Originally published by Vet Advantage Magazine.
How Maddy Pielage balances her role as a Covetrus® account manager while competing in high-level equestrian sports.
Why did Maddy Pielage catch the “horse bug” early? Perhaps it was because her birthday falls on December 13, the National Day of the Horse. Or, maybe it was because she started riding at 12 years old at a local program associated with the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Although her parents didn’t come from a horse background, they were incredibly supportive. By 17 years old she had a horse of her own, MD China Toi, who she took with her to Colorado State University where she studied equine science.
“Maybe the stars aligned, and I was just born to be a horse girl,” said Pielage, an account manager for Covetrus in Colorado.
She was definitely born to compete. Pielage is a 2023 National Title holder in equestrian sports.
For many years, Pielage has competed in equestrian sports. She switched her focus to dressage about two years ago after friends in the horse community suggested her horse was a better fit for that style of riding. According to the United States Dressage Federation, the Olympic sport of dressage is derived from the French term meaning “training” and its purpose is to strengthen and supple the horse while maintaining a calm and attentive demeanor. Currently, competitive dressage involves progressively difficult levels incorporating multiple tests within each level. Each test is a series of movements that must be performed by the horse and rider. Each movement is scored by a judge on a scale of 0-10. Special tests are also written for musical freestyle, sport horse breeding and performances incorporating multiple horses and riders.
Read the full article here.