HAILEY ROYCE: Chasing Her Dream, With a Growing Following
Sharing the Joy
Over thirty thousand people follow young showjumper Hailey Royce on Facebook. Young and old, from all over the globe, they love to be a part of the sheer joy of a horse-crazy girl in pursuit of her dream. Hailey’s personality shines through as she chronicles her equestrian adventures, sharing fun and silly moments as well as more focused updates on training and showing. Her social media following, in addition to her riding accomplishments, has led to partnerships and sponsorships typically reserved for professional athletes, such as with the innovative new equestrian apparel line, Equo.
A Young Talent
Equine Exchange is excited to name Hailey as our youngest Ambassador. She started riding at the age of four, and, at age eight, fell in love with the excitement and competition of jumping. Last year, at just eleven years old, she began competing in the Children’s Jumper division with her horse Rapidash. Together they won many division championships, as well as year-end awards from the Illinois Hunter Jumper Association (IHJA), including High Children’s Jumper Champion and Overall Child/Adult Champion. Other highlights include silver medals in Zone Championships, winning a competitive $7,500 Children’s Classic in Ocala and earning Reserve Champion in the USHJA Horse of the Year Awards (Children’s Jumpers, Zone 5).
Watch Hailey’s Winning Round in the $7,500 Children’s Classic in Ocala
Ready for More
Hailey recently purchased a new horse, Quite Quintessential (aka “Quint”), to pursue her goal of moving up to the Junior Jumper division. Although winter in Chicago can be brutal, she makes it to the barn nearly every day to ride Quint, and takes every opportunity to ride other horses as well. While she loves the excitement of jumping and is now schooling 1.20–1.30m fences, her training regimen emphasizes a solid foundation of basics: flat-work, riding without stirrups and gymnastics. She’s had setbacks, including a fall right before Harrisburg last year that injured her hand and required surgery, but steadfastly maintains focus and positivity. She will be showing Quint for the first time in Ocala over the next two weeks in Low Juniors and, if all goes well, showing the last two weeks of the Winter Equestrian Festival as well. “March Madness” has a different meaning for Hailey as she focusses on achieving her showjumping goals.
Becoming an Equine Exchange Ambassador
Of course, Hailey’s parents are crucial partners in her success. They value Equine Exchange as a simple, one-click solution to make evaluating and buying a horse predictable, professional and transparent. Like so many horse show moms and dads, Hailey and her parents were frustrated by past horse buying experiences. “Each time we bought a horse,” Hailey says, “We weren’t sure if all the information was shared with us and if we were getting the best deal. I didn’t like that each horse we looked at, the person selling said it was the perfect horse when it clearly was not. Then we had to ask a lot of questions because they didn’t tell you anything without asking.”
This frustration led Hailey’s dad to discover Equine Exchange: “After reviewing the Equine Exchange method, I wish it had been available for our previous purchases. I now plan to use Equine Exchange for all our purchases moving forward as it provides good value and peace of mind, especially considering we are not in the equestrian business.” With Equine Exchange, even novice buyers can rest assured that all pertinent information will be requested and the transaction will be handled “above-board” by everyone involved, with legally binding agreements, so the horse’s price represents the agreed value for the horse– and not hidden “commissions” or kickbacks.
Finding that perfect match, the right horse, is a beautiful thing. Buying a horse with complete information, documentation and professionalism should be easy. With Equine Exchange, it is.
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