Sophia Eckardt has been riding horses since she was 7 years old.

“To be honest, ever since I sat on a horse, I've always loved it. I mean, I'm at the barn a lot," said Eckardt, an 18-year-old from Saratoga Springs.

In December, Eckardt will ride for the U.S. team for the International Saddle Seat World Cup in Parys, South Africa. She was selected for the 12-person United States Saddle Seat Association squad after the U.S. Equestrian Federation decided not to send a team.

“Saddle seat equitation, which is what this team is all about ... it's based on rail work, which is how you and your horse present themselves on the rail," Eckardt said.

She’ll be showing off how she executes herself as a rider.

“[It's] based on how you look, your equitation, your posture, and also how the horse looks and how you guys look together,” Eckardt said.

Sophia will also be judged on patterns or “tests” she’s given with the horse. But for this event, it won’t be her usual horse, Grinch.

“This competition’s a very big deal," says trainer and instructor Maggie Friday, who is one of Eckardt's coaches. "The interesting thing about this competition is it really shows off the riders' skills, because they ride a horse they’ve never met before."

During the school year, Eckardt says she's training three days a week, but in the summer, it’s more than six hours every day.

“I'm at the barn quite often, whether it be just working with the horses on the ground, brushing horses, exercising them with my trainers and then riding, and also outside of the barn and working out and just keeping yourself fit so you're ready to perform," Eckardt said.

She says she’s grateful for her success in the sport, but believes she wouldn’t have been able to get this far without her horse and her team behind her.