Who Am I?

Who am I? Some may know me, some may not, so here I will properly give you the background details, but not too much, about who I am.

My name is Samantha Senft, I am the owner of S&S Farm South which is located in Wellington, FL just minutes away from the Winter Equestrian festival.

I am not sure where to begin, I probably should start from the beginning, right? That's how all things start.

The VERY Beginning

Long, long, long ago, about 25 years to be exact, my family and I lived in a small little city named Parkland, FL. I am the eldest of four siblings, Me, my two brothers, then my baby sister. Despite being the eldest girl, all I wanted to do was be one of the boys with my brothers. I tried every sport they signed up for, T-ball, soccer, flag football. But being a girl in boys leagues, well, were frowned upon which you could imagine. My mom decided to put me in “girly” activities, dance and not just one dance class, EVERY TYPE OF DANCE CLASS YOU CAN IMAGINE. I was the most uncoordinated child ever, still am extremely uncoordinated to date. One afternoon after one of my many failed sport outings. My mom was flipping through the channels trying to find something to cheer up her very distraught 4-year-old. All of a sudden, a horse jumped across the screen and I remember screaming "STOP." My mom froze, let’s be honest she probably scolded me for yelling, and I sat there in front of the TV in amazement. It was some type of show jumping movie, I wish I could remember what. I just remember sitting there, my mouth on the floor and hearts in my childish eyes. I looked at my mom and said, "I want to do that." The very next day, my mom had me on a pony at lesson barn.

The Beginning

I moved very quickly from walking, to trotting, I remember asking my "trainer" who was probably 16, if I could go faster, and in the same breath asking to jump cavalettis that were on the ground. In response my “trainer” just kept telling me how I wasn't ready. Now looking back at it, I am not sure I would let a 4-year-old canter a horse let alone jump a cavaletti. I was infuriated, I got off my lesson horse, asked to give him a bath, the "trainer" I her remember rolling her eyes as she walked me to the wash rack. As I began to hose my horse, I asked if next time I could go faster and jump, she annoyingly replied, " You are not ready, when you are ready I will let you know." In that moment I decided to take matters into my own hands, I turned around with hose in my hand and sprayed her right in the face. My mom, oh my poor mom, came running around the corner mortified, she apologized profusely and in one swift move had me over her shoulder, be-lining for the car. Safe to say I never went back.

I wish I could say my riding career as a 4-year-old took off, however it didn't. I moved to a barn where the trainer called me a chicken and threw shoes at me, then eventually stole my pony and later was found in a MacDonald’s drive through. However, after all that craziness, I ended up at a barn called Hunters Pond, now known as Pine Hallow. That is where I was introduced to Alan Korotkin and Kirsty Korotkin, at the time it was Kirsty Sims. I had the worst pony, I fell off 6 times a lesson, I am pretty sure my lesson with Alan and Kirsty was spent mostly on the ground. Alan always was amazed I never cried and couldn’t figure out why/how I was so brave, he also was very concerned with my 4-year-old noodle legs; "When is she ever going to get tight!?" I couldn't figure out my diagonals, couldn't count strides, didn't know what a distance was, and every time Alan asked me how many strides I did, my go to answer was always 5. "No Sami, it was a 7."- Alan. From 5 to 12 I commuted to Wellington from Parkland to take lessons and show with Alan. I also did what every kid does, I grew, so from ponies to horses it was, I had my first horse by 11. The year I was turning 13, my parents made the decision to move to Wellington.

Junior Career

I was finally able to live and breathe horses at Castlewood. I had an unbelievable junior career thanks to Alan and Castlewood Farm. I couldn't afford much, if not anything to be honest, and thanks to them I was able to ride and show. I rode and showed whatever Alan put me on, no matter what it was. I qualified for my first indoors at 13 and continued to qualify every year for Maclay and Medal finals until I aged out at 17. I competed in the jumpers and hunters also, but the Equitation was my specialty. I actually got an award at WEF for being a Maid of Honor in the Equitation divisions, "the most seconds without a win." Hey! I loved it, the fact my name was even mentioned, I was thrilled. I Finished out my junior career 10th at 2008 Maclay finals. Which, you could imagine was an amazing way to end my junior year.

Amateur Life

After having a very busy nonstop junior career, I didn't feel ready to turn professional. I still felt I wasn't mature enough to handle the responsibilities it took for me to be a professional. So, I decided to stay an amateur and focus on the fun side of the horse industry, the jumpers! However, I felt as if Alan was punishing me for not going professional and had me continue doing the equitation, but now as an adult. Jokes on him though, I had a blast doing the 3ft equitation. I feel as if my amateur career was may more successful than my junior, or maybe it’s because I had more fun. As an amateur I won my first grand prix, was silver individual medalist and apart of the gold medal Zone 4 Team at young riders 2011, won countless ribbons in the High AO's all over the country, and qualified for indoors in the high AO division.

Professional Career

When I finally made the decision to go professional I was 23 and of course I stayed with my longtime coach Alan and Castlewood Farms. Due to my amazing horse and career as an amateur, I qualified for the Open Jumper division at the Alltech National Horse show, where I placed 12th in Welcome Speed Class and Competed in my first World Cup Qualifier. I continued my jumper and Grand Prix career while working for Alan and Castlewood farms until I was 27. That is when I decided to branch out on my own and start S&S Farm South.

S&S Farm South

After turning professional, not only did I love riding/showing horses as a job, but I found a real love for teaching. I didn’t know I would find joy in watching my students in achieving their goals. So, when I started S&S Farm, not only did I want to take on sale horses, but I wanted to obtain clients who loved the sport as much as I did. Luckily, my family moved onto a property where I could do exactly that. S&S is located 10 minutes from the WEF grounds in a private Equestrian community. We have a 7 stall barn, 4 paddocks, and a ring all located on 6 acres. Despite what many may think, I do everything on my own, riding, training, grooming, managing, even trailering; hands on is an understatement. Even when I have help, it’s hard for me to ask for it, which the ones who have had pleasure working with me would know. I do thoroughly enjoy every aspect of running and operating S&S.

Okay, Sami wrap this up!

Hopefully some of you, most of you, if not all of you are still reading, I hope in some crazy way you could relate to my long but not over yet horse career. This blog is just for you to get to know me a little better and hopefully a way for me to reach out and help people like the young version of myself get to where I am now. Seriously, thank you for just clicking on my link and taking an interest on to who I am.

Always,

Sami