Firelands graduate Grace Ransom not horsing around at University of Findlay

Grace Ransom followed her passion all the way to a national championship. Ransom, an equestrian rider at the University of Findlay, was recently recognized by the United States Eventing Association as the top rider in the Intercollegiate Training Division. Along with her horse Bright Prince, the Firelands High School graduate accumulated the most overall points for events in the 2023 season. "I usually don't check the rankings that often so I was surprised to find myself sitting at the top.," said Ransom, a senior equine business management major. "I'm extremely proud and grateful. I never in a million years thought I would accomplish this. I had lost a lot of confidence and somewhere along the road I picked it right back up." Ransom's love affair with horses started innocently enough while watching the move "Seabiscuit" with her parents. "I want to say it was when I was 2, my parents rented Seabiscuit and they were watching it late at night when they thought all of the kids were in bed," Ransom said. "But there was little Grace sitting on the stairs watching the movie behind them and after that I was obsessed with horses." As Ransom grew up, she graduated from pony rides at birthday parties to taking lessons horse riding at Equine Differences in Oberlin. From there she eventually started to ride competitively. "I trained with Michelle Jarus and she helped my competitive career takeoff," Ransom said. "I had done mostly hunters and jumpers before working with her and finding my true passion to be eventing." After struggling early in her collegiate career, Ransom leaned on her relationship with Findlay coach Sue King and made a connection with Bright Prince, the 16-year-old thoroughbred gelding she rode in her championship season. "I've had a crazy ride at school so winning this award means so much," Ransom said. "I started riding a different horse sophomore year and we didn't click so well, so that kind of set me back with my confidence and I wasn't really sure where I would go from there. Sue King built me back up and put me on Bright. She pushed me through and I owe a lot of this to her." In more traditional sports, countless hours spent on the practice field or weight room help athletes bond with one another. Ransom has forged that same connection with Bright Prince. "Having that partnership with Bright has truly been a blessing," Ransom said. "Bright was kind of a hard book to open up when I first got him but now he's my best friend. He's a great guy. Every time I walk into the barn and he sees me his ears are pricked. We have a connection. I like to think he likes me just as much as I love him." Ransom and Bright Prince usually ride for about an hour a day although she said she spends at least three hours a day at the barn with Bright Prince tending to his stall, grooming him or just bonding and mentally preparing for their next event. The three elements of eventing are dressage, where the horse and rider are judged based on the ability to perform specific movements and action in a precious manner; show jumping which tests the technical jumping skills of the horse and the rider; and cross country, which involves longer courses and multiple obstacles to test the fitness, skill and obedience of both horse and rider. "The relationship I build with Bright is something you have to put effort into every day," Ransom said. "These animals aren't necessarily meant to do this from the beginning of creation but yet here they are, some of the top athletes around. It took almost six months to build that trust with Bright. He's more of a reserved guy and we took awhile to build our relationship." After college, Ransom hopes to continue riding while working full time with horses and maybe even getting into coaching. "I'm interested to see what comes next," Ransom said. "I want to be one of the top riders in the U.S. at some point. I know it's going to be a couple of years before I see myself moving up through those rankings but I see that on the horizon somewhere. I hadn't thought much about coaching until about two years ago when i was asked by Sue what I wanted to do in the future. I've been given so much, eventually down the road I'd love to give back. I'd love to continue competing and working with horses and I'd love to teach as well." Ransom said her family has always been her biggest supporters over the years although she joked, "They might not have always known what they were cheering for." For Ransom, eventing, her time at Findlay and her relationship with Bright Prince haven't just been college experiences but transformational events in her young life. "My biggest asset is I have so much confidence now to get done what is asked of me," Ransom said. "I have the confidence to be a good horsewoman and to take care of the animal first before focusing on any competition. I've grown up to be something I've really wanted to be." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.