BY ASHLEY ALLWOOD

Katie Hummel, freshman at Wadsworth High School, goes to Oklahoma for 

a horse competition. Hummel has been riding horses for eleven years. She got into riding through her family’s business called Vantage Point Stables located on Hartman Rd in Wadsworth. Vantage Point Stables train horses and riders. 

The American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) was held on October 6th through October 16th in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. AMHA cooperates in an annual production of the Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show. 

The sponsorships are used as a charitable donation providing scholarships, educational opportunities, public awareness, youth activities as well as a forum to exhibit Morgan horses. Morgan horses are a breed of horses that are most known for show jumping and endurance riding. The four day Grand Nationals and World Championship called the Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma Hummel performed. 

Hummel placed third in the world for Park Harness and fourth in the world in Park Saddle. Park Saddle is a style of riding that the riders must master to make it to the national level. Park Harness is a style of racing at a specific pace. Along with the two world placings, Kaitlyn won a Reserve National Reward in Park Harness. 

“Some things that go through my mind while competing are how happy I am to be competing and the improvements my horse, Awesome, has made in the time that I have had him,” Hummel said. 

Hummel trains about two times a week. Hummel mentioned that depending on how well a practice goes will determine how nervous she gets before a performance. 

“Most of the time I am calm and collected when I perform better that way and I have to be, you are the horse’s guide,” Hummel said. 

This is not Hummel’s first time competing in a big competition like the Morgan Horse Show. In 2019, Hummel won a Reserve Grand National, which she placed second in America, and won a Reserve in the world, placing second. Hummel plans to compete for as long as she can.