Dworsky Quits School and Just Horses Around

Imagine Jan Dworsky’s horror when she saw her 3-year-old daughter teetering on a fence in the backyard, an old, beat-up blanket in one hand and the mane of the family pony in the other.

The pony, typically ridden by two older brothers, was the object of Jill Dworsky’s attention, much to the shock of her mother, who came to the sudden realization that her daughter was trying to saddle up about a year after speaking her first words.

This kid, Jan surmised, is going to be a lively one, an assessment that couldn’t have been more accurate.

Jill, a 17-year-old resident of Hidden Hills, has parlayed her early affinity for horses into an appearance in the National High School Rodeo Assn. championship July 23-30 in Springfield, Ill.

Who would have guessed the curious and determined youngster would win the state championship in barrel racing last month, the culmination of a lifelong passion for horses that has included some difficult decisions and events in recent years.

Dworsky attended Chaminade High as a freshman and for a semester as a sophomore, but wasn’t as thrilled with books and gossip as she was with horses. She wanted to devote more time to riding and asked her parents if she could be home-schooled.

Mom and dad, never the types to nervously peer over Dworsky’s shoulder while she studied, eventually consented. They realized the importance of horses to their daughter, whose previous schedule approached insanity.

Two or three times a week, Dworsky would rise at 5 a.m., ride for an hour, go to school, attend volleyball practice, ride more when she returned home, do her homework and go to bed at midnight.

A lot of work, even for a devoted equestrienne.

“What she found was that she couldn’t spend enough time training her horses,” said her father, Dave. “You can’t ride these horses every other day. It’s like training in any other athletic program. You’ve got to do it every day.”

Dworsky has learned to condense her home studies into a few hours a day. Once a week, she attends a home-schooling center in Northridge with people in similar situations--actors, actresses and serious athletes.

She has maintained a near-perfect grade-point average and is on track to earn a high school degree a semester early.

“It takes a lot of self-discipline,” Dworsky said. “There are days when I don’t do any homework, but I have to catch up by cramming in five or six hours straight the next day. It teaches me to budget my time and get my stuff done.”

Dworsky had to adjust socially when she left Chaminade. The phone calls from friends tailed off. It became harder to catch up with acquaintances, who had their own agendas on weekends. Dworsky was out of sight and, therefore, out of friends’ minds.

This year, Dworsky has become more proactive. She is the one calling and making plans with friends. Her social life has improved. She is no longer out of the loop.

In fact, Dworsky is bringing the horse of friend Jordan Gabriel to the national tournament. Dworsky will ride her own horse, Girlfriend, a 10-year-old, but is bringing Gabriel’s horse, Bo, as a backup.

Dworsky’s primary event is barrel racing, where she rapidly navigates her horse around three barrels arranged in a triangle. The average run lasts about a minute.

Equestrian events are not sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation, governing body of state high school sports, leaving the responsibility to the California High School Rodeo Assn.

Two weeks ago, Dworsky won the CHSRA championship, beating nearly 50 finalists with an average time of 54.3 seconds over four runs. Dworsky, who broke down in tears when she won, was due for good fortune at the state tournament.

As a freshman, she hit a barrel on her second run, drawing a severe five-second penalty.

As a sophomore, she encountered trouble on the first run, her horse stumbling at the third barrel and throwing her.

“With every little hardship, she has learned,” said Dave Dworsky. “She has always had the ability to overcome those things and continue on with her success.”

Jill doesn’t merely ride horses.

Two years ago, she was home when her father’s horse ruptured a lower-leg tendon and an artery in the backyard. Jill and her mother tended to the horse, applying a tourniquet over the leg while waiting for the large-animal veterinarian to arrive. Jill continued to help while the veterinarian performed surgery on the spot.

She has assisted large- and small-animal vets, and has become a Doctor Dolittle of sorts, aiding horses in her neighborhood. She gives shots, takes blood samples and changes bandages.

In one case, Jill gave a shot to a neighbor’s tortoise, which was suffering from a temporary illness.

“If anything goes wrong, she’s the one to call,” said Jan Dworsky.

Dworsky is nervous about the national tournament despite the hours of work, including valuable weekend time with trainer Pam Ross in Turlock, south of Modesto.

“I’ve had butterflies for weeks,” Jill said. “I can hardly eat. The competition’s incredible. The top riders in the country will be there. Even though it’s high school, some of these girls are beyond pro.”

Indeed, the top riders in the nation will be there. Including one from Hidden Hills.