Who's Who
Trae and Suzanne LaPorte of Gatewood Farm, Florida and Georgia

The Opportunity of a Lifetime - Suzanne LaPorte Earns a Scholarship to Train in Europe

From then on, Suzanne’s dressage career was launched and she devoted all her energy in its pursuit. Because riding took so much of her time, she began home schooling. She did her school work over the internet and spent a few hours in the school building three days a week. After graduating, she took some college course over the internet through Brigham Young University. “I studied journalism because I wanted to write. That’s the only thing I’m good at besides riding.”

Suzanne used the time she wasn’t in school to ride. “I rode anything I could get on to have more experience. Then I moved to Florida and was riding eight to nine horses a day.” By the age of 15, Suzanne was training with Bent Jensen. By 16, she was in the junior championships and then was off to Europe to train with Lisa Wilcox and Ernst Hoyos on a scholarship. That was in 2005 and Suzanne spent five months in Europe. “After that, I went to Devon, Penn. for the junior championships. I won the individual gold all three days and a team silver with Wittus. I had also shown in Europe, at the M Level, which is equivalent to Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges.”

The European trip was very educational. Not only did Suzanne gain new riding skills and knowledge of classical riding, but she also learned much about how to network and socialize within the equestrian community. “The experience really raised my overall level of education in how I was riding and working with horses.”