Sundre's own 16-year-old Julia Helland is one of three dressage riders in the country to receive a $2,500 bursary from Dressage Canada.
ìIt can be used for anything in my equine career. So I can use it for lessons or clinics or buying new saddles or anything like that,î said Helland.
She found out she was a 2013 recipient of the bursary in December and said she was shocked. It is an expensive sport, so the bursary really helps, she said.
ìIt's really exciting. I was quite surprised actually because it's all of Canada that it incorporates. So I was really thrilled and excited about it,î she said.
She believes she was chosen because of her dedication to the sport.
She is currently in Grade 11, attending Sundre High School and has a full course load, while she trains with her horse five times a week. Her instructor lives in Rimbey, which is a two-hour drive.
ìIt is quite a big time commitment. Hopefully the people that chose me recognized that,î she said.
She grew up with horses and is really passionate about them.
ìI grew up on a farm so my parents always had horses around,î she said.
ìI wanted to jump, so I joined pony club and then from there I decided that I just wanted to focus on dressage, because I wasn't brave enough to jump.î
She has been involved with dressage since she was eight, but has been competing provincewide and focusing only on dressage for the past four years.
ìThe easiest way to describe dressage to people who don't know a lot is it's like ballet on horses,î she explained.
ìSo there's different movements and you have to be really disciplined. It sounds kind of cheesy but there is a connection between the horse and rider that has to be developed in the ring.î
She is a perfectionist and enjoys dressage because of the precision it requires.
ìI love horses. So just doing dressage with my horse is awesome. And I love seeing my horse improve as well as myself improve through the training,î she said.
The horse she trains with is a 14-year-old Dutch warmblood mare named Salishan.
ìShe's grey so she is really hard to keep clean, which is kind of unfortunate,î she said.
She purchased Salishan in September of 2012 and says she is ìgreatî. She also has four other horses but only performs dressage with Salishan.
Other accomplishments in her equine career include receiving a $1,000 bursary for the Irene Hill Memorial a couple of years ago. She was also a second level champion two seasons ago. But this is her biggest accomplishment so far, she said.
She has hopes to compete in the North American Junior and Young Riders Championships in Kentucky in the next couple of years.
She also hopes to compete in international competitions including the Pan Am and the World Equestrian Games.
ìThose are kind of far off from where I am right now, but a girl can dream,î she said.
She also has other pets including a goat and dogs and cats.
ìI just love animals.î
She also has a passion for dance and has been dancing since she was four, which is also a big time commitment.
ìI'm really passionate about dance actually. It has also been ñ along with dressage ñ it has been a big component in my life.î
She competes in tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary and jazz.
The other 2013 recipients of the bursary are Kristen DeYoung from Ottawa, Ont. and Brooke Koppeser from Winterbourne, Ont.
Recipients are chosen based on equestrian experience, commitment and dedication to the sport, goals related to the industry and demonstrated financial need, according to a Dressage Canada press release.
