For sophomore Noah Kucza, riding horses has been a hobby since 2008.

He took after his older sister, Sarah, who graduated from LHS last year. Beyond the siblings, riding horses runs in Kucza’s family. His mom has been riding since she was a kid.

According to Sarah, they grew up around horses, and the sport ran in the family.

“Everyone liked riding ponies,” Noah Kucza said, “so [after] my sister started riding horses in 2006, I started taking lessons, too.”

It’s more than just riding horses for fun. Kucza is involved in competitions and shows as well.

“The show season is from April to October,” Kucza said. “You go into this big arena and you go around in circles and then you turn around and go around in circles the other way, and you make the horse look good and fancy, and if your horse is pretty and looks good, then you’ll win.”

From Oct. 11 to 18, he was in Oklahoma at the Grand National & World Champion Horse Show.

Although Kucza did not compete this year, he went and watched his sister show her horse. She also supports him when he competes.

“I love watching Noah, He is a natural,” Sarah Kucza said. “Noah is known for driving us crazy at home by not working hard or doing what we say but then we get to the show, and he pulls it all together to look awesome. Noah watched me ride and show for a long time and so when his time came he advanced very quickly. I am very proud of how much he has accomplished with our horse Phil. One day I hope that Noah will be training horses.”

The siblings bond over the sport and help each other during competition. Before each show, Noah and Sarah Kucza help each other get prepared to go into the ring.

“We work so hard before we ever get to the show that once you are there it is just time to have fun,” Sarah Kucza said. “Noah is better at remembering this than me. We both help each other get ready to show as well as if he is showing, I get the horse ready and vice versa.”

As well as getting support from his family, Kucza’s friends are also enthusiastic about his riding.

“Noah and I are close friends and we work out together at UGL (UnderGround Lab Contemporary Fitness),” said sophomore Julia Randolph. “My favorite thing about him doing the horse shows is the stories he has about the horse rider ratchets.”

Kucza’s proudest accomplishment was last years World Championship.

“Last year I got third in the World [Championship].” Kuzca said. “There were 12 in my championship, but horses qualify all year round.”

Equestrian is unique from many other sports that teens generally play, which is what Kucza likes.

“[Horseback riding is] a sport where I have to rely on a living, breathing animal instead of a ball or stick,” he said.