When she first started working for eventer Jennie Brannigan, Alexa Lapp could not imagine that one day she would be riding the USEA Horse of the Year and preparing for national competitions, writes Amber Heintzberger for USEA.

Lapp, who is a Coatesville native, only planned to help out a month or two during her junior year of high school. Now six years down the road, she is still working for Brannigan who has provided numerous opportunities for the young rider.

Lapp, who started riding when she was five years old, was chosen to ride Brannigan’s 2017 USEA Horse of the Year, Cambalda, owned by Tim and Nina Gardner.

As far as the future goes, Lapp is taking it day by day. But if things go well, the big goal is to compete at the North American Junior & Young Rider Championships at Rebecca Farm in Montana in July.

“After Red Hills, we’ll do the Intermediate at Carolina International, and he’s entered for Young Riders, so that would be our big goal, to go to Montana,” said Lapp. “But I’m trying to take it one day at a time.”

Read more about the young rider’s plans at USEA here.