Junior Rider Eva Paliouras Winning Victories And Changing Lives
By Sydney Masters
It is not unusual to find top junior equestrians in Wellington, the home of the Wellington International showgrounds, where the leading riders from around the world congregate each winter. But even among these elite young competitors, Eva Paliouras stands out. The 17-year-old rider, who immigrated with her family permanently to Wellington in 2021, is combining her talents in the show jumping world with her goal to help others.
Paliouras has big plans for this year, not just for herself, but for those less fortunate. A junior studying at Score Academy in Wellington, the accomplished young equestrian is already shortlisted to represent her native Peru at the Bolivarian Games in Lima this fall, the first hurdle on the road to the Olympics in 2028. If she makes the final cut, she will make history as the youngest equestrian to compete at these games.
“Moving to Wellington was a game changer for me. It made all this possible,” Paliouras explained. “Representing Peru has always been my dream. The Bolivarian Games are part of the Olympic Qualifying Cycle for South America, and since I was born and raised in Peru, I’m eligible to compete for them. Being shortlisted is surreal. The final team won’t be announced until September, so anything can happen. If I do make the team, it’ll be my first International FEI championship, and jumping it in my hometown of Lima would make it even more special. After that, I just want to keep growing and learning in the equestrian world.”
Paliouras is not only an equestrian, but also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. She speaks four languages — English, Spanish, French and Greek — and balances her time between studying, competing, and helping raise funds and awareness for those less fortunate.
Her focus is not just on the show jumping world — she has been helping those living in poverty in Peru. At the age of 13, Paliouras founded Bonnets of Hope by Eva, an initiative for the nonprofit Knitting Hope, by creating products that include purses, pouches, wallets and equestrian bonnets to help raise funds for women living in poverty.
Paliouras, who learned to knit and sew during the pandemic, designed her line of accessories and promotes the items to raise awareness and funds throughout the international equestrian world, from her home base in Wellington and beyond.
“I grew up around the nonprofit Knitting Hope, which is the main foundation behind my Bonnets of Hope,” she explained. “My mom was super involved with the charity, and I spent a lot of time around the women knitters in the Andes. I could see how much a bit of support could change their lives, and I knew I wanted to do something more. I had the idea to combine my passion for horses and women’s empowerment by teaching the women to make bonnets for horses and founded Bonnets of Hope by Eva. It was such a cool way to merge two parts of my life that I care deeply about.”
Being an avid equestrian, she thought custom, hand-made knitted bonnets would be a hit within the show jumping world — and they have been.
“When I started, it was difficult trying to explain to the knitters why horses wear bonnets. It was hilarious,” Paliouras laughed. “I remember showing them photos, and they were just giggling. But once they understood it was about function and style, they got super into it, even though I think they still find it a little funny that these fancy horses wear hats!”
The concept has grown over time.
“In the beginning, I made only custom horse bonnets but decided to make it more approachable and less niche to add bags and pouches with horse-themed designs,” Paliouras said. “Keeping the heart of the project while making it sustainable has been a learning curve.”
The fledgling entrepreneur and philanthropist understands the importance of spreading awareness beyond the equestrian world. In the beginning of the year, Anne Caroline Valtin, the executive director of the Great Charity Challenge, got behind Bonnets for Hope by Eva.
“I had reached out to the Great Charity Challenge about what I was doing, and they were quick to respond, wanting to hear more,” Paliouras recalled. “It was such a huge opportunity, and there were so many big-name riders attached. Being invited to be a part of this hugely successful and important annual charity competition in Wellington allowed me to spread the word and get Bonnets of Hope by Eva in front of a group that I’d never imagined.”
Paliouras began riding at the age of seven in Peru. She now trains with Irish show jumping champion David Blake at Pine Hollow Farm in Wellington. Like with her Bonnets of Hope products, she is not limiting herself to one discipline. She competes as a jumper and has been the only Peruvian rider in history to win in the hunter category.
With the support of her parents and the guidance of her instructors, “Evita” — as she is also known — has achieved major victories wearing the colors of Peru in Wellington’s most respected and well-attended competitions.
“My parents are everything, and they completely uprooted their lives to move to Wellington for my riding and are always there for me,” Paliouras said. “All of my current horses have come to me since I’ve been training with David and Amanda. Right now, I’m focusing on my equestrian goals, school, building relationships and expanding the work of Bonnets for Hope to empower even more women in Peru. I also want to partner with local charities to help make a difference here in Wellington as well.”
Learn more about Bonnets of Hope by Eva at www.bonnetsofhope.com.


