Winning the Junior Olympics in 2014 at the age pf 12, Massapequa native, Hailey Ceglinski, has a strong passion for horses and competing.

Hailey attends Massapequa High School where riding horses is not a common practice. She attends Sweet Hills Riding Center in Central Islip four days a week. There, she prepares and practices for many of the events she competes in, ranging in abilities and skills; her life is dedicated to her love of horseback riding.

At only 15 years old, Hailey has competed and won first place in over 25 competitions. Her bedroom walls are filled with awards and ribbons from competitions and pictures of her own horse, Starlight.  

Since a young age, Hailey has had a strong passion for horseback riding which dates back to when she was first introduced to horses by her mother and aunt. Her aunt is the one who really instilled the love of horses in her and is one of her “main supporters,” Hailey said.  

Hailey has achieved so many of her accomplishments because of her large support system which includes her parents who are ¨always there for her in practices and events.”

With so much support it’s no wonder she has found such success, but it wasn’t always like that for Hailey. At one point, she was scared of riding horses and had stop after a terrifying experience of not being strong enough to stop a horse she was riding.  

But not long after, she was back in the groove.

¨I vowed to never let anything get in my way of moving forward again,¨ she said. Her determination is the reason she moves forward and continues to be a diligent rider.

Her dedication to the sport and the animals is one of the things that makes her the great rider she is. Hailey puts a lot of effort into her competitions. She treats all of them equally by practicing as much as she can beforehand. Her overachieving attitude and strong spirit are what drive her.

¨Nothing beats the feeling you get when you can’t seem to do something and you finally get it right,¨ she said.

Hailey’s efforts have clearly paid off for her. Her passion and heart for riding sustains her humble personality and drives her to continue to work for greater and better things.

¨I try harder and practice more in order to grow stronger as a rider, ¨ she said.

There is no doubt that Hailey has the spirit to continue working with horses in her life and shall do so. Unsure of what she wants to do,   she hopes “to continue to ride for as long as I can and hopefully make a name for myself in the equestrian world.¨