Equestrian Tristi Allwood of 100 Mile House says she hopes to compete at the Para-Olympics one day and she figures her recent experience at Surrey 2012 BC Summer Games was a good start.
Allwood was a member of the Cariboo-North East Zone 8 team, competing in Para-dressage events where she collected three individual gold medals and a team bronze.
The 14-year-old has been riding horses since she was three and learned to ride before she could walk. A walking delay resulted from birth-related cerebral palsy, but riding a horse proved to be the right therapy.
"Riding a horse uses the same hip movement as walking and it helped me to learn how to walk."
She has difficulty with activities that require running, but on the back of a horse, she's free.
"It's like dancing when you have that kind of bond with your horse. I'm going with it and see how far it takes me."
South Cariboo rider, Andrea Dobbs, 17, also added to the success of the equestrian team, placing fourth in one able-bodied dressage event and fifth in two others.
"It was a mind-blowing experience. Our team worked so hard and we cheered each other on. Winning the bronze was pretty sweet and I cried when they announced it."
She was happy with how she and her horse, Presario, worked as a team and is hoping to compete next year in high-level competition.