One-year-old Cameron Dauterive began riding horses before she could even properly walk.
Twenty years later, her love for riding has only increased and the Atmospheric Science senior is set to make a career out of it.

How it all began:

Before she could get a good grip of the saddle, Dauterive’s parents used to put her in a sack and take her on horseback trail rides.
Having a mother who was already involved in the equestrian world, Dauterive was inherently drawn to horses.
According to mother Judi Dauterive, the young rider fell in love with Dressage ever since her first competition at the age of seven.

Dressage career:

Dressage is a form of riding that requires the horse-rider duo to gracefully perform predetermined movements.
A typical year for Dauterive consists of at least one competition every month from September till beginning of June.
In 2014, she got invited to compete at the Young Rider Dressage National Championship.
Dauterive, along with her horse Don Giovani, went from being the third alternative for her team to winning third position in the entire nation.
According to family friend Marie Cobb, Dauterive’s determined nature has helped her stay interested in the demanding sport of Dressage even after joining college.
Her college schedule, however, has restricted her from choosing competitions as she wishes.
Since Dressage is not recognized as a collegiate sport, Dauterive has to now plan her competitions according to her classes and tests.

Taming the beast:

Dauterive gets trained by a professional trainer for few weeks, twice every year but trains on her own rest of the time.
Cobb shared that Dauterive is interested not just in show ring but also in proper horse training.
“Horse sport is different than other forms of athletics in that you have to be able to communicate with a 1000 pound animal with a mind of its own,” Cobb said.
The idea behind Dressage is to make riders look like they are riding a cloud while giving numerous commands to the horse at the same time.
Due to her ability to stay focused, according to Cobb, Dauterive has progressed at training her horses.
Dauterive drives three hours every weekend to work on her horses.
Currently, she is busy training four horses to compete at regional level.

Outside the ring:

Apart from show jumping, the young rider is also actively involved in ballroom dancing and is the treasurer of the American Meteorological Society-ULM chapter.
With Dauterive’s dedication to goal regardless of the obstacle, fellow AMS officer Michael Day describes her as a very motivated student.
Dauterive also helps fix cars in a workshop in New Orleans during her free time.

Future in riding:

Last May, Dauterive turned 21 which took her out of the young rider category.
This winter she got accepted for the USDF Young Rider Graduate Program in West Palm Beach, Fl. to help her with the transition.
Due to frequent travels across Louisiana and the U.K., Dauterive grew to love unpredictable weather.
She plans to use her broadcast meteorology degree to support her expensive hobby.
Along with a college degree, Dauterive has also started to venture into sponsorships and running a barn to support Dressage expenses.
After graduation, she plans to go to England to take the British Horse Society exam and learn to become a well-rounded trainer.