Between 2003 and 2006, Jennifer Dainer was on top of the dressage world.

As part of her stellar FEI junior/young rider career, she was crowned 2003 national champion at the then-new Dressage Seat Medal Finals (14-18 division), had earned top team and individual honors in the U.S. Junior Dressage Team Championship program in Devon (Pa.) and Pebble Beach (Calif.), and competed on the Region 7 team at the FEI North American Young Riders Championship.

Jennifer Dainer winning at the 2003 Dressage Seat Equitation Finals.

There was every reason to expect that this young dressage phenom was destined for a successful professional career.

But Dainer chose instead to continue her passion for dressage as an adult amateur. “Riding is still a big part of who I am, and just because I chose not to pursue it as my profession doesn’t make it any less important in my life,” she explained.

“I watched a lot of other young riders become professionals and get burned out. It’s incredibly hard work, and I really admire anyone who chooses that path. But for me, riding is such a personal thing. It’s the only time I feel like I can really be myself, and I didn’t want a dependence on riding as a career, with all the pressure that’s involved, to jeopardize how I might feel about it in the future. I wanted to continue to cherish riding as being just for me, not anyone else.”

So at the end of her junior and young rider years in the saddle, college became Dainer’s main priority. Competing took a back seat while she pursued a degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and developed a successful career in retail. “All through college I worked in retail, so after I graduated it seemed natural to stay in that field, and I went into management,” said Dainer, who now lives in San Ramon, Calif.

“I’ve been doing that for 10 years and started to feel that I wanted to give back to the community somehow, and nursing appealed to me so now I’m going back to school for an accelerated program. Both of my parents were in the medical field, so I’ve come full circle; it’s one of those things that’s always been right in front of me, but I needed to figure it out for myself.”

Jennifer Dainer and Little Big Man.

With a full-time job and nursing school, Dainer starts at the crack of dawn and often burns the midnight oil to find precious time at the barn. “My typical day is that I work all day, get home at night, and have to study late. I’m a morning person so I try to take advantage of that to get things done as well,” she explained.

“My family has nearby property and a barn where I keep my horse. Sometimes I have to ride late at night or early in the morning, so thankfully I don’t have to worry about barn rules restricting ride times or other distractions. It’s just me, so it’s very private and quiet. When I’m at the barn, I try not to think about anything else and just focus on enjoying that time with my horse. It’s my stress relief.

“I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to approach how you prioritize all the various demands on your time. As an adult, obviously sometimes work does have to come first, and there are days when you work for 12 hours and are just too tired to go to the barn. I’m hard on myself and push myself, but sometimes I have to accept that I can’t do everything in one day. I have to give myself a break and realize that if my horse gets an extra day off, he’s going to survive,” she laughed.

Dainer credits her trainer Tracey Hill’s positive approach for helping her continue to succeed in pursuit of her dressage goals. “I don’t have time to take lessons every week, and sometimes a month or two goes by before we can get together,” Dainer noted. “But Tracey’s so supportive and never puts pressure on me to do more than I am able to do, as well as very understanding of my situation and what I hope to accomplish with my horse.”

Recent accomplishments include earning top honors at this year’s California Dressage Society Regional Adult Amateur Competition series at fourth level aboard her 12-year-old Thoroughbred cross (Goldpasser—Daffodil) gelding Little Big Man, or “Reggie,” who’s been part of Dainer’s family since he was just a weanling.

Jennifer Dainer and Little Big Man when the horse was just a weanling.

The pair are now eyeing a move-up to Prix St. Georges. “We’d never gotten a young horse before but took the gamble,” Dainer remembered. “As he grew up, my mom did a little bit of jumping and eventing with him, but he really took to dressage. So it’s been so much fun to see his progression as he gets older.

“He’s a smaller horse and he doesn’t have big, flashy movement, so the main thing we work on is quality and perfecting the movements, making him the best he can be. He’s got such a big heart. He’s also got a great personality and is really mellow and calm at the shows, which is nice for me and makes the experience even more relaxing and fun.”

Even though she’s currently not competing on a national championship stage, Dainer still relishes the thrill of competition. “For many people it adds to the stress, but I LOVE competing,” she explained. “I still get nervous at every show, but I’m so excited to do it.

“It’s what I train for, and to have an opportunity to show how hard you’ve been working and get feedback from judges is important to me. With showing, I just take it one show at a time, and I don’t put pressure on myself where I say I have to be at a certain level or at a certain championship by a particular time. I just let the horse tell me when he’s ready.”

As an adult amateur, Dainer counts herself as proud to be a part of the backbone of the sport in this country. “We’re all hard-working adults who are competing because of our love for dressage, and I’m proud to be one of them. I think amateurs should support each other, because we go through so many of the same challenges. I feel so lucky to be able to still compete, and grateful to do what I love, on my terms.

“Even on my craziest days, giving up my time with horses is for me not negotiable. There may be days where I can’t go to the barn even though I want to, but the thought has never crossed my mind to take a break or give up on horses. I feel like I can never stop riding. It’s the only way I feel normal. I feel very fortunate that so far I have not had to make that choice.”