|
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 5
SMNW grad hopes to reach Rolex eventing competition By Melissa Treolo mtreolo@theworldco.info
Jessica Ptak, 19, has been riding horses for as long as she can remember — and even before that. “I’ve been on horses forever,” she said, noting that her horse-enthusiast parents would let her sit on the back of their horse as a toddler — while safely holding her, of course. “I’m sure I thought it was awesome. I mean, I don’t remember, exactly. But obviously I liked it enough, because here I am today.” Ptak today is the winner of a number of awards for the horse trials, or eventing, she has been participating in since she was 13. With the help of her horse, Kaycee, Ptak in May won first place at the There preliminary level of the Mill Creek (are) so many Pony Club Horse different Trials. Last phases in it year she earned that it requires the Grand Prix so much from Award, which you and your included a $1,000 horse; so much prize toward trust, so much furthering her athletic ability riding training, and was named from both of Preliminary Na- you.” tional Champion at the U.S. Pony — Jessica Ptak, SMNW Club Champion- Class of 2011 graduate ships. “There (are) so many different phases in it that it requires so much from you and your horse; so much trust, so much athletic ability from both of you,” Ptak, who graduated from Shawnee Mission Northwest in 2011, said of why she likes competing. She is now a pre-nursing major at Kansas State University. “And then the adrenaline, also, from the cross-country course is something you don’t experience other places.” Ptak began taking riding lessons on her mom’s horse, Raffy, when she was 5, got involved in showing horses through the 4-H Club when she was 7 and began riding new horse Kaycee — bought by her parents so that the family could have a second horse to ride
“
trails on — at age 9. She joined the Mill Creek Pony Club at 10. The eventing, which has been funded over the years by both Ptak and her parents, has allowed Ptak to travel throughout the Midwest and Kentucky and Georgia. Eventing involves three phases of competition over two to three days: a dressage, or training, phase, where the horse and rider are judged on their ability to execute certain riding movements; the crosscountry phase that includes 25 jumps; and the show jumping phase. “She’s had to really work hard and lots of hours in the saddle and all kinds of awful weather,” said mom, Michelle Ptak. “She’s got some natural talent and then she applies dedication and she’s got a very strong work ethic. So it’s cool to see her be able to be successful at something she really loves.” Ptak said she won’t be participating in eventing for awhile, however — Kaycee, who is 20 years old now, suffered injuries to two ligaments in his front right leg after a recent competition in Oklahoma. He’s spending his days recuperating at Twin Mill Farm, a boarding stable in western Shawnee. Ptak said it’ll be “six months before I can really start riding again,” and she even had to withdraw from a competition in Colorado scheduled earlier this month. Despite this setback, Ptak said she and Kaycee plan to come back strong next summer. Her ultimate goal is to compete in the top dog, or horse, of all eventing competitions: the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, a four-star competition featuring competitors in the top of the field. This is a dream she’s had since she was in elementary school, when a family vacation included a stop at the Kentucky Horse Park. That’s where the Rolex is staged each year. “I’m going to be at this level someday,” Ptak promised herself at the time. Kaycee, who Ptak said has “a really cool personality,” won’t be along for that ride when and if it happens — Ptak said he’s “too old” to withstand that level of competition. For now, she said, when it comes to eventing, “he seems to enjoy it.”
BRIEFLY Shawnee student earns place on President’s list Carley Hamilton of Shawnee was named to Oklahoma Baptist University’s President’s Honor Roll for the spring 2012 semester, the university announced this week. Hamilton is a senior studying early childhood education.
SMNW grad receives Legacy scholarship from Mizzou Jake Gipple of Shawnee recently received the Mizzou Alumni Legacy Scholarship and the Engineering De-
partmental Scholarship at the University of Missouri. The two scholarships are awarded to incoming freshmen based on a number of factors, including academic record, as well as school and extracurricular involvement. The Shawnee Mission Northwest High School 2012 graduate also received the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation’s Leadership Award, one of two awarded annually to high school seniors for academic achievement and leadership in their schools and across the community. The award includes a scholarship to the university of their choice underwritten by U.S. Bank.
JESSICA PTAK and her horse, Kaycee, demonstrate their jumping skills during the Mill Creek Pony Club Horse Trials last month. Ptak has been riding and participating in eventing competitions since she was a youth.
Contributed photo
Enjoy great music & drink specials! (Shawnee location)
Banquet Room Available for all your gatherings
61st & Nieman Shawnee, KS 66203 913.631.5716 34th & Gibbs Kansas City, KS 66106 913.677.1844
Oldest t in Restauranee n w a h S 9 Since 196
• Live music 1st and 3rd Thursdays • Matt Snook, national country recording artist June 26, July 24 and August 28
Order on line at www.shawneepizza.com