Saddle up and serve: Eden Prairie teen rides high in 4-H and volleyball

At 6 a.m., while most teenagers are still asleep, 16-year-old Avery Jensen is already at Minnetrista’s Game Farm Stables, preparing Marco, a 12-year-old horse, for another day of training. The Eden Prairie High School junior spends her mornings tending to Marco, whom she’s been working with for the past two months.

“It’s usually dark out, which makes it hard to ride since there aren’t any lights,” Jensen said. “But if I need to move the barrels for what I’m doing, I’ll go out and do that. Then I’ll come back in, set everything up – saddle, bridle, all of it.”

Jensen’s schedule isn’t like the typical high school routine. With an open first hour, she starts school at 10 a.m., giving her time to fit in a couple of hours of training before class

Her dedication this fall extends from early mornings at the stables to the volleyball court, where she plays both libero and defensive specialist for Eden Prairie’s girls varsity team. The Eagles, who finished the regular season last week, will play Chaska at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Chaska in the Class 4A, Section 2 quarterfinal.

“We’re doing pretty good, a lot better than last year,” she said of the volleyball team. “We got a new coach, and our old assistant coach is now co-head coaching with the new one (Stephanie Chapek and Arika Stottler). I really like both of them – they’ve taught us a lot and really brought the team together.

But it’s the passion for horses she discovered over the summer that now drives her 30-minute commute from her Eden Prairie home to Game Farm Stables each morning.

Jensen and Marco connected through her trainer, Caroline Simermeyer, following a summer decision to take up riding. “I was bored one day and thought, ‘I think I could learn to ride a horse,’” she said.

A Google search led her to Game Farm Stables, where Jensen scheduled a lesson. The first time she rode – “not ever, but the first time in a long time” – she fell back in love with riding.

But riding and training aren’t cheap. Between horses and volleyball, her parents insisted she find a way to help cover the costs. Jensen turned to her trainer for ideas and found an opportunity.

“They had horses that weren’t easy to ride, so my job became to train them,” she explained. “That’s how I found Marco. He hadn’t done much for 12 years – just sitting in a field and eating. The first time I got on him, he barely moved, but now we’re cantering around barrels and going over poles. He’s getting his leads, and we’re really growing together.”

Jensen reflects on her relatively short time with Marco, noting how much they’ve grown together in just a few months. “My trainer always says, ‘You’ve got to teach the horse before you can teach yourself,’ and so far, I think I’m doing pretty well,” she said.

Marco isn’t hers – at least, not yet. Jensen leases him for now but hopes to own him one day. “He’s kind of like my heart horse,” she said. “One of the reasons I get up in the morning to ride.”

Her bond with Marco deepens with every session, despite their shared stubbornness.

“We’re both pretty stubborn,” Jensen laughed. “My trainer would ask, ‘Why did you pick him?’ and I’d just say, ‘I don’t know, but I picked him, and I love him.’”

Does her family think she’s stubborn too? “Once I put my mind to something, I’m right on it,” she said.

From the stables to the fields

Jensen’s love for horses is part of a broader passion for agriculture.

Standing in the barn at Game Farm, as a warm breeze stirs dust on the dirt road outside, she recalls a childhood dream that has stuck with her: becoming a farmer. It’s an uncommon aspiration for someone raised in suburban Eden Prairie.

“I’ve always liked agriculture, though I didn’t grow up around it much,” she said. “My aunt and uncle had a few cows, chickens, and donkeys up near Duluth, but I didn’t see them often.”

Though her family didn’t live on a farm, Jensen’s involvement in agriculture deepened through her school’s FFA/4-H Club. Previously known as the Agricultural Club, it has since been renamed to reflect its dual focus on 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America). Jensen joined last year and became a Minnesota 4-H agriculture ambassador.

“I didn’t really know what 4-H was – I was new to all of this,” she said. “But last year, I was talking to my counselor about careers, and he mentioned there was a 4-H group. I was like, ‘Really?’ That’s how I got involved. Once I realized how fun it was and how passionate I was about it, I got really involved.”

As an ambassador, Jensen visits classrooms across the state, teaching students about agriculture and participating in events like beef expos.

“We’re trying to add more agriculture classes at (EPHS),” she said. “Eden Prairie isn’t known for agriculture, but we’re starting an FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter this year, which is exciting.”

Balancing her many commitments, from Marco to volleyball to FFA/4-H, Jensen thrives on her packed schedule.

“My parents think I work too much,” she admitted. “I have a job. I do this almost every time I can. I do volleyball, so I’m kind of never home.”

Her friends have embraced her unique lifestyle. “They call me a horse girl,” Jensen said with a laugh. “Sometimes, I’ll wear jeans and boots to school, and they’ll say, ‘Here comes the country girl.’ But I don’t really care – I like it.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to compete in rodeo events like barrel racing and pole bending. For now, her mornings belong to Marco, her evenings until the season ends to volleyball, and her heart to the world of horses and agriculture.

“I hope to keep riding and staying involved in agriculture throughout my life,” she said. “I want to major in animal sciences and minor in agricultural business, possibly focusing on equine studies.”