Rancho Corazon/HIPICO Santa Fe Scholarship Winner
FROM THE HEART Mackenzie Hudson Awarded Rancho Corazon/ Hipico Santa Fe Scholarship
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ANCHO CORAZON horsewoman and has successSANTA FE, BREEDfully juggled college courses, a ERS AND TRAINERS working student and grooming OF WORLD-CLASS position, and maintained a comHOLSTEINERS, AND HIPICO petitive show schedule since SANTA FE have partnered to graduating high school. award the Second Annual 2019 “I know that it is necessary Rancho Corazon/Hipico Santa Fe to work your way up to fully Sponsored Rider Scholarship. understand the industry,” says The scholarship grants a Mackenzie. rider mentoring, training, and Mackenzie is no stranger to show experience at the Santa hard work – mentally and physFe Summer Series and includes Ekyra and Mackenzie at the Kentucky Horse Park. Photo by Caitlin Hudson. ically. A riding accident in 2015 boarding, training, show fees, kept her out of the saddle for five and housing at Rancho Corazon Santa Fe, based out of Hipico, months with severe injuries to her shoulder, ribs, neck, and back. during the two-month scholarship time frame. Doctors said she would never ride again, but she persisted with a According to Rancho Corazon head trainer and manager regimen of strength training, massage, Pilates, physical therapy, Chenoa McElvain, the scholarship gives young riders expeand mental resolve. In 2016, her first year returning to the show rience in the horse industry that he/she would otherwise not ring, Mackenzie won the $10,000 High Children’s Invitational have. Chenoa hopes the program will mirror the opportunities at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, as well as the $5,000 Sandia young riders have in Europe, which are not widely available BMW & MINI Cooper Ride-and-Drive Challenge and $15,000 Allin the United States today, allowing the recipient to develop as in-One Grand Prix at Hipico Santa Fe. In 2017, Mackenzie competa rider and learn about the horse business. ed in her first Grand Prix, finishing 6th out of a field of 40 horses. Among the pool of talented, aspiring applicants, Team “I believe that I will truly utilize the knowledge and experiRancho Corazon and Hipico awarded the 2019 scholarship to ences I will gain through this scholarship,” she says. “Training Mackenzie Hudson of Austin, Texas. with Chenoa will provide me with great input to improve my Nineteen-year-old Mackenzie has spent her entire life in the horse and I as a team.” horse industry. The youngest daughter of trainer Lacy HudFollow Rancho Corazon on Facebook or visit ranchocorason, Mackenzie began riding at four years old, showing at six, zon.com for information about the 2020 Rancho Corazon/Hipiand competed in her first grand prix by 17. She’s a dedicated co Santa Fe Scholarship.
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