Hannah was born in July, 1991, the youngest of 6 children, having 4 sisters and a brother. Growing up fast in an effort not to be left out of any activity she was soon able to ride independently, swim, and hold her own in most conversations! The family was home-schooled during her first eight years of life and she entered school in Grade 3 at Highroad Academy in Chilliwack, B.C. During the next three years Hannah excelled in school and sports. However, she declined to join the volleyball team in favour of pursuing her vaulting goals. Even at that early age she had an eye to becoming an international vaulter, inspired by Colin Schmidt, her coach during those vital learning years.

Vaulting is a unique equestrian sport that combines the higher levels of dressage for the horse with the athletic and musical skills of the vaulter. It has been described as gymnastics on horseback, but this does not do justice to the carefully choreographed dance that is performed by the vaulter in harmony with every movement of the horse. (for more information on vaulting click on the Spruce Valley Vaulters link)

Although Hannah has been linked specifically to vaulting for the last several years, her interests are varied and many and not all of them revolving around horses.

While continuing in a determined and dedicated manner to practice and compete in vaulting, Hannah has also participated in the Pony Club program, up to the D2 level. Her family raises Haflinger Horses and she has enthusiastically joined in all promotional activities organized by the family and also the Western Haflinger Association. She has become a very competent horse trainer and has done many vaulting demonstrations for the Western Haflinger Association’s main event held each year in Lynden, Washington. For many years a home-bred gelding named Amos was used as a vaulting horse with the Cheam Vaulters of Chilliwack, BC, Hannah’s original home club, and both Amos and Hannah have participated with the Cheam Vaulters in demonstrations at the Pacific National Exhibition and the Interior Pacific Exhibition and also a weekend in Fort Steele, as well as numerous local County Fairs and events.

Each year the family holidays on horseback in the Cariboo/Chilcotin region of B.C. Hannah, as her siblings have all done, grew up camping, riding and buggy driving each summer in the wilderness. At 14, she and her 16 year old sister made their first two-day pack trip on their own, with Diego along as her faithful steed, giving him a well earned holiday from vaulting also!

Hannah has always been friendly and good natured, so has gained many friends through school and vaulting clubs in the Fraser Valley, and now throughout Alberta. She is serious and focused about her chosen sport and has been training hard since the family’s move to Rocky Mountain House, AB in 2003. Back to home-schooling again, she is free to practice on a daily basis and in her free time enjoys hanging out with her Haflinger, her hamster and the numerous family cats and dogs! Indoor activities involve reading and watching movies – her favorites being Tolkein’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.