While most girls were into Barbies and dresses at the age of 7, Kelli DeSpain got her first horse-riding lessons in a barn on the outskirts of Edmond, Okla. 

Born into a family of horse riders, DeSpain said that it was always “something she wanted to do.” 

“Growing up, going to my grandparents’ ranch, riding their horses and then eventually my dad and papa bought me a horse,” DeSpain said. “His name was Freddy.”

She didn’t just ride for fun, however. In her youth, DeSpain competed in shows, where horses compete in events including speed and jumping. DeSpain and her horses have placed top 10 nationally and won about $15,000 in scholarships. 

“I was pretty good,” DeSpain said. “I don’t like to brag about it, but yes.”

Riding horses wasn’t the only thing she was good at in her youth. DeSpain found a passion in track and field, specifically throwing events, in middle school and continued into high school. She went on to earn back-to-back Oklahoma State Championships in discus at Edmond Memorial High. Now a sophomore in college at Wichita State, DeSpain shares her passion for track with her teammates.

But it wasn’t always easy. 

“I didn’t have a horse here last year, and so I kind of struggled with that, just missing home a lot,” DeSpain said. 

To combat the rising homesickness, DeSpain bought Josie, an opinionated and sassy Pony of America, in August to keep in Wichita. She resides at a place called Eagle View, about 20 minutes away from where DeSpain lives.  

“It definitely helps me mentally,” she said. “It’s just very relaxing for me and turns my brain off. … There’s never a bad moment out there for me with them.” 

The joy of horses isn’t kept just in DeSpain’s heart; she shares her love with her teammates. Teammates like junior Karlynn Hornung, who is also a lover of horses. 

“We ended up becoming fast friends,” Hornung said. “As soon as I learned that (she) had horses, I was like, ‘Ooh yep, we’re friends now.’… I think there’s been a couple times where I’ve been like, ‘Hey, Kelli, can we go see the horses? I just need to go see a horse; I miss my animals.’”

It isn’t just her pets that draw her friends to her, however. Hornung described DeSpain as an “amazing” person. 

“She wants to make everybody feel good and wants to try to bring a smile to everybody’s face,” Hornung said. “It’s always a good day when Kelli’s around.”

Now, alone or with her newfound friends, DeSpain has Josie nearby to visit whenever she finds time, day or night, to just clear her thoughts.