Warsaw Teen Eyes Equestrian DreamA Warsaw teen hopes to achieve her dreams in the horse competition world.
Maya Ilada, 13, has risen from dressage competition, which is an equestrian sport that shows the highest expression of horse training.
The soon-to-be eighth grader at Edgewood Middle School and her 15-year-old mare, Pepper, have been competing around the Midwest and hope to attend a training program in Florida in the beginning of 2019.
Ilada wants to attend the Winter Intensive Program (WIT) in Wellington, Fla., which goes from January to March. The program will allow her to be trained by two-time Olympia, Lendon Gray and travel to all the Olympic barns in the surrounding area.
While at WIT, there will be a time-demanding schedule for the riders, who range in age from 11-26. The students will wake up around 5 a.m. to begin the day full of chores, practice, school work and other maintenance around the facility.
The goal of WIT is to not only improve the students’ riding skills, but educate about horse health and safety, that way the students can properly take care of their animal and treat it when it has an injury or illness. WIT only accepts between 13 and 16 riders.
“WIT gives you a taste of what it’s like to be a dressage rider everyday,” said Ilada. “You have to keep your fitness program, train your horses and take care of them. Parents aren’t allowed to do anything for you.”
Hefty fees are tagged along with this amazing experience. The program itself costs $8,400, and an additional $2,800 is needed per month for vet bills, feed, shows, housing and so forth.
The young Ilada has developed and produced her own marketing materials to send out to people in the community for donations. She has spent days researching and typing up documents. Her biggest task has been deciding on what to do with school, since she would be at WIT during the school year.
Ilada has been accepted into the program, but now needs to come up with the money to attend.
“She’s had the program posted on her goals list attached to her wall,” said her mother, Holly Ilada. “She had all the things she needed to do to apply on the list. I’m really impressed with her drive and passion for something she wants to do.”
The 13-year-old was encouraged to apply from her performances at recent dressage shows in the area.
“People saw her riding during the clinic and remembered her from the year before,” said Holly. “They were really impressed with her growth in her riding and the maturity she possessed.”
Ilada’s passion and drive has been on full display over the last year with training Pepper for dressage. Pepper didn’t have any experience in this discipline and had to be conditioned to perform the techniques required in dressage.
“When I got Pepper, she could barely do entry-level skills last year,” said Maya. “It’s been quite a struggle to try and teach her something that goes against what she’s learned the last 14 years.”
Ilada has been in a program called Dressage4Kids, which is what allows her to compete and make connections across the horse community. The program educates the riders on how to train horses, horse health and how to improve their skills. They explained that the goal of Dressage4Kids is to introduce the sport to younger riders.
Besides improving her skills with Dressage4Kids and WIT, the riders are able to meet Olympian riders and interview them for projects.
“It takes a lot of determination and passion to be able to go there to WIT,” Maya said. “It takes a lot out of you and your horse, just to be constantly working.”
Maya started riding at the age of 5 and her ultimate goal with dressage is to be an international dressage rider and a trainer for students.
“I’d like to teach kids who aren’t provided a perfect horse and who need extra help in training their animal.” she said.
Maya has had the support from her parents, Holly and Patrick, and older brother, Jarod. Her father is allergic to horse hair, but still manages to watch her compete during the right conditions. With the backing of her parents to attend WIT, she is asking the community for help in achieving her dream, which could propel her career greatly.
She can be contacted through her email at mayailada@yahoo.com or those interested in helping can visit her GoFundMe page by searching for Maya Ilada.
