to walk. At age 2. She participated in 4-H and Pony Club events, eventually graduating to riding a horse and trying the sport of eventing.

One of the three events of eventing is called dressage, which is simply defined as “horsemanship in which the horse is controlled in certain difficult steps and gaits by very slight movements of the rider.”

And although the top riders make it look easy; mastering the art of dressage and developing that subtle communication with a horse – is one of the most difficult equestrian skills to master.

It was while watching the top-level dressage riders that Anna, the little girl who first fell in love with a Shetland pony named Itty Bit, decided that she wanted to compete in dressage full-time, she says.

“You can never be perfect in this sport, but the harder you work the closer to perfect you will get.” 

She’s opened as many doors as she can — to find ways do what it takes to be the best rider she can be.

And that starts with a horse that’s capable of reaching the highest levels in the sport, which took about a year to find, she says.

Photo by Michael King. Anna and Cheddar train with Olympian Ali Brock.

Behind that impish smile, Anna’s determined and laser focused to methodically develop a bond with her four-legged partner named Rf Cameron Velvet , AKA “Cheddar,” a 17-hand, 11-year-old Belgium warmblood.

In her words, “My goal is to be the best horseman I can be. I will practice every day, work as hard as I can, and see where it will take me.”

The two participate in intensive workouts four days a week, have one day of a lighter “stretch rides” and enjoy a day for relaxation on a trail ride.

Anna gives Cheddar a hug after a light training session.

There’s a fine line between having a fit horse for competitions and one that’s fatigued and overworked, she says.

At the young age of 14, she’s already had a number of opportunities many young riders can only dream about experiencing.

Her talents have been noticed by the Discover Dressage USEF/USDF Emerging Athlete Program Training Program, among others, and she’s gotten expert guidance from some of the top trainers in the country. Several have been so impressed that they’ve been willing to take her under their wing and teach her about all the aspects of what makes a great dressage rider.

She’s received scholarships to participate in clinics and has been accepted at several barns as a working student — so she and Cheddar can learn and train as much as possible. 

When she’s not taking care of and riding Cheddar, she’s working with other horses, grooming them, cleaning their stalls and learning from the ground up while assisting top level trainers.

She was in Wellington, Florida participating in a Winter Intensive Training Program with Lendon Grey earlier this year, and while there, she showed at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

Most recently, she applied for and was chosen for the Lendon Gray Scholarship to attend the Scott Hassler Horsemanship Clinic, which took place in July.

Last Sunday, she embarked on another adventure. She and Cheddar headed to Maryland where Anna will be a working student with Scott Hassler Dressage.

She is currently showing in the Juniors division, which is for riders between 14 and 18 years old, and hopes to qualify for the North American Youth Championships (NAYC) 2019. To do so, she’ll need three scores at 63% or above and be one of the four highest scoring Junior riders to be chosen for the region 2 team.

Helping Anna become the best horseman she can be are her family and a number of generous local sponsors including Roofman of Saline, Quanta, Inc., the MORE Group, MI, Rachel Rose Photography, Equestrian Lounge and Stacey Bradley Design.

“I am continuously looking for sponsors,” Anna says.

Cheddar enjoys a banana treat, peal and all.

Please take a look at her website  where you can learn even more about her amazing journey.

If you would like to help, you can learn about becoming a sponsor as Anna continues her journey to be the best horseman she can be.

She has lots of pictures and a blog where you can follow her continuing adventures on her website. You can follow her on social media at anna_king84

And who knows, perhaps she and Cheddar will travel to Europe to compete in the future or even compete for a spot on the US Olympic Dressage Team.

She is, after all, only 14 years old.

(Publisher’s note: Chelsea Update will continue to follow Anna’s journey and keep you updated on her latest accomplishments.)

Anna removes the bandages that protect Cheddar’s legs when he’s out training.

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