Chandra Thurman
I Am US Equestrian: You Can Do This
Dressage rider Chandra Thurman and her Andalusian/Thoroughbred mare Kassie
About This Video
Dressage rider Chandra Thurman of Murray, Ky., has horses in her blood: her parents and grandparents bred and raised Morgans and American Saddlebreds. She first rode and competed in Western disciplines. But after she was introduced to dressage through Murray State University's equestrian program, Chandra took up the discipline four years ago. Now she competes her Andalusian/Thoroughbred mare Kassie at Training level.
"I just love the grace of it. It's kind of fancy," Chandra once said of dressage. "It's not nitty-gritty like barrel racing or eventing, where you're jumping big jumps, but I think the grace and beauty of it are special. Someone told me once that it reminded them of ballet, and that stuck with me. It's so graceful, it's light. It's really a dance with your horse, and you can see that with anyone who comes into the arena. I just love the beauty of that.
"Competing--going in there and having a goal--gives me confidence," she added. "I think that's the main thing I love about competing: having those little goals. It's the drive to keep doing a little bit better each time."
Read more about Chandra Thurman and other equestrians in "We Are US Equestrians: In Our Own Words" in US Equestrian magazine. And learn more about US Equestrian's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan here.
Additional Information
About The Expert
Chandra Thurman is a dressage rider based in Murray, Ky.
