Addison Piper Builds A Strong Base
For A Great Future In Jumping
Growing up in Wellington, Addison Piper comes from show jumping on all sides of her family. She has been competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival for 10 years and enjoys the confidence building and learning that comes with the local 12-week series.
Both of her parents, Will and Tiffaney Piper, competed in equitation and jumpers as young riders.
“My mom rode, my dad rode and my grandma still rides,” Piper explained. “I was basically born into horses. I started off with the ponies, like most riders, and then I moved onto the horses. I love it.”
Piper has had some great results along the way. In 2017, she placed fifth in the nation at the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search in Gladstone, N.J., judged by McLain Ward. This year and next year, she has the opportunity to compete in the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final and the ASPCA Maclay Equitation Finals before she ages out of the junior division.
At 17 years old, she has big goals for the future.
“I want to keep excelling in the jumpers,” Piper said. “I have a new jumper that I am getting to know, and two other jumpers, plus my equitation horse. I just want to keep moving up. I will go to Spruce Meadows this summer, which is exciting because I will get to jump some big courses. If everything goes to plan, I will do indoors this fall with the junior jumpers and all the equitation finals. I want to stay competitive in equitation. I got a ribbon last year in Gladstone. Hopefully, I will get a ribbon again this year. That is the goal.”
With four horses to ride, sometimes more, Piper is always on the move.
“Bonita Z, I just acquired from Eric Lamaze and the team at Torrey Pines. She is awesome. She is a cute little chestnut mare, really feisty,” Piper said. “Then, there is Hermine 44; I have had her for two years. She took me to my first NAJYRC FEI Junior/Young Rider Championships in Colorado. And with All About Anjes (aka Onions), my other jumper, we do the Low Junior Jumpers. She is one to get into the ring for practice. For equitation, I lease a horse named Skara Glen’s Prologue.”
A typical day includes school and horses.
“At home, I start at 8 a.m. I usually have four to five horses to ride,” Piper said. “Most days are riding on the flat, or I may have a jumping lesson or two. When I finish around 2 or 3 p.m., I go straight to school until around 5 or 6 p.m. Then I start the next day all over again.”
During the winter 12-week WEF series, Piper has classes in the early mornings and throughout the day.
“Today, I started off with the Junior Medium Classic,” she said, explaining how she schooled her horse, Hermine 44, at 6:30 a.m. and made sure she was ready. “Then I walked the course at 7:30 a.m. and competed at 8:15 a.m. It can be pretty busy running from ring to ring.”
The schedule includes showing two or three horses in a week. To give her horses, and herself, a rest, she takes regular breaks. “I do two weeks on and one week off during the season,” Piper explained.
Piper is coached by Ken and Emily Smith of Ashland Farms, whom she travels with on the circuit all year.
“I have been riding with them for almost six years now,” she said. “They also have two great people who work for them, Chrissy Kear and David Nation, who have been a huge help in my junior career. They have always found great horses for me, and they are so supportive.”
She is currently completing her junior high school year at the Palm Beach International Academy. “It’s an awesome place. I have been going there since eighth grade,” Piper said. “I’m starting to look at colleges and preparing for the ACT. When I am traveling, my teachers Skype with me. It has been a great program for my college preparations.”
Piper approaches her career with sincere insight and a drive to learn.
“I love the horses. Even if I didn’t show, I love being around the horses and being back with them in the barn,” she said. “I also have that competitive drive to do well. My horses try so hard for me, and I have a very supportive team behind me. It has been a great opportunity for me to grow up here in Wellington.”
