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SIDELINESMAGAZINE | July/August 2026
GRACE
CHRISTIANSON
BREAKING RECORDS
AND JUST GETTING STARTED
By Laila Edwards • Portraits by Melissa Fuller
oung dressage rider Grace Christianson
started breaking records before she
was even a teenager. “I didn’t realize
how much fun NAYC was going to be until
I was there,” Grace said. “Winning multiple
golds and hitting scores in the 80s was simply
unbelievable!”
The first time Grace sat on a pony at 2 years
old, something clicked—and it wasn’t just a
childhood phase. What started as a simple pony
ride quickly turned into something much bigger.
Grace didn’t grow up in a horse family. There
were no barns in her backyard or generations
of equestrians before her. Instead, her
introduction to horses came through curiosity
and a willingness from her parents to follow
where it led.
“No one in my family had anything to do with
horses, but I just fell in love with it,” Grace said.
“I took a pony ride and that’s where it all started.”
“She wouldn’t get off!” added her mother,
Elizabeth, with a laugh.
That early fascination turned into something
more serious by the time Grace was 5, when
she began searching for ways to ride regularly—
which was harder than expected at that age.
Eventually, she found a small program where
she could begin taking lessons, often riding
bareback and simply learning to feel comfortable
around horses.
From the beginning, it wasn’t just about
riding, it was about finding her true self. “It was
always really peaceful being around horses,”
Grace said. “I just loved everything about it.”
Within a few years, Grace’s path began to take
shape in a way that set her apart from others.
Grace Christianson and Karieta Texel,
owned by Laura Saldana-Rich.