Emma Kinsel Draws Strength From Trainer Nicole Thompson

Emma Kinsel, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, started riding when she was five years old. As for many young adults, riding became a bit sporadic from ages 19 to 24 as she balanced adult life with her passion, but with the help and guidance of her long-time trainer Nicole Thompson of Fox Run Training in South Lyon, Michigan, she is making her way back to the show ring.

Nicole Thompson (second from right) with students Katie Page, Jenna Schneider and Mari Crosby (left to right) at the 2019 Michigan Hunter Jumper Association Banquet.

“She inspires me to be better, to take on new challenges, and to improve my horsemanship,” said Kinsel. “My struggles stem from feeling like I am not enough, like after all this time I should be a better rider than I am. Nicole never misses an opportunity to lift me up and help me learn. She has given me the utmost confidence that I can handle whatever any horse throws at me.”

In April 2018, Kinsel joined the Army National Guard to become part of something larger than herself. Based in Detroit, she currently serves as a fire control specialist in the Field Artillery Battery there. Despite the demands of her job and with the support of Thompson, Kinsel has set competitive goals in the Jumper ring for 2019, putting several shows on the calendar.

Emma Kinsel aboard Nicole Thompson’s Elevensies, known as Pippin in the barn, with Emma’s father David Kinsel.

“Anyone who returns to riding as an adult knows it's an entirely different experience. My adult riding career started with Nicole, and I am now a much better, more confident rider than when I was 17 years old,” Kinsel continued. “I will be taking her 16.3hh Warmblood, Pippin [Elevensies], to World Equestrian Center in the Jumper ring this year and am already looking forward to other shows too.”

Photos courtesy of Emma Kinsel