St. John’s student Prokopchak is a nationally rated horse jumper

Nikki Prokopchak was on her horse, Response, putting him through an equestrian workout Wednesday afternoon at Dream Catcher Farm near Adamstown.
When Response approached a jump, his response to Prokopchak’s soft touch on the reins was immediate. A slight pull and over the hurdles he went, seemingly with ease.

“A horse can sense if it’s rider is nervous,” Dave Prokopchak, Nikki’s father, said. “Nikki’s rapport with Response is amazing.”

Eight years ago, Nikki Prokopchak was looking for an activity to try, something she might want to do the rest of her life. She tried music at first, choosing the violin, but it didn’t last.

Then came softball. Still, nothing grabbed her.

“I wanted something special,” Prokopchak said.

Then she began watching a television show about equestrian events.

“It looked like a lot of fun, so I asked my parents,” Prokopchak said.

So she gave up the violin for stirrups and a saddle. It’s a move Prokopchak, 16, has never regretted.

Prokopchak’s success thus far has been tremendous. Her most recent accomplishment came when she won the Maryland Horse Show Association’s Children’s Jumper of the Year award on Response.

“That was special, it exceeded all of my expectations,” Prokopchak said.

Along with her recent success goes a No. 9 ranking in the nation in her division of the United States Horse Jumping Association.

Dave and Gayle Prokopchak, Nikki’s parents, admitted they were skeptical at first when she asked them if she could try horse riding. Gayle was a little apprehensive of her daughter getting on horse.

“She begged us to let her ride a horse,” Gayle said. “We finally let her do it.”

Some of Nikki’s friends at school wondered at first why she chose equestrian over the many other sports. Over time, they came to understand her passion for it.

“It’s not a sport like any other, it’s a different world,” said Prokopchak, a student at St. John’s Catholic Prep. “I love animals and this is something I really want to do. Nothing stuck until riding. My friends ask about it now and they support me.”

Nikki’s first competition came when she was 10.

“She is a very coachable person,” said Melinda Cohen, Nikki’s trainer. “Nikki is very much committed to the sport and is willing to take the time to work on her routines and get it right.”

Cohen remembers when Nikki first started riding, beginning with a small pony in the barn, then progressing to the larger horses as she got older and more experienced.

Nikki’s intensity is just as strong during practice as it is when she’s competing. Her schedule includes warm-ups in the ring, then an easy pace with small jumps followed by more aggressive jumps.

She trains three or four times a week. “It depends on when the next show is,” she said. “I try to compete in as many shows as I can. Of course, it slows down a little bit during the winter months.”

Before she enters the ring during a show, Nikki admits she still gets nervous sometimes. Once she and Response enter the ring, it’s all business.

“You just have to stay focused on what’s going on in the ring,” Nikki said. “If I’m nervous at all, it goes away once you start your routines.”

Even Response has that sense of competition.

“When he hears that starting buzzer, he’s raring to go,” Dave Prokopchak said. “He’s just as focused and as intense as Nikki is.”

During the spring and summer, the Prokopchaks and Cohen are on the road just about every weekend. Nikki did about 20 shows last year.

She has competed in shows as far away as Florida and Kentucky. She’s also competed in the Washington National Horse Show at Verizon Center.

At her home near Urbana, Nikki has a huge box full of her awards, including ribbons, plaques and trophies.

“I’ve got tons of them,” she said. “At least 500 ribbons.”

Financial backing has not been a problem. Nikki’s grandparents purchased Response for her several years ago and they help out when needed.

“They’re my fan club,” Nikki said. “They travel with us when they can. They’ve been very, very supportive.”

Some of the money Nikki wins goes to charity, including JustWorld International, an organization that helps less-fortunate children in foreign countries. “I want to help those people out when I can,” she said.

Not only does Nikki compete, she also coaches younger riders.

“Nikki works with me coaching a local equestrian team and she loves it,” Cohen said. “She loves working with kids.”

Nikki is moving up to the next level, Junior Jumper this season. As she gets older, she hopes to become a professional rider someday.

“I see a really bright future for her and the horse,” Cohen said.