Lexington, KY – When asked to choose one word that best describes who she is, Teal Dowling pauses, laughs a little and gives a word that all who know her would heartily agree with. The word would have to be “original,” she told the panel of judges in her interview as a finalist for 2005 USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year. The delightful 18-year-old from Spring Prairie, Wisconsin does her best to live up to that word, charting her own course as she navigates life and the world of equestrian sport, as the newest recipient of the USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year award.

“I started my riding career after my Grandfather bought me my first horse when I was five years old,” Dowling wrote in her nominee essay. “My family had no previous connections to horses, so the purchase of a horse was a big investment at the time.”

Since then, Dowling has turned riding into a passion that crosses multiple disciplines and Championships with her preferred breed, Arabians and Half-Arabians.

“I didn’t start off wanting to be the best,” Dowling shared by phone. “I just wanted to ride horses. I love horses and that’s why I do it. It’s not even about the showing—I just love the thrill of the ride and the adrenaline rush. Riding makes me feel better. It makes me happy and it provides an “out.” It’s riding that rejuvenates me to do my other work.”

Now attending Carthage College as a pre-med major, Dowling wants to keep her “original” outlook on life at the forefront. “I didn’t want to be a regular doctor. I wanted to be different,” she said. Determined to set herself apart, Dowling has decided to pursue a career in reconstructive surgery. “It’s about helping people out and improving the quality of their life,” she said thoughtfully. “If someone has been burned, you’re able to graft skin and improve the quality of their life—to help them get back to normal.”

That’s just one in a series of future goals that also includes starting up her own breeding business for Arabians and perhaps competing in the Olympics. “It could be as a show jumper or as a reiner, when they make reining an Olympic sport. I can do both,” she said wistfully, “it will just depend on the horse.”

One of the equestrians she most looks up to, Olympic Gold-medalist and USEF President David O’Connor, gave Dowling a model to go by when he spoke at Arabian Youth Nationals this summer. “What he said about the pursuit of excellence, about being really good at what you do—it really hit home,” said Dowling. “I feel the same way. You can’t be disappointed if you’re prepared and you try your hardest.”

For now, Teal Dowling is soaking up the excitement of her newest accolade, 2005 USEF Junior Equestrian of the year. “I don’t know how to put it into words. To have someone recognize your talent, to realize that you might actually deserve this—it means a lot. Junior equestrian is the top. It’s the best you can get, and I’m honored.”

In celebration of her achievements, Teal Dowling will receive the Ruth O’Keefe Meredith Memorial Trophy January 13, during the Pegasus Awards Dinner of the 2006 USEF Annual Meeting, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The award was established in 1985 to honor a junior equestrian who exemplifies "exceptional talent, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport" and has made "outstanding contributions to equestrian competition." Previous winners include: Reese Richey (2001), Hillary Hoffman (2002), Betty Cox (2003) and Meagan Drew (2004). For more information or for tickets to the 2006 USEF Annual Meeting at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, please visit www.usef.org and click on the 2006 Annual Meeting icon near the top of the homepage.
~~~For more information, please contact Sarah Lane, Public Relations Manager at (859) 225-6974 or via email at [email protected]. USEF press releases are available on our web site – www.usef.org.