SEATTLE — When Jennifer Williams was growing up in Roy, her parents placed a streetlight near the family's front pasture, so she could safely ride horses into the night. She was five years old.
Now, at 43, she's still riding and chasing her Olympic dreams.
"I had parents that loved animals," Williams said. "So early on, I would say around two years old, my mom would take me and put me on her horse, and I think they realized very early on that I had quite the passion for not only animals but particularly horses. And yeah, I was very fortunate that she provided this lifestyle for me to get to be around animals and horses and ride and learn."
Williams has always had a love for horses. She got her first horse when she was seven and started competing in dressage at 12.
"I had a very talented Arabian mare that I was able to figure out how to make her move in ways that was almost like a balletic movement," Williams said. "I could see the process of how I could teach the horse to dance and being tall and my body type fit the dressage very well, and I started to get a lot of people noticing how I was able to influence the horse in such a positive way."
The Bethel High alum spent countless hours training at Summervale Premiere Dressage in Roy, a place she calls "Horse Heaven." Her coach in Washington is Christophe Theallet and her coach in Florida is Oded Shimoni.
Williams said it takes a special bond between rider and horse to succeed in dressage.
"Yes, you want horses to be your partner," Williams said. "They're with you every day. You want them to love what they're doing. You want them to enjoy the work that we're doing together, but at the end of the day, they have to love to compete and want to go through this with you and there's really nothing more special than being able to compete at a high level and have your horse enjoying that journey with you."
The journey would get exciting from 2019 to 2023 for Williams as she won and placed high in several national and international events representing the US.
"It's such an honor," Williams said. "I want to always do my very best for my country and anytime that you get to ride for a US team there's pressure but it's just so much joy to get to be at that level."
Last June, Williams and her horse Joppe passed their strongest tests ever, winning a Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special in British Columbia.
"We've been together a little over five years now and he's just the most joyful, friendly loving guy," Williams said. "He's incredibly smart and talented and you know everybody wants to be around him and he's he makes me very proud every day."
Joppe is owned by Joppe Partners, LLC, a partnership created five years ago with three owners in the group: Williams, Lisa Norling, and Thunderidge sport horses (Bob and Tina Desroche).
Williams now lives and trains in Florida with her husband, two kids, and Joppe. She tries to return to Roy, Washington to see family and help coach others.
A good dressage rider finds balance with themselves and the horse, they feel for rhythm and ride within it. Trust is also an important factor.
"It is not easy," Williams said. "I mean these horses are athletes, where they have to build muscle and conditioning and then it has to look effortless and it takes years for these horses to build a partnership, so that they have trust in a big crowd and at big venues and that you can execute all of those movements seamlessly."
Making the US Olympic team won't be easy, but these two are up for the challenge.
"Oh, it's always been a dream of mine to represent at that level," Williams said. "And my horse is incredibly young, so anytime that I can go and do a good job in my competitions and build his confidence and trust, that's so meaningful to me and if we could make the shortlist and make it to Europe and ultimately make a team someday that would be such a blessing."
During the first week of May, the top eight horse-rider combinations from the United States will be selected to compete in Europe. Then the competitors will have two observation events, and the final U.S. team will be picked before the Olympics.