Springs Venture Online senior Elle Martin, 17, is joining the NCAA Division 1 Equestrian Team at Fresno State. She credits her participation in Venture for giving her the opportunity to progress as a rider and student, and said, “I’m well prepared for the college-level riding and coursework that I’ll get to take at Fresno State.”
Elle has been riding since age 3, and has competed in such equestrian events as rodeo queening, team penning and show jumping. Being part of Springs gave her the opportunity to keep up with school assignments while traveling on the road to horse shows across California. She said, “Riding horses is very unlike most sports because when you show up for practice each day, your ball doesn’t whinny to greet you, but your horse does.”
She continued, “Taking care of my horses and ensuring that they are in peak condition for competing their best requires hours spent daily working with them, and I’ve been very blessed to have such supportive parents to help me with my horses, as well as trainers who appreciate my dedication and have the same values towards putting the horses as the priority.”
It was difficult to keep up her grades and attend horse events, but “once I switched to Venture, I was able to pursue my academic goals while still working hard to reach my equestrian goals.”
