Gumprecht gallops her way into winners circle - Athlete of the Week

Sophomore Maxi Gumprecht resembles our other Athletes of the Week in many ways. She trains hard, works on her form and listens to gangster rap before a tournament. She's competitive, driven and doesn't lose too often. What makes Gumprecht different? She does all of this on a horse.

Gumprecht is a horseback rider. Yes, this means "ride" horses, but not the sense of galloping and leaping over fences. Her competitions aren't about just riding the horse, but rather the art of riding a horse. Equitation is a form of equestrianism where the appearance of the rider and horse are judged.

"I put the horses to their advantage," Gumprecht said. To her, a show is about "focusing on how the horse looks."

Gumprecht has to focus on how she looks, too. Instead of throwing on shoulder pads or cleats, this Athlete of the Week prefers heavy makeup and elaborate outfits.

"Everything is about appearances in a horse show," Gumprecht said. This means that if she doesn't look good, her scores don't either. The "horror makeup," as Gumprecht called it jokingly, is actually necessary. "The ring is like a stage in a theater - you're under bright lights, and you need the makeup to show your features."

Gumprecht wasn't always into makeup and dress-up, though. Unlike many horseback riders, her passion for horses is unique in her family.

Since she didn't have anyone in her family to guide her through the complex world of horses, her first years were tough. "I was the Miss Congeniality of competitions," she said. "I would be like, 'I don't need makeup or glitter.'"

Gumprecht also kept her horses pretty low-key, riding her pony Desi in local 4H competitions where glamour wasn't emphasized. As she got older, Gumprecht started learning more about different breeds - in particular, Arabian horses and Morgan horses. These two breeds are so popular that they each have their own national competitions.

Earlier this month, Gumprecht headed to Oregon to the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show, where she won the Youth of the Year Award.

As she started riding high-end horses, Gumprecht began putting a little more glitz on herself. "I started wearing makeup and really liking it," she admitted.

Years since, Gumprecht is a proud owner of an impressive cosmetics collection as well as a red leather snakeskin outfit.

Shining next to her snakeskin is Gumprecht's impressive collection of tournament trophies. This month's win is one of many for Gumprecht, who has also taken first in the 2007 Fitting and Showmanship 14-17 Division and first in the 2008 Reserve National Huntseat Equitation 16-17 division. She's been a finalist in the Western Seat Gold Medal competition twice. In 2007 she was named the "Equitation Rider of the Year" by Saddle Horse Report's People's Choice.Gumprecht insisted that she loves the sport for "the ride, not the ribbons."

"With the subjectivity of judging and politics that take place, there are some blue ribbons in my room that may really belong to another rider, but it balances out the times I've been left last in the lineup after the ride of a lifetime," she said.

When she's not picking up trophies, Gumprecht still enjoys riding horses for enjoyment. "You have to love riding for what it is, not just for awards." One of Gumprecht's favorite horse riding activities is hunting foxes. This means following a hunting dog with her horse until they find the hunted fox (which she doesn't shoot).

Though she might enjoy horror makeup and fox hunting, Gumprecht insisted that she's just like any other college student. In fact, during the school year she's forced to take a big break from training. Gumprecht says the schedule is nice after a summer of daily training, but by Thanksgiving she is ready to ride again.

To Gumprecht, riding means more than just getting on a horse. "You can sit on a horse and call it riding," she said. "But the real art is getting in touch with the horse's mind."

Since showing horses is a sport of detail and poise, Gumprecht explained that she has to know her horse's personality, tendencies and anticipate its movements during a performance.

"You have to think about how the horse is going to react," she said. "And you have to know your own body too. If I sit back an inch father in the saddle, the horse's front legs will come up an inch higher and it won't look as good."

Gumprecht is excited about the beginnings of the Hopkins Equestrian Club team, which had their first gathering last week. "I would love to be a student coach," she said. "I would like to pass along the fun and knowledge."

Plus, Gumprecht says she's "always wanted to be part of a team and wear Hopkins gear." After a long time of waiting, it looks like Gumprecht is finally getting her chance to do both.