SPORTSTAR OF THE WEEK: Equestrian Gabrielle Burshteyn

SportStar Of The Week – Equestrian Gabrielle Burshteyn Sr. Bentley-Lafayette

Equestrian Gabrielle Burshteyn has certainly “earned her spurs” in horsemanship.

She grew up riding horses for Nancy Dupont at Castle Rock Arabians.

There, she bought her first horse, Karee from Nancy and learned her advance skills from the most outstanding instructors in Northern California.

She trained with Leigha Perry (another of Nancy’s “kids” who became a trainer).

Over the past year,Burshteynn garnered U.S. and Canadian championships in English and Western pleasure* on her two favorite horses, Karee and Phinieas.

On Karee, she finished among the Top 5 in Western pleasure and sidesaddle at the Pacific Slope Championships.

On Phinieas, she was a finalist in Hunter pleasure at the Canadian Nationals.

Gabrielle returned from these national wins and took on an instructor role teaching  kids how to ride at Castle Rock Arabians. She will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall.

* About English vs Western riding:

What is the difference between English and Western riding?

There are both differences and similarities between english and western riding. The most obvious difference is the tack the horse wears.

As explained in Jayne Pedigo Wilson’s Equisearch Saddle Facts article, the western saddle is larger and heavier than the english saddle. It’s designed to spread the weight of the rider over a larger area of the horses back, making it more comfortable for long days out chasing cows.

The english saddle is smaller and lighter and designed to give the rider a closer contact with the horse’s back.

With both the english and the western saddle, different designs are available to accommodate certain styles, sports and disciplines.

For more info, visit Equisearch.