LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - While many 16-year-olds spend their free time at school activities or sports, one Lincoln teen is competing—and winning—on the national and international stage in the equestrian discipline of dressage.

Often described as “horse dancing,” dressage requires years of training, precision, and a strong bond between rider and horse. For Claire Tucker, that journey began unexpectedly at age 10 during a family trip to Colorado.

“We went out to Colorado to hike and bike and do all the things, and she kind of refused,” said Kim Tucker, Claire’s mom. “We found this day camp for her to be at … A week later, she was in the backseat of my car and said, ‘I want to lease a horse.’”

What started as a passing request soon became a passion. Claire began calling barns around Lincoln,

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