She’s not your typical California girl, regardless of taking her first breath of life in Los Angeles. Sara Honegger is kindness and humility personified, and she’s your NRHA youth and professional programs manager.
“I get to see both ends of the spectrum. I get to help our youth participate in our amazing programs while watching them grow into adulthood, essentially. I also get to see what the professionals in our industry are looking forward to.”
Sara’s parents weren’t horse people until they had to be. When this redhead decided she needed a horse, there was no looking back for her family of three.
“I was so lucky to have parents who supported me when it came to horses. They slowly got me into the industry.”
After getting her start in the western pleasure pen, Sara quickly found her way to rodeo, falling in love with barrel racing and breakaway roping.
“Whenever we didn’t know what we were doing, my mom would joke that I grew up with a turtle that didn’t know what to do. We all kind of learned together.”
Eventually finding her way to the red dirt state by way of Oklahoma State University, Sara always knew she’d stay connected to the equine industry.
“The moment I found reining I truly fell in love with the sport; there is just so much precision and athleticism. These horses are so well trained, and I think that goes back to their foundation which is equally advantageous in the rodeo arena as well.”
The sport is intriguing, the horses are impressive, but the people? Priceless.
Traversing the aisles of any reining event with Sara is comparable to sidling up to a celebrity.
“I’ve never felt more like I am where I am meant to be than right now, with the NRHA, a part of this community.”
