Horse Hair Jewelry

Looking for a way to earn horse show money, Lilly turned her jewelry making into a business.

- LILLY LEVESQUE

Hi! My name is Lilly Levesque. I'm a 17-year-old high school senior in Evergreen, Colo., with a passion for horses. I started riding when I was 10 years old. I was actively involved in Girl Scouts, and in the summer of 2016, I had attended a week-long horse camp.

After the week was up, I asked my mom if I could go back and ride the horses again. Instead, for Christmas that year, she got me a package of riding lessons. I was ecstatic, and after just a couple lessons, I had officially caught the horsey bug.

For the next year, I dabbled in and out of disciplines, trying to find what was right for me. After a short stint of barrel racing, my trainer sat me down and gave me a list of different options to choose from. Eventually, I settled on western pleasure.

While I'm still not entirely sure if I chose it for the fact that it's the complete opposite of barrel racing or for the sparkles, I immediately fell in love. Around the same time, my trainer brought in a stocky little Quarter Horse whose time in the major show pen was over, but who was the perfect teacher for my newfound discipline.

Starting a Business