Stepping foot into the ring, a surge of emotions washes over junior Helen Milano as she prepares to show her miniature horse, Valcor Rose, in front of a panel of judges. While many people may be unfamiliar with this particular sport, Milano has found that it is much more than just walking a horse around a show ring; it is a sport she is thoroughly passionate about.

Milano said her true love for standard-sized horses came about at an early age, but it wasn’t until she participated in a summer horse camp at age nine when she first encountered the American Miniature horse.

“I was hooked,” she said.

Since then, Milano has continued to work with miniature horses and joined the American Miniature Horse Association several years ago to further her fascination with them.

“Miniature horses can do everything a big horse can do, except carry an adult on their back.  They do showmanship, halter, obstacle, jumping and pull carts,” Milano said.

She said it is difficult to maintain the heavy workload at school while staying on top of practicing with and grooming her horse. However, she makes both happen on most weekends.

“I have a terrific trainer in Myakka City and work regularly with one of the best trainers in the country up in Ocala.”

All of her hard work has certainly paid off as she competes at state and national levels regularly.

“For the last four years, I’ve been recognized as a National All-Star in driving, showmanship and halter. For the last two years, I’ve won Grand Champion, which is number one in driving and showmanship in Florida,” she said.

“It takes patience, persistence and plenty of practice to do well in the competitions.”

Perhaps her greatest achievements in showing miniature horses occurred this past year when she was awarded 11^th place in both the national and world show.

“The most rewarding part is after you finally get a ribbon and you know how hard you have worked for that. You finally have something to show for it. That is probably the best thing ever,” she said.

However, with so much high-level competition at each of her horse shows, Milano emphasized that it is her love of horses and the sport that keeps her driven, not necessarily her various awards and titles.

She said, “I have learned the value of personal best. Every time I go into the ring, I am prepared, and I’m ready to compete. If I don’t win, I shake it off and work to do better the next time.

“I’ve made friends all over the country. We compete, but we are [also] friends who share a love of horses.”

Milano has certainly been through the ups and downs while showing miniature horses. This past year she learned that Valcor Rose, the horse she has been working and competing with from the age of 12 had torn her right lateral meniscus, which is a tendon in her knee.

“Basically that ended her entire show career, so no more driving. We were also trying to breed her at the time, but in a few years she can have one or two foals,” Milano said of the incident.

Even though Milano’s miniature horse is out of commission in the show world, she still continues to have a strong bond with Valcor Rose.

“A lot of people call her mean because she only listens to me and Erin, my trainer. So it is a really strong connection we share. [To me], she is a real sweetheart,” she said.

While Milano can no longer compete with Valcor Rose, she continues to train and compete with other miniature horses. No matter what horse she competes with, she still finds a great passion for the sport.

Her career aspirations since childhood have been to be either a veterinarian or a marine biologist.

“Because I won’t necessarily bring a horse to college with me, I still want to make animals, including horses, a part of my life as a career option in the future,” she said.