Eagleside First Grader Wins Inaugural Equestrian Award

A first grader at Eagleside Elementary is making big strides in the equestrian world by inspiring other black youth across the country. 

Davina Leftridge has been riding horses since she was three years old. That’s when she first joined the Fountain Riding and Roping Club in Fountain and started competing. 

Davina’s mom had her start her lessons on full-size horses so she could gain confidence and become comfortable as she got older. This year, she just barely is tall enough to comfortably reach the stirrups in her saddle. 

At age six, Davina was nominated for the Inaugural Black Boots Awards hosted by Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. The awards were created to celebrate black equestrians, what they bring to the table, and how much they have done in the equine industry. 

Her mother chose to fundraise and take her to the awards ceremony in Connecticut at the beginning of January. She knew Davina was up against extremely tough competition, but still wanted her daughter to experience everything that came with her prestigious nomination. 

Davina ended up not winning in her category. Her family found out she was actually not old enough to be a recipient for any category, even the youth categories. 

However, the President and Founder of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. were so impressed by Davina’s presence at the award ceremony that they felt her age should not have kept her from qualifying for an award. So they decided to create a new category called the “Equestrian Youth of the Future” and named Davina the inaugural recipient. 

Davina was also asked to return each year to help judge the category and honor other young deserving black equestrians.

In addition, Davina also received a full-page spread in the brand new online Black Boots Awards Magazine. The opportunities did not stop there. She was also asked to contribute to the magazine as an editor. Her role is to find other black youth equestrians across the country who are making a difference that could be featured in the magazine. 

Davina is proving that no matter the age, hard work pays off. 

You can see the magazine page spread here.