From Challenge to Championship: The Story of Para Rider Sienna Busking
At Quick Knot®, we often hear from riders around the world who rely on our braiding tools in their daily routines. Some stories stand out not because of competition results or titles, but because of the determination behind them. One of those stories comes from Sienna Busking, a para dressage rider from Oklahoma who is pursuing her dream of becoming a Paralympian.
Her journey shows how resilience, horses, and the right tools can come together to create something powerful.
A Life Shaped by Horses
Sienna Busking is a 24-year-old Grade III para equestrian rider from Owasso, Oklahoma. In late 2024 she made a major move to Wellington, Florida to pursue competitive opportunities in para dressage. There she became the first athlete matched with a horse through a newly created foundation that connects deserving riders with horses.
That horse is Desi.
For Sienna, being matched with Desi was something she never expected to happen. The partnership quickly became central to her next competitive step as she prepares for international para dressage competition.
Riding With a Neurological Condition
Sienna’s path to high-level dressage is different from most riders. She lives with multiple serious medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and a genetic mutation affecting her body’s connective tissues. These conditions affect her muscles, nerves, lungs, and mobility.
She often relies on oxygen support, braces for walking, or an electric wheelchair. Sensation in her legs is limited, which makes using traditional riding aids difficult. She refers to them humorously as her “floppy legs.”
Despite these limitations, riding remains the activity that gives her the greatest sense of independence. When she rides, the horse becomes her legs.
A Breakthrough Moment in Competition
Although Sienna was classified as a para rider in October 2023, she only began competing seriously toward the end of 2024. Her first competitions were with her trainer’s 26-year-old Hanoverian gelding Divino.
Their breakthrough came at the Festival of Champions in Lamplight, Chicago, where they entered as one of the least experienced combinations in the class. Against expectations, Sienna and Divino won the Intermediate Para Dressage Championship.
That result opened new doors and introduced her to Paralympian Kate Shoemaker, who later helped connect Sienna with Desi and encouraged her to pursue international classification and CPEDI competition.
Competing While Managing Intensive Medical Care
Behind the competition results is a demanding medical reality. Sienna frequently travels across the United States for hospital treatments and specialist appointments.
Even during these challenges, she continues training, riding, and preparing for international competition.
Why Quick Knot Matters
For many riders, braiding is a routine task. For Sienna, it is also about maintaining independence.
Because of reduced feeling and strength in her hands, traditional braiding techniques can be difficult. Quick Knot tools allow her to braid her horse herself, maintaining control over her preparation before competitions.
She now uses Quick Knot to braid Desi as well as horses belonging to fellow riders in the para dressage community.
Aiming for the Paralympics
Sienna’s goal is clear: Compete at the Paralympic Games in para dressage.
Her recent results already show strong potential. In one of her recent national competitions she scored 76% on the Grand Prix A test, a promising result as she prepares for upcoming international events.
Beyond competition, she shares her journey online through her Instagram account @riding.with.sienna, where she documents both her riding progress and the realities of living with chronic illness.
Her mission is simple: show others facing medical or physical challenges that pursuing ambitious goals is still possible.
Strength, Resilience, and Horses
Sienna’s story reflects something that many riders understand deeply: horses create possibilities that do not exist anywhere else.
Through illness, hospital stays, surgeries, and rehabilitation, riding remains the constant that keeps her moving forward. And as she continues chasing her Paralympic dream, Quick Knot is proud to be part of that journey.
Because sometimes the smallest tools help make the biggest ambitions possible. 🐎✨
