Catawissa, Pennsylvania – A Columbia County resident is making a name for herself in the equestrian world by adding Olympic and Pan Am qualifications to her “eventing” record.
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Hanna Bundy, 29, has lived and trained in Catawissa (and part-time in Florida) for the past five years on a farm dedicated to the sport, which is also her livelihood. Bundy travels across the country and will soon be traveling the world for her eventing career.
“Eventing” is not a well-known or well-understood sport for most residents of north-central Pennsylvania. In different parts of the country and the world, the sport enjoys great popularity.
Bundy said the sport is huge in the Bucks County area of Pennsylvania, where she competes in many of her sub-events. Strong results in recent competitions saw Bundy qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Cleveland 2024 Pan American Games.
“Europe is the birthplace and home of eventing,” Bundy said of an international debut. In August she will travel to Belgium to compete in the FEI Nations Cup as part of a Canadian national team. Bundy is one of only four Canadians added to the team this year.
Bundy’s success over the next two years will determine whether or not she gets named to a national team for the Pan-Ams or the Olympics. Only 65 competitors are named to an Olympic eventing team.
Bundy described the sport as “like a triathlon” divided into three phases: dressage or directed movements in the ring; Cross-country or galloping on solid objects along a track; and show jumping, which is about successfully maneuvering all the jumps. The goal is to get a low score with no added errors, Bundy said.
“People who don’t know anything about horses often get confused [eventing] “It’s all about show jumping, but it’s a more complex sport,” Bundy said.
Bundy and her horse soar over an obstacle during the cross-country portion — the “most influential phase” — of the eventing competition, according to Bundy.
Bundy has been involved in equestrian sports for most of her life. Both sides of her family met through a love of horses and her cousin is also a successful show jumper who competed in dressage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I grew up right next to a riding school that I went to every day and sort of sat on horses before I could walk. It’s pretty much in my blood,” Bundy said. She began taking horseback riding lessons and eventually joined a club.
Horse culture also led Bundy to her fiancé, Nick Hansen, who is from Catawissa and whose family owns the farms where she trains and lives. Without support it is difficult to maintain the sport as a career. “If you want to do it professionally, you need sponsors and supporters to help you fund it because it’s not realistic to do it alone,” Bundy said. From the price of a show jumper to the cost of transportation and stable fees, the sport can be a significant financial drain. Bundy is actively raising funds for her next competition.
Community support is also important, Bundy added. “It feels like everyone has your back and you really want to put together a solid team to get to the top of the sport. So it really feels like a big group effort.”
The naming of the Olympic team will not take place until June next year. In the meantime, Bundy is hoping for more international competitions and continued success.
“I’m very, very excited and grateful. Achieving these qualifications has been a lifelong goal of mine and I’ve worked towards it throughout my career,” she said.
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