University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Hannah Smith
March 17, 2022 | Equestrian, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
As a 3-year-old, Georgia equestrian rider Hannah Smith begged her mom for riding lessons. It was the beginning of a life-long passion — "enthralled" is how Smith described that early feeling — for horses and riding.
A sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C., Smith's father, Brian, was a backup quarterback for the Bulldogs in the mid-1990s. During a recent Quick Chat, Smith talked about her start in equestrian, her favorite horse at UGA, her funniest teammate, her first Georgia football game, and much more.
Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: I've interviewed a few dozen riders over the years and it seems like you're either practically born on a horse, from a familiar very serious about horses, or you came to it a bit later in your childhood, almost out of nowhere. So which was it for you?
Smith: I would say a bit of both. My mom rode growing up and I started riding when I was about 3 years old. My mom said that I used to beg her every day to ride [laughs], and then for my third birthday, I got a lesson and never really stopped after that.
Frierson: Do you remember what it was about horses and riding that drew you in at such a young age?
Smith: I could say that, honestly, it just looked so fun. I was just enthralled by it all and I'm really glad that I got to carry it through.
Even when I started, it was a huge passion of mine. It was something I was always thinking about and wanting to do, and it was when I was about 8 or 9 that I really started traveling quite a bit and stopped playing other sports and just focused on becoming a rider.
Frierson: What other sports did you play?
Smith: I played field hockey and basketball. That's when I was really little and then I didn't play for very long after that. It was nothing too serious, it was just something fun to do as a kid.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite horse among the ones out at the UGA Equestrian Complex?
Smith: I would probably say Maggie is my favorite at UGA. She just has a really good personality and is really fun to ride. Maggie has a very kind demeanor about her; mares are really cool to interact with just because they really care and you can read them in a lot of ways. She's one that's always really willing to please and is just a lot of fun to be around.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Smith: I would probably say my roommate, Addy (Allison) Taylor. We just have had lots of roll-on-the-floor laughing moments together [laughs]. We're around each other so much that there are some moments that you know nobody else would understand why they're so funny, but she's just really funny to be around so I think a lot of people would agree with me on that one.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Smith: It would probably be Cava. That's become my favorite restaurant and I honestly think I could eat there every day for quite a long time and never get tired of it. It's like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle — I feel like that's the easiest way to put it. You can make your own bowl or pita or something like that and there are a lot of different options. It is definitely worth waiting in line for.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen? Do you like cooking?
Smith: I'm not bad, and I do enjoy cooking when I have the time. I cook a lot with my mom at home, so cooking some of her recipes here is a lot of fun.
Frierson: If you could play any other sport for Georgia, what would it be?
Smith: Definitely softball. I am the oldest of four and two of my brothers play baseball, and I've gotten to know a lot of the softball players here. I just think it would be so much fun to play, even just for a day.
Frierson: Do you remember your first Georgia football game?
Smith: It was a long time ago. Because my dad was a quarterback here, I came out of the whom a Georgia fan. I was really little when I came to my first game, but the first one I really remember, I think I was about 13. I remember getting to experience the crowd and the love that everybody has for Georgia and Athens. It was a really cool experience.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
As a 3-year-old, Georgia equestrian rider Hannah Smith begged her mom for riding lessons. It was the beginning of a life-long passion — "enthralled" is how Smith described that early feeling — for horses and riding.
A sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C., Smith's father, Brian, was a backup quarterback for the Bulldogs in the mid-1990s. During a recent Quick Chat, Smith talked about her start in equestrian, her favorite horse at UGA, her funniest teammate, her first Georgia football game, and much more.
Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: I've interviewed a few dozen riders over the years and it seems like you're either practically born on a horse, from a familiar very serious about horses, or you came to it a bit later in your childhood, almost out of nowhere. So which was it for you?
Smith: I would say a bit of both. My mom rode growing up and I started riding when I was about 3 years old. My mom said that I used to beg her every day to ride [laughs], and then for my third birthday, I got a lesson and never really stopped after that.
Frierson: Do you remember what it was about horses and riding that drew you in at such a young age?
Smith: I could say that, honestly, it just looked so fun. I was just enthralled by it all and I'm really glad that I got to carry it through.
Even when I started, it was a huge passion of mine. It was something I was always thinking about and wanting to do, and it was when I was about 8 or 9 that I really started traveling quite a bit and stopped playing other sports and just focused on becoming a rider.
Frierson: What other sports did you play?
Smith: I played field hockey and basketball. That's when I was really little and then I didn't play for very long after that. It was nothing too serious, it was just something fun to do as a kid.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite horse among the ones out at the UGA Equestrian Complex?
Smith: I would probably say Maggie is my favorite at UGA. She just has a really good personality and is really fun to ride. Maggie has a very kind demeanor about her; mares are really cool to interact with just because they really care and you can read them in a lot of ways. She's one that's always really willing to please and is just a lot of fun to be around.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Smith: I would probably say my roommate, Addy (Allison) Taylor. We just have had lots of roll-on-the-floor laughing moments together [laughs]. We're around each other so much that there are some moments that you know nobody else would understand why they're so funny, but she's just really funny to be around so I think a lot of people would agree with me on that one.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Smith: It would probably be Cava. That's become my favorite restaurant and I honestly think I could eat there every day for quite a long time and never get tired of it. It's like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle — I feel like that's the easiest way to put it. You can make your own bowl or pita or something like that and there are a lot of different options. It is definitely worth waiting in line for.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen? Do you like cooking?
Smith: I'm not bad, and I do enjoy cooking when I have the time. I cook a lot with my mom at home, so cooking some of her recipes here is a lot of fun.
Frierson: If you could play any other sport for Georgia, what would it be?
Smith: Definitely softball. I am the oldest of four and two of my brothers play baseball, and I've gotten to know a lot of the softball players here. I just think it would be so much fun to play, even just for a day.
Frierson: Do you remember your first Georgia football game?
Smith: It was a long time ago. Because my dad was a quarterback here, I came out of the whom a Georgia fan. I was really little when I came to my first game, but the first one I really remember, I think I was about 13. I remember getting to experience the crowd and the love that everybody has for Georgia and Athens. It was a really cool experience.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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