Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

When Kimberly Etris sold a trailer to Melissa Mitchell of Southern Gaited Stables neither knew where the relationship would take them.

Wanting her daughter, Peyton, to be around horses and learn the responsibilities associated with their care, Kimberley signed her up for classes with Melissa. Earlier this month Peyton, at nine years old, won the Alabama State Championship in gaited horse riding.

“I always knew that I wanted [Peyton] to get into horses. I didn’t know how it was gonna happen before we met [Mitchell], and it was just fate,” said Kimberly

“Gaited horses were developed in the mid-1800s. They were used for the rich people because they were so smooth… You’re not supposed to move in the saddle. So in competition, she shows in three different gaits. They judge her on her performance with her horse. They also judge her on how she controls her horse and how it makes him change his gait,” said Mitchell.

Peyton, according to Mitchell, has an innate talent with the animals. Gaited riding relies on the relationship between the horse and the rider.

When asked what her favorite part of riding was, the answer was simply, “the horses.”

Mitchell explained learning to ride gaited horses takes a lot of time. She starts her students with an introductory horse to teach the beginner skills.

As the rider gets comfortable with those skills they move to another horse, and so on. As Mitchell was explaining, Peyton excitedly recounted the names of all the horses she rode on throughout her career.

Kimberly and Mitchell joked that Peyton hates doing chores around the house but will haul a bag and feed happily.

Peyton is the youngest competitive rider at Southern Gaited Stable.

Mitchell said it is like a family. The girls come to her house the night before the competition to take care of the horses and she’ll make dinner for everyone. However, both Mitchell and Kimberly agree that come game day they all want to win.

Peyton now helps with the stables’ camps and shows people how to saddle horses.

The nine-year-old is currently preparing for the next competition after winning state. The trio will be going to Tennessee for the national competition.

“She can do anything she wants to do with a horse. She just has to set her mind to it, and she’s got it,” Mitchell said.