(Editor’s Note: The following Q&A took place between the Walking Horse Report’s editorial director Sadie Fowler and youth rider Brooklyn Fuss.)
WHR: Tell me about yourself; where you’re from and what you enjoy doing.
Fuss: My name is Brooklyn Fuss. I am a Sophomore from Wartrace, Tennessee. I live in the middle of nowhere so I love to go on trail rides when I am not in the show ring. My hobbies are music, running, swimming and riding horses.
WHR: How did your journey into the horse world begin?
Fuss: Lamar and Crystal Mitchell brought me into the horse show world through 4-H. The biggest thing I have learned about riding is patience.
WHR: What do you like most about walking horses?
Fuss: I have ridden many breeds of horses and Tennessee Walking Horse is my favorite because of its calm disposition and smooth gait.
WHR: What is your most special horse that you have ridden or shown?
Fuss: Pushing Over A Dollar, the first performance horse I ever rode and showed.
WHR: Besides actually showing, what else do you enjoy about the horse world?
Fuss: I enjoy the competitions and challenges that come with showing horses. I have lots of friends that I have made and hope to make many more.
WHR: Who is your instructor and what have you learned from him or her?
Fuss: Allison Thorson is my amazing instructor! I don’t know where I would be without her. She is my best friend! From a student’s perspective, she has taught me so much in the amount of time I have been with her. She encourages me every day to be the best I can be and I can’t thank her enough for the dedication and time she spends with me.
WHR: What’s your world like outside of horses?
Fuss: There is no world without horses for me! That’s what I do every day and after I graduate I want to be a horse trainer.
WHR: What’s something you would like to learn?
Fuss: Barrel Racing
WHR: Who is someone you admire and why?
Fuss: Keegan Meadows, because he has helped me so much by getting me to where I am today!
WHR: If you could eat dinner with someone famous who would it be and what would you eat?
Fuss: Zac Brown — fried chicken (lol)
WHR: Who has been your favorite American president and why?
Fuss: George Washington, because I actually got to visit his beautiful home at Mt. Vernon.
WHR: What piece of advice would you give to someone new to the industry?
Fuss: Have patience and believe in yourself!
WHR: What are your goals for the next year?
Fuss: My goal every year is to improve and be the best I can be!