Sarasota High freshman overcomes fear of riding horses to discover talent

Cianna Russ was scared to get back on the horse — literally.

She had been thrown off a quarter horse after trying her hand at barrel racing, where riders direct horses in a cloverleaf pattern around barrels in the fastest time possible. After that, the young rider (she was 6 at the time) feared the larger equine, and was in search of a smaller creature to train.

That’s when the Sarasota High freshman found miniature horses, which are just like regular horses but 38 inches tall or less, according to the American Miniature Horse Registry. It was at a 2013 summer camp at Fallen Pine farm. They were just the right size for Russ, she said. She no longer felt fear when climbing on top of the animal. She felt more in control. She felt safe. Even if she fell, the ground was only a few forgiving feet away.

She started slowly with weekly practices covering showmanship, jumping, carting, obstacle- and halter-class events, among others. After a while, Russ began showing horses again, leasing them for competitions. This time, she was confident, and she showed natural talent. She began entering and winning local competitions, accruing points that would allow her to qualify for the American Miniature Horse Registry Nationals. Her mother, Stephanie Russ, who used to ride quarter horses, decided to take the plunge and get her daughter a miniature horse of her own. She bought one online from a woman in Oklahoma whom she had become friends with over time, so she knew she was getting a good horse.

It played out like a scene in a movie. Russ knew the horse, named Bug Hill Farms Unmistakably Buckaroo, or Bogey for short, was coming. She counted down the months, then weeks, then days. On arrival day, Russ put on her fanciest gear and headed out to a family friend’s farm, where Bogey was being delivered. He was waiting for Russ at the gate of a pasture when she arrived.

“I went in there and he put his neck around me, hugged me,” Russ said. “I loved him. I hated leasing horses and having to put them back. I was like, ‘Oh, he can live in my house now!’ I could wake up and eat breakfast with him, which I did. I sat in the stall with him and just ate.”

That was the catalyst for Russ’ career. Having finally reach her desired point total, she qualified for the 2014 Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., and captured the National Reserve Championship in the 8-12 division of both showmanship and hunter, a jumping event, and placed in the top-10 in 10 other events, including halter class, roadster and versatility. In 2015, she repeated as National Reserve Champion for her age group. There would be no three-peat: Russ was unable to attend the 2016 championship, and while she hopes to return for the 2017 championship in September, it is no sure thing. Stephanie Russ estimated costs to attend the championship with just one horse to be around $8,000, and $10,000 with two. 

The younger Russ has added another horse to her stable since the 2015 championship, this one named Silver Meadows Jets of Fire, or just Fire. Fire is more difficult to train than the calm and collected Bogey was, Russ said. Fire bites sometimes, and is generally a bit cranky. Russ admits to having a love/hate relationship with the horse she sometimes calls “The Toddler” behind his back. She better get used to him, she said, because Bogey is retired from competitions.

She has won local events with Fire, but never a national championship. That is on the short list of her future goals. The pair's relationship is getting better. They took first place March 18 in the Sarasota County Fair. Not among Russ' goals: obtaining a scholarship. Colleges do not give those out for miniature horse success, though some do for quarter horses, Stephanie Russ said. That does not bother Russ too much; she is not in the sport for extrinsic rewards.

“It is just what I do,” Russ said. “It is what I love.”

Stephanie Russ said she has seen her daughter’s self-esteem go from “zero to 60” since starting to show miniature horses. Being the center of attention for those few minutes provides a confidence boost, as does winning.

The most difficult part of the sport is keeping up relationships with the horses and teaching them to cooperate, she said. The key is to stay positive. Talk to them. Work on voice commands. Eventually, their comfort level will rise.

With her newfound confidence, and having conquered her fear of riding, Russ said there is a possibility of her trying quarter horses again one day. For now, she is perfectly content with where she is. After all, there is nothing miniature about what she has accomplished with her equine friends.