Ride or Die

“It’s such an adrenaline rush!” exclaims Savannah Humphries, senior at Boiling Springs High School, about the fast-paced competition when horseback riding. Savannah has been riding horses for three and a half years and says she’s all about the “horse life.” She started riding horses when one of her friends took her on a horseback riding trip to the Sugar Ridge Arena in Inman, SC, for her birthday. Savannah realized she
has a natural ability for riding horses and initially came back to the arena to hone her skills even further. Savannah participates in two types of horseback riding: barrel racing and goat tying. Barrel racing consists of the rider steering his/her horse around 3 barrels, in a particular pattern, as fast as possible. Goat tie is when the rider directs the horse, jumps off the horse, captures a goat, and ties its legs together. Out of the two, Savannah says she’s better at barrel racing, but enjoys goat tying more. Humphries has been very successful in her horseback riding career. She placed 5th in state for Barrel Racing in 2011 at a competition in South Carolina. When asked about her overall opinion about riding horses, Savannah cleverly stated, “Ride or die.”