When Carly Epp first moved from her home in Ontario, Canada to attend Texas Christian University, all she wanted to do was fit in, she didn’t even care about showing. But with the help of trainers, Will and Elizabeth Knabenshue, she has learned the benefits of standing out.

Born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, 22-year-old Epp has had a fascination with horses for as long as she can remember. When she was just five, her parents, Max and Diane Epp, moved the family from the city to the countryside and that fascination quickly grew into love.

“I’m not sure what it was but I loved them, and I knew I wasn’t going to be like every other little girl who wanted a pretty Palomino pony, this wasn’t a phase for me,” Epp recalled. “No ma’am this was something in my DNA, I had that horse gene people talked about. I had to have a horse and I knew horses would be a part of my life forever. I can vividly remember begging my parents for a horse.”

At six Epp began taking lessons locally and that only intensified her need to have her own horse. While watching at a local horse show her mother asked her if she could see herself in the horse world and Epp immediately thought there was no other place she would belong more. Soon after the family purchased Epp her first horse, an old-style Quarter Horse named Busted N Blue.

“He was a super cool horse, big and burly. He was difficult, I remember having lots of frustrating lessons on him, but he taught me a lot and I owe a lot to him for making me the rider I am,” Epp said.

While watching other girls in her barn excel at shows Carly’s mother decided to sell her first horse to get her something a little fancier and more competitive.

The search led them to a ‘really cool’ gray gelding named PF Shy Guy, but Carly almost didn’t go see him because her previous horse was gray. Thankfully she did and the 2006 gelding by Huntin For Chocolate out of She Legs became what Carley describes as her ‘once in a lifetime horse.’”

“My horse is a total character but has a heart of gold. He loves to work, and he loves to be at horse shows. When we first bought him he didn’t have much personality but now he’s one in million,” Epp said. “The year I won the Congress with him in the Novice Youth Trail he actually came off the trailer lame. I almost didn’t go down to show. But we ended up going and he miraculously became sound for the class. I truly believe he knew he had a job and he was going to do that job regardless of how he felt. I’d do anything for this horse because I know he’d do anything for me.”

In 2012 after enrolling at TCU in Forth Worth, Epp enlisted the help of trainers Will and Elizabeth Knabenshue to help take her and “Gery” to the next level. Epp had been told her horse wasn’t going to be good enough for the Amateur events so she thought the Knabenshues were just being nice when they told her Gery could compete at the highest levels.

Together they soon became a force in all around events. In addition to their Congress Championship they have also recorded several Top fives and Top 10s at the American Quarter Horse Association and National Snaffle Bit Association World shows and last year they were crowned the AQHA Level 1-West Champions in Equitation.

She credits the Knabenshues with her success.

“They are amazing people and they bring out the best version of myself. They are so good to me, to my family and especially to my horse,” Epp said.

When she’s not at a horse show this self-proclaimed “nerd” is a busy college student at TCU, where she is a Biology major. In her spare time she also works in a neurology lab where she is helping a neuroscience professor with his research. They have even started brainstorming ideas about horse vocalizations. Epp will graduate in May and plans to attend medical or pharmacy school.

When she’s home on break Epp enjoys cross-country running at the lake near her house in Canada. She loves going snow shoeing with her mom and working in the greenhouses with her dad and spending time with her sister, Elisha, and her “partner in crime,” her brother Max.

“I like being busy I think I would be really bored if I didn’t have all of this on my plate,” Epp said.