Meet Rita Pinkard, an adult amateur rider from the Washington, DC metropolitan area, and her seven-year-old Friesian Sport Horse gelding, Zorro.
Rita has been riding for nearly 20 years, fitting her time at the barn around a full-time career and making the most of every weekend. She and Zorro have been partners since July 2025, and together they are working their way up the levels of dressage with Rita’s USDF bronze medal in their sights.
Their first year together has included plenty of challenges, memorable milestones, and moments Rita has learned to place in what she calls her “Confidence Piggy Bank.”
A Dream That Started on the National Mall
Rita’s love for horses began when she was approximately six years old during a family visit to the National Mall.
While walking from the Washington Monument to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Rita stopped to admire a mounted police officer’s horse. The officer asked if she wanted to hop on for a short ride, and her face answered before she could.
“The seed was planted right there,” Rita shared.
Rita did not grow up participating in Pony Club or taking frequent riding lessons. Even as a child, she understood how much her parents were already investing in private school and the other sports her family pursued. Instead, the full dream waited until she could fund it herself.
Nearly 20 years into her riding journey, Rita says she is still grinning like the six-year-old who first sat on that police horse.
Meet Zorro
Zorro is a seven-year-old Friesian Sport Horse gelding with plenty of personality.
Rita describes him as a snuggle bug and a “principled negotiator.” He may argue the terms of a request, but once the two reach an agreement, he honors it.
That personality has helped Rita understand one of the most important lessons in their partnership:
clarity is kindness.
“When my aids are vague, he gets anxious,” Rita explained. “When I’m clear, he tries his heart out for me.”
Bringing along a young horse as an adult amateur has been a humbling experience. Their first year together included mounting-block standoffs and an invisible monster in nearly every corner of their home arena. It also included their first schooling-show season, a first-place finish in May and a personal-best score of 69.6%.
The season ended with Rita and Zorro qualifying for the VADA/Nova Region 1 End-of-Year Championship Schooling Show on November 8.
Building a Confidence Piggy Bank
One of Rita’s most memorable moments with Zorro came during a rainy schooling show in August.
The pair arrived to wet conditions and less-than-ideal footing, and Zorro made it clear during warm-up that he did not approve of the weather. When it was time to ride their test, however, he went to work and earned a score of 68.125%.
“That’s the day I knew we’d turned a corner,” Rita said.
The journey has also required Rita to develop another level of confidence. Young horses can test their riders, and Zorro’s specialty is the occasional bronco buck in the warm-up ring. For a while, Rita found that one difficult moment could erase an otherwise good ride in her mind.
Now, she makes a conscious effort to recognize and remember every positive moment.
“Every clean transition and every calm walk past a scary corner goes into the Confidence Piggy Bank,” she explained. “On the hard days, I make a withdrawal.”
Why Dressage?
Rita loves dressage because there is always something else to improve, whether it is a more supple shoulder-in, a quieter seat, or clearer communication between horse and rider.
The sport rewards riders who continue showing up, and showing up for Zorro is the part Rita does best.
Her immediate goal is to ride into the VADA/Nova Region 1 Championship Schooling Show as she and Zorro belong there. Next season, the pair plans to move toward First Level while developing a left-lead canter that is as balanced and supple as their right.
In the long term, Rita hopes to earn her USDF bronze medal.
Strength Beyond the Saddle
Rita is also passionate about helping adult amateurs become stronger and more mobile outside the saddle.
Mobility and strength training have changed her own riding. When her hips, knees, and ankles move freely, and her core remains strong, her aids become clearer, and Zorro no longer has to guess what she means.
“Plenty of what I used to blame on other horses started in my own stiff hips or tight hamstrings,” Rita shared.
That experience inspired Rita to begin developing Fit to Sit, a rider-fitness series for adult amateurs who want to improve their strength and range of motion, with or without access to a gym. The workouts are designed to fit within approximately six feet of floor space because, as Rita says, even ten minutes in the barn aisle counts.
For Rita, this work is not only about improving her riding today. It is also about building a body capable of continuing to ride for decades.
Finding Novella Equestrian
Rita first discovered Novella Equestrian while serving as an ambassador for Golden Fox Equestrian. Of all the brands she encountered through that experience, Novella was the one she continued reaching for, and she has been wearing the brand ever since.
Her favorite Novella pieces are the Copperbelt Shirt and the Smooth Fit Breeches.
Rita generally gravitates toward traditional breeches rather than riding tights or leggings, but the Smooth Fit Breeches won her over. She loves that both pieces can withstand real barn life while still helping her feel stylish.
That combination is especially important when coordinating with a dark brown-black Friesian Sport Horse like Zorro.
Making Every Moment Count
Above all, Rita wants other equestrians balancing riding with careers, families, and other responsibilities to remember that they are not behind.
Short rides still count. Short workouts count, too. What matters is continuing to show up and recognizing the progress made along the way.
We’re proud to recognize Rita and Zorro as our October Rider of the Month. We wish them the best of luck at their championship show on November 8 and cannot wait to see what they accomplish next!
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