Horse showing champion, junior Laura Akerlund, hopes to turn school, passion for horses into a career

Aside from being a Vanguard, coaching gymnastics at the La Crosse YMCA, and working in the English Department, UW-La Crosse junior Laura Akerlund is involved in something that is probably unique to most students at UW-L. Akerlund shows horses, and she recently won the Fall World Show held in Fort Worth, TX. Having grown up on a horse farm in Grafton, WI, Akerlund has been showing horses her entire life. The sport has become more than a hobby, as she has won two world titles and two reserved world titles, or second place titles, throughout her career. Akerlund took home her most recent title this past November in Texas. The competition lasted for two weeks, with riders and horses showing their skills at three gaits: the walk, the trot, and the canter. Five judges critiqued the horses’ appearances, smoothness of their gaits, transitions between gaits and free-flowing stride. Riders were judged on their form, balance and riding abilities. Winners were chosen based on the best horse and rider combination. Akerlund and her horse McLovin won the most prestigious title in the American Paint Horse Association by taking the Fall World Show title. Winning is always emotional for Akerlund, even after having won several titles. “It’s still a big deal,” she said, “The title means so much.” Winning the World Show was no easy task; it took a great deal of time and hard work. McLovin stays with Akerlund’s trainers who live in Ohio, so in order to practice she needed to travel. Akerlund lived in Ohio over the summer and trained with McLovin almost every day. Practice for her was an all-day task with small breaks in between to build McLovin’s endurance. Once school started and the World Show grew nearer, practicing became more difficult. Akerlund had to drive four hours to her hometown and then fly to Ohio, which sometimes caused her to miss school. “It’s a lot of pressure when you can’t ride your horse every day,” Akerlund said, “It’s hard for college students.” Akerlund’s love for animals is what drove her to horse-showing, and the friend’s she’s made along the way made her enjoy the sport even more. “I like the competitive yet friendly atmosphere and being with people who love horses,” she continued, “I’ve just always been a part of it.” Now that this year’s horse-showing season is finished, Akerlund is taking a break to focus on school and her career. She describes school and horse showing as two different worlds, but hopes to combine them in the future through her career. With a Communication Studies major and a Recreational Management minor, she isn’t sure what she wants to do. What she does know is that she wants it to be related to her passion for horses.

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