Dan and Jacquie Ochs, have always encouraged their children to find something special they love and give it 110 percent. For their 13-year-old daughter, Sydnie, that something special has always been a horse.

She has a real passion for her horses and there’s nothing she enjoys more than traveling around the country to accomplish her goals. Sydnie was born and raised in on a farm in Milton, Wisconsin and her family has had horses for generations. In fact her grandparents, Larry and Sue Sancken, were the first to introduce Sydnie to showing.

“My family has always had horses and I have loved them from a very young age,” she said. “I have many things in my young life that I feel are accomplishments and it is all possible because of the opportunities I have been given by my strong family and wonderful grandparents.”

Sydnie said the best thing about growing up on a farm is calving season. She says she really enjoys seeing all the new calves born every day and helping her father tag and vaccinate each of them. In addition to showing horses Sydnie also shows the cattle, sheep and pigs raised by her family.

Sydnie got her start showing in Leadline and Walk Trot classes locally at Gordyville USA in Gifford, Illinois. The first major prize she can recall winning was when she placed fifth in the Small Fry Horsemanship at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress with her horse MWS Flash N Chock. When it was time for Sydnie to move on to Novice Youth events she teamed with not one but two show partners. Zippos Lightair was her first all-around horse. Sydnie says the 1996 brown gelding by Zippo Awards and out of Air Of The Night was a bit of a challenge, but taught her a lot about competition. In 2014 one of her biggest dreams came true when she and Zippos Lightair were crowned Congress Champions in Novice Youth Horsemanship 13 & Under. Zippos Lightair is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement at the age of 20.

Another horse that taught Sydnie a great deal was Zippos Hot Jet, a 1999 bay gelding by Blazing Hot. Together they conquered the Trail class and in 2014 were named Reserve Congress Champions in Novice Youth Trail 13 & Under.

“I have been very blessed with the horses I have shown so far,” Sydnie said. “Both have been a challenge at times, but I think they taught me to be a better rider.” This year Sydnie will be switching gears and showing Western Pleasure futurity classes with her new show partner, Invite Only The Best. The 3-year-old bay mare is by RL Best Of Sudden and out of Invite Me Breeze. Under the guidance of Brian Baker, of Sunbury, Ohio, Sydnie will compete in 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure and Youth Western Pleasure while Brian will show Invite Only The Best in 3- Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. It is a big change for Sydnie but one she said she’s looking forward to the challenge.

She got off to a great start by winning the 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure at the Fun In The Sun Extravaganza Futurity in January.

“Brian always tells me that she (Invite Only The Best) will tell on me if I am not doing my job and he is right. She is so lazy that if I ‘quit riding’ and relax on her too much she would just rather walk,” Sydnie said. “Invite Only The Best has the best personality of any horse I’ve ever shown, she is so laid back and easy to show.”

Sydnie also has a new all-around partner this year. She will be teaming with RV Miracle Machine, a 2010 gelding by A Good Machine who is currently being prepared by Tommy Sheets before Sydnie takes the reins.

“It was quite an adjustment for me to go from a 20-year-old, Zippo Lightair,that knew it all, too much at times, to a young one that we will get to grow together as a team. I am up for the challenge though,” Sydnie said.

When she’s not busy at a horse show or on her family’s farm Sydnie attends Milton Middle School where she is an honors student. She hopes one day to attend Oklahoma State University and ride for the school’s Equestrian Team. She currently dreams of becoming a NICU or pediatric nurse because she loves babies and thinks she would really enjoy taking care of them. She also enjoys spending time with her older sister, Rylee and younger brother, Justin and seeing her best friend Erin Mask at horse shows.