Our Co-Nominees for Athlete of the Year

Before the pandemic, Amy Wu and Erin Colinge were both accomplished at their respective lHSA levels of Limit and Introductory Hunter Seat Equitation, and they had placed well at shows. During our post-lockdown return this year, though, with Pratt Equestrian sitting out the Fall shows our competitors were fully engaged in, Amy and Erin worked especially hard, achieving incredible personal growth that allowed them to fully inhabit and demonstrate their abilities.  In what turned out to be our one and only competition for our returning year, both Amy and Erin were spectacular:  Amy, who had always placed well on the flat but had never competed over fences before, rode a bold, beautiful and nearly flawless round to place third, and Erin, in her first (and as graduating senior, last) position as Team Point Rider, seemed graceful perfection itself as she rode to first place in her class.  Again, we believe that Amy’s and Erin’s experiences and performances this year exemplify the best of what’s possible not only to accomplish but to witness in athletics, and we therefore nominated them to share Pratt’s Athlete of the Year Award.  Their congratulations, and the congratulations of our entire team, to the winners of the Award, Payden Spencer and Katy O'Connor!