Who ever knew Fraser High School’s own sophomore Ashley Stefanides rides horses during the summer, participates in competitions, and plans on being a professional rider? One might not expect that she owns her own horse and has high aspirations to race competitively in the near future based on her quiet, goofy demeanor. However, she has a horse, and its name is Cameo. “I’ve been planning to get a horse all my life.” Stefanides said. Stefanides had her first horse when she was three. Since it wouldn’t cooperate with the bit, a type of horse tack used in racing, Stefanides’ family had to get rid of the horse. Cameo was given to Ashley by her aunt last summer when she went to a three-week long horse camp. “Being around horses and horse-lovers constantly was a lot of fun,” Stefanides said. Last summer, in one-hundred and five degree weather, Stefanides raced in her first competition and still managed to earn a first place ribbon in trotting and cantering. “I definitely had the butterflies while waiting for my turn in the competition,” Stefanides said. Cameo stays with Stefanides’ aunt in Columbia, Maryland. Every summer Stefanides flies to her aunt’s place and spends a month or two with Cameo. Her aunt pays for Cameo’s lease at a local barn and her horse back riding camp. “It’s a great honor that my aunt would pay for those things with me,” Stefanides said. After a long summer of constant companionship with her horse, Stefanides has to head back to Michigan for the fall school year. “Yeah, it sucks. I love being down in Maryland with Cameo,” Stefanides said. Ashley plans to further her training in horse-back riding next summer and eventually become a professional horse back rider and participate in championships. Her love of horse-back riding goes beyond the medals and attention: she has a genuine love for horses. “Horses are amazing creatures. They can take you places. You have to earn a horse’s trust before you can connect with your horse and actually understand its feelings,” Stefanides said. Ashley Stefanides and Cameo, future professional horse-back riding duo, trot together confidently in the direction of the open Maryland horizon.