Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ashley Hayes Reporting Horses and riding enthusiasts from throughout the country are arriving in Heber this weekend.
An Olympic rider will be there for an exhibition and training session, and you're all invited.
The closest most will come to witnessing an Olympic level ride is through a television screen.
But at Sage Creek Equestrian Center in Heber, clopping hooves, a love of horses and freestyle rides set to classical music are drawing one of the biggest names in the horse world to Utah.
Margo Gogan, Trainer-Owner hosting exhibition: "When you watcher her ride it's harmony. It's poetry in motion."
International rider and Olympic competitor Debbie McDonald will spend the weekend sharing her expertise with eight riders and anyone who wants to learn.
Amanda Sletta is one of those lucky equestrians. Practicing every morning before school, Sletta dreams of one day being just like McDonald.
Amanda Sletta, "Young Rider" training for Youth Olympics: "It's like seeing your biggest role model and then being told you're invited to ride in front of them and coach you and talk to you, and know who you are. It's really exciting."
Hosting an event of this magnitude involves more than training horses and riders. Much of it is about presentation. The jumps in the ring are of the finest quality. They've been shipped in from the Rolex Cup. And the finishing touches don't end there. They extend inside to an immaculately kept barn."
The gleaming horses perform passages, piofs, appearing effortless as if dancing in a ballet across the ring.
Sletta: "It's hard to move a two thousand pound animal sideways. It's a tough sport."
With the help of McDonald this weekend, Sletta hopes to one day master this tough sport and become the Utahn Americans pull for while watching the Olympic games on TV.
If you want to see the event in person, it runs today and tomorrow.