Lily Rhodes Is Charting Her Own Path
Lily Rhodes is at a crossroads. In just a few short weeks, the 22-year-old equestrian is about to graduate college, move across the country and embark on her own adult path.
For the last 8 years, she’s put in the work and committed to living the life she always dreamed about. After losing her arm in an ATV-riding accident at 14, everything changed. But Lily, a para-rider, has never let her disability define her or keep her from going after what she wants.
You may know her face from Instagram. Behind the @lillybrhodes handle is 53,000-plus followers who take part in the sunshine Lily brings to the world every day. On her feed, Lily has carefully crafted a message of positivity and resilience, and connected with thousands of people worldwide along the way. She regularly posts videos and images detailing how she’s able to bridle a horse with one hand, or how she’s effortlessly adapted to pull her blonde ponytail into a neat and tidy hairnet and helmet. She features her everyday adaptations not be gawked at for her disability, but to inspire others.
There is nothing remarkable here, she says. This is everyday Lily, headed to the barn, tacking up her horse, and enjoying the ride.
“It’s had it’s moments of extreme frustration and also insane ‘aha’ moments,” Lilly said about learning to ride with one arm. “I used to worry about being unable to give a horse the ride they deserved, that I wasn’t able to communicate clearly enough. That was a battle for a few years, but I’m working through that piece of it. It’s really rewarding.”
Lily has been riding horses for as long as she can remember. Her mom is also a rider, of the Western discipline sort, so Lily grew up on retired Quarter Horse types at her grandparents home outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She eventually moved on to take dressage lessons, building a solid foundation before she lost her arm, which helped her ease back into riding after.
In college, at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia, she started taking hunter/jumper lessons.
“I always wanted to try jumping, but stuck with para-dressage because that’s what I knew from before my accident,” she said. “It felt like a natural progression of things. I was already making a huge change moving for college… I fell in love with the sport and never looked back.”
Lily is part of a network of riders – Para Show Jumping North America – that spans internationally to advocate for the recognition of para show jumping. Lily took part in a para show jumping demonstration at the Kentucky Horse Park in April held during the Kentucky Three-Day Event. The goal is to make the sport legitimate among the governing bodies, from USEF to the FEI.
“Right now, it’s compete in normal classes at the horse show or don’t compete at all,” Lily explained. “To provide that opportunity, I think would be huge. The response so far has been amazing. It makes all of horse sport more accessible and takes down more barriers to entry.”
As she prepares to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in December and make the move to Dallas-Fort Worth, she’s determined to build a career in marketing and social media. She’s no newbie to this – Lily has worked with dozens equestrian brands on highly successful campaigns. Clearly she’s found her knack.
“I’ve been really fortunate. By documenting my journey as a one-arm rider, I’ve discovered my love for media and marketing management,” she said. “My goal is to continue doing that and just roll with it. I love working closely with brands and helping them meet their goals.”
It’s a bonus that this work keeps her tied to her passion for horses, too.
Lily doesn’t have a horse of her own right now, but it’s on her list. Right now she’s just happy to love any horse that’s shared with her, including Lance, a handsome grey warmblood featured prominently on her social feeds. Lily calls him her “soulmate in horse form.”
“Riding is always part of my plan,” Lily described. “I would love to have a partner of my own some day and form that connection. I would love to be able to show and work on my education as a horse person.”