Breaking with her western cowboy family tradition was not the goal for Hampton Baker as a seven year old. She simply wanted riding lessons – not being content to share space on her dad’s saddle anymore. Her only local option was a hunter/jumper show barn, and that meant crossing over to English riding.
“My grandparents on both sides come from agricultural backgrounds, so I was introduced to horses while watching my family gather cattle on horseback,” Baker said. The family ranching and rodeo culture runs deep, and her grandfather was named “2021 Citizen of the West” by the National Western Stock Show organization.
Last month, Baker competed in the $15K Junior/Amateur Derby at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, and was the youngest rider to finish in the top 12 out of 50 competitors. In 2021, she finished 8th out of 64 of the top-rated hunters in her class in the country. . .
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