Rory Burns

My name is Rory and I’m 16 years old. I’ve loved horses since I was a little kid, and I first started riding when I was around 8 years old. I joined Westernaires in 2016 at age 9, and I am currently on Precisionettes. I started to intern in the summer of 2020, and I am very grateful for this experience Carly has given me. My favorite part of interning is getting to work with a lot of different horses and helping the lesson kids. In the future I hope I’m able to get my own horse and continue working with horses after I graduate from high school and Westernaires.

Taylor Nickel

My name is Taylor and I am 12 years old. I fell in love with horses when I was 7 years old and have loved them ever since. I have been riding horses since I was 8. When I’m not helping out at the ranch, you can find me hanging out with my friends, camping with my family, or playing with my 6 year old Boxer and I love the experience being an intern brings. I love getting to help out at the ranch while doing something I love. I’m very grateful to have this opportunity, and I can’t wait to continue working with horses, sharing my love of horseback riding with others, and hope to even get my own horse someday. 

Haiden Benzenberg

My name is Haiden Benzenberg and I am 13, and started riding at the age of 7, but have loved horses for as long as I can remember . I joined Westernaires in 2019 at 10 yrs old; I'm currently on Glory Riders along with blue vaulting, blue Liberty 2 and Junior Instructor - which I use my amazing lease horse - Paco in Westernaires. I started interning at Balance in Training the winter of 2023 and have enjoyed the experience so much! Carly is very easy to work with and always puts a smile on your face, she has taught me so much about horsemanship, equitation, and caring for your horse in general. In the future, I hope to continue riding and working with horses even after I'm past Westernaires. 

Ellie Bruce

My name is Ellie Bruce and I’m 13 years old. I started interning in the winter of 2023. I’ve loved horses since I was around 3 years old and I’ve been riding since I was 6 years old. When I was 8, I got my first horse from Carly. My horse, Amigo, and Carly have taught me so much about horses from riding to grooming to just horses in general. My favorite part of interning is working with all of the other different horses. When I’m not interning, you can find me buried in a book or helping out around the house and my grandparents’ ranch. In the future, I hope to become a professional horse trainer and barrel racer. 

Gretchen Markel

My name is Gretchen, and I am 13. I started riding and joined Westernaires in 2020. Later that year, I began to ride at BIT. I have been riding horses for 3 years, but I have loved horses as long as I can remember. In Westernaires, the teams I am currently on are Lancers, White Liberty 4, White Vaulting, White Ropes, and Blue Chariots. I am also a Wrangler and a Junior Instructor. I started interning in June 2023 but I always wanted to be an intern for as long as I have been riding at BIT. Being an intern has already taught me so many life lessons about not only taking care of horses, but also hard work and perseverance. I learned how to speak for myself and get out of my comfort zone. It has taught me so much more about horses than I could have ever imagined it would. In the future, I hope to train and sell horses like Carly does. I think that the experience of being an intern will give me valuable knowledge about horses and horse training that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.