Baylee Mckeever, an Auburn University student-athlete, shared her experiences and insights about her life in equestrian sports in a statement released on Apr. 10.
Mckeever’s story highlights the challenges and rewards of balancing academics with high-level competition in equestrian events. Her journey began on a farm in upstate New York, where she was surrounded by horses from an early age but never pressured by her parents to ride unless she truly wanted to. “My parents never forced me to ride horses, but they were always there,” Mckeever said. “And if I ever wanted to ride, they valued more that I loved the horses and loved the work that went behind it and not just show up and ride and leave.”
Choosing Auburn was influenced by family encouragement and her connection with the university’s culture. “Once I came to Auburn to visit, I fell in love with the place, their program, and everything,” she said. She also noted that Auburn allowed her to continue showing a horse outside of school while competing for the university.
Mckeever credited much of her personal growth as both a rider and individual to coaching styles at Auburn similar to those of her godfather: “You have to prepare for everything, and you cannot leave a stone unturned.” She described switching between home life and school as challenging but manageable due to strong support from family, coaches, teachers, and teammates.
She emphasized that maintaining academic performance alongside sport is demanding: “It is hard to do school and sport at the same time… my parents always valued that I had a normal life outside of riding horses.” Despite these pressures, Mckeever achieved SEC Academic Honor Roll status while at Auburn.
Reflecting on team dynamics within what is typically considered an individual sport, Mckeever said: “We have a really strong culture and a tight-knit team… The way Auburn does it, all of us figure out how get along and we want to help each other.” She also highlighted mental strength as crucial: “It is a mental sport… There are going to be nerves… It’s an honor to have nerves.”
Looking ahead after graduation, Mckeever intends for horses—and opportunities within the horse world—to remain central in her life: “I would like to be around the horses… there are so many job opportunities within the horse world.”
As she continues forward with gratitude for both education at Auburn University and lifelong involvement with equestrian sports, Mckeever concluded: “It is a great opportunity to be here at Auburn and be able to get an education while also having the horses in my life.”
