For California Amateur competitor Parris Rice, showing horses is all about building a relationship and partnership with her horses. And when the hard work she puts into perfecting a leg yield for an Equitation pattern or smooth transitions for the rail work in Horsemanship yields a win on the weekend, she knows it is because she put in the time.

“I love to compete and showing is competing. I want to do everything I can behind the scenes to feel like my horse and I can walk into the arena and have a shot at winning,” she said. “Not every day is our day, but sometimes it is, and I love that feeling of when it all comes together. That’s when I know I’ve done my part to give my horse the best opportunity to do his job.”

Parris grew up in the industry. Her mother, Carolyn Rice, is a World Champion rider, professional trainer and coach. Her father, Barry Rice, was a blacksmith.

“Showing is also something that I get to do with my mom, and that’s something that is extremely special to me to be able to share that with her,” she said.

Parris learned early in life, the value of building a strong relationship with the horse you count on inside the show arena.

Her very first show horse was Javah Mon, sired by Triples Crown Jewel and out of Hollies Big Leaguer. Parris’ mother bought Javah Mon when he was a yearling so Parris got to grow up with the 1998 bay gelding.

“I started showing in the Lead Line classes with him and went through the ranks,” she said.

First there were Walk-Jog classes and before she knew it Parris and Javah Mon were earning American Quarter Horse Association World Championship titles and Congress wins.

Before he was retired to a life of carrots and trail rides with the Rice family, Parris and Javah Mon captured Quarter Horse Congress wins in 15-18 Horsemanship, Showmanship and Equitation. They claimed three AQHYA World Championship titles in Equitation and bronze trophies in Trail, Horsemanship and Showmanship. As Amateur competitors, they were Reserve AQHA World Champions in Equitation and Showmanship and clinched an AQHA High-Point title in Equitation.

With DD EZ Rider, a 2001 bay gelding by Dynamic Deluxe and out of Lady Montana Zip, Parris was a finalist in Western Riding at the AQHYA World Show. She also piloted Hez Pretty Extreme, a 2012 sorrel gelding by Extremely Hot             Chips and out of Rolls Her Assets to an AQHA Reserve World Championship title in Amateur Horsemanship in 2016 and they placed 10th in Trail and sixth in Equitation. They were also Top 10 at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Show in Amateur Horsemanship and Equitation, and placed third in the Breeders Championship Futurity in Non-Pro 4 to 6-Year-Old Trail.

For a little over a year now, Parris has been showing Almost Invited, by Invitation Only and out of Fistfula Goodness. Her mother looked at a lot of horses before she decided the 2015 bay gelding would work as Parris’ new show partner.

“He’s a total rock star, one of the sweetest and smartest babies I’ve ever been around,” Parris said. “We affectionately call him ‘Nate the Great ‘because that’s what he wants to be!”

They are already off to a strong start, winning the Amateur Showmanship Circuit Championship at the Arizona Sun Circuit earlier this year, with help from her mother and trainers Robin and Jenny Frid.

“Right now, I want to finish getting Nate qualified in the Horsemanship for the AQHA world show this fall and continue being a little better every time we step in to the pen,” Parris said.

When she is not showing, Parris likes to stay active, either by working out in the gym, hiking or taking her dogs for a walk.

She is extremely particular about what she puts into her body, which means she doesn’t eat processed sugar and not much dairy or corn.

“I eat more veggies than a rabbit, and I make a mean chickpea and cauliflower curry,” she said. “I also completely nerd out about Harry Potter and listen to podcasts about working out and all aspects of heath for fun.”

A 2015 graduate of Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Corporate Communications, Parris’ job at Orange Theory Fitness also keeps her busy and she is studying for a personal trainer certification.

“I hope to start my own business working with equestrians and hopefully return to school to become a registered dietitian,” she said.