Payton Mitchell

Grade: 6

Started with SA in: Grade 1

Future plans: “I haven’t really thought about it, but I hope I’ll have a good career so I can afford to continue having horses….Maybe someday I’ll run a barn.”

Role model: “Mrs. Mulhollem. She’s super nice and makes history really fun.”

Favorite thing about SA: “I like the community – everyone is welcoming and nice, especially the teachers.”

Spotlight: As a little kid, Payton wasn’t particularly into sports, but has been around horses for as long as she can remember. Her mom used to own a barn and was a Western rider. So, when Payton was in first grade, she decided to try riding and jumping. These days she rides out of a barn in Cranberry where she leases a thoroughbred and former race horse named Brenham. Together they ride at least three times per week and travel for horse shows. Payton enjoys going to shows “because I love going to new places and getting together with friends from other barns.” At the shows, she and Brenham perform on courses set up for low jumps (up to 2’6”) in the arena which Payton says is lots of fun but can also be upsetting when she has to compete against friends. She’s looking forward to getting back in the show arena as she has had to take time off due to a broken elbow and concussion from a fall, and Brenham has been recovering from some stomach issues. As her blue sweatshirt states, she’s “just a girl who loves horses” so even though injuries come with the territory, she says, “it’s just fun.”