AT A GALLOP: Horseback riding has been a big part of the life of North Clarion senior Brooke Steinman

TIONESTA, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Brooke Steinman feels most free when she’s riding her 13-year-old American Quarter Horse.

Her blood flows fastest when she gallops, making sharp turns around vessels in a cloverleaf pattern.

Steinman has many passions. Barrel racing is at the top of that list.

“It’s the adrenaline rush,” said Steinman, a senior at North Clarion High School. “I’ve always been around horses. It’s just something I’ve always done.”

Steinman and her family own six horses. The horse she now competes with has been with her for a long time.

“My dad got her in Wyoming when she was just a yearling,” Steinman said. “Just a couple years ago I took her out of the field and put her on barrels. She loves to run. She’s really athletic.”

That includes Steinman, who played forward for the North Clarion girls basketball team last season and also played goalie for the Forest Area girls soccer team in the fall.

Barrel racing has taught Steinman a lot about competition.

“It taught me not to give up,” she said. “Keep doing what you love and just do your best. If you have to do it, then do it. It’s just really fun for me.”

Steinman was convinced that she was not cut out to play football.

Until he did.

Last year was her first season on the field and she stood in the mouth of the goal as a goalkeeper, stopping shots and making sure the opposition stayed off the scoreboard.

Considering her height and athleticism, she turned out to be quite good at it.

Except for one thing.

To dive.

Steinman wasn’t entirely comfortable spreading out to make saves. To overcome that weakness, she’s thought outside the box to improve that important skill.

“Actually, the McFarland twins (North Clarion graduates Emma and Madison) set up a slip and slide that we have every year at a party and we practiced it,” Steinman said, laughing. “Hopefully it worked. We’ll find out.”

THE STEINMAN FILE

NAME: Brooke Steinman

SCHOOL: North Clarion

SPORT: Basketball for North Clarion; Soccer for Forest Area

YEAR: Senior

Q: How would your coaches and teammates describe you?

A: Reliable and with a good work ethic.

Q: What have you learned about teamwork through your sports experiences?

A: I learned that you need the whole team to win.

Q: What do you consider the biggest challenge of life as a high school student?

A: I combine the extra sports training with my work and my animals.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from a family member, coach, teammate, etc. while playing sports?

A: The best advice I got was from a coach who meant a lot to me and took extra time for me. He taught me to do your best and the rest will follow.

Q: You spend a lot of time with animals, right?

A: I have always ridden horses since I could walk. They have always been a bigger part of my life than school sports and they teach me a lot. I actually work at a kennel for a woman who breeds golden retrievers, so I usually go to the kennel in the morning and come home and ride my horse.

Q: Would you ever want to do something like this as a profession?

A: I’m not sure yet. I’ve started doing this whole grooming thing here and there. I’ve been practicing quite a bit, just to see what I can do. It’s interesting because there are so many different things you can do with dogs, because everyone has a dog and everyone loves dogs. There are so many possibilities that no one really sees. I have my own clients. It’s a fun job because I manage my own time and my own appointments.

Q: What are your goals in sports?

A: Enjoy it while you can.

Q: This is your last year of basketball. Does that make this season that much more important?

A: I’m a little nervous because it’s my last year. We have a lot of young new girls and a lot of talent, so I think it will be fine.

Q: What would people be surprised to know about you?

A: I grew up in Catholic schools with seven or fewer kids in a class. I started at Immaculate Conception Elementary. Then we moved to St. Stephen’s in Oil City. By the time I left, just before I was nine, I had six kids in my class.”

Q: Finish this sentence: In my refrigerator you will always find (blank)?

A: Fruit juice

Q: Which three celebrities would you like to have dinner with and why?

A: Adam Sandler because I love his personality. George Strait because he has perseverance. And Dwayne Johnson because he’s been through a lot mentally and he’s gotten through it.