Freshman Liya Zakharnev is an athlete in a fairly uncommon sport: horse riding.

“My whole life I [have] liked animals, and I’ve always dreamed of riding a horse,” Zakharnev said. “[Now, I have] been riding for four and a half years.”

Zakharnev’s love for animals, especially horses, has made her want to become an equestrian.

“I enjoy this sport a lot because I love speed and the rush you get.  It feels like you’re flying,” Zakharnev said.

Zakharnev likes riding horses because of the adrenaline rush she gets while riding the horse.

“[Riding is] hard because sometimes it can be very painful and you need a lot of discipline,” Zakharnev said. “Horses have their own minds and you have to work with something that doesn’t even speak your language.”

To ride horses, she needs an immense amount of discipline and the ability to communicate and cooperate with them.

“Winning and competing is fun, [and] horses make me happy,” Zakharnev said. “[Being an equestrian] makes my life more eventful and I always have something going on.”