On The Plains: Baylee Mckeever

Born and raised on a farm in upstate New York, Baylee Mckeever has been surrounded by horses her entire life, but riding was never a guarantee.

In Mckeever’s eyes, there is more to equestrian than just showing up and competing. It is what happens behind the gates that has the strongest impact.

“My parents never forced me to ride horses, but they were always there,” Mckeever said. “And if I ever wanted to ride, they valued more that I loved the horses and loved the work that went behind it and not just show up and ride and leave.”

Although college was not originally part of Mckeever’s life plan, encouragement from her family and an undying love for the Auburn culture made it an easy decision.

“Once I came to Auburn to visit, I fell in love with the place, their program, and everything,” she said. “Auburn has also allowed me to have a horse outside of school that is at home and they have allowed me to continue showing her. I have had great success with her while being at Auburn, so that has been special.”

Competing successfully was not the only thing that Auburn offered Mckeever. A coaching style she became familiar with helped her to prosper as both a person and a rider.

“My godfather is my coach outside of school, and his mentality is something I have seen a lot of throughout the coaching here,” she said. “You have to prepare for everything, and you cannot leave a stone unturned.”

Like most student-athletes, switching between home and school can be difficult. What aids Mckeever the most in this transition is a strong support system from her parents, godfather, coaches and teachers.

“It is very important because it allows you to do the sport, but it also allows you to do other things as well, like being yourself and it shapes you into the person you are,” Mckeever said.

Although competing at this level forces sacrifice, Mckeever’s parents always pushed her to lead a normal life. Mckeever continued to prove successful in both school and sport.

“In our sport, and I think it is different from any other sport, a lot of kids transfer to online school just because there is so much traveling involved,” she said. “It is hard to do school and sport at the same time, but my parents always valued that I had a normal life outside of riding horses, so I continued to go to public school throughout high school.”

Mckeever achieved SEC Academic Honor Roll while on the Plains and credited a lot of her success to her support system.

“They always made sure to not force me into having good grades or pressure me in any way, but I have always wanted to have good grades,” Mckeever said.

Thanks to her support system, the obstacles Mckeever has faced were less daunting.

“Getting on a horse at school, which we don’t really know and have never met before, can be difficult. You are expected to get on them, show them, and know them,” she said.

Despite the many challenges that come with competing at a high level, Mckeever emphasizes the importance of encouragement from all aspects of life.

“We have a really strong culture and a tight-knit team,” Mckeever said. “It is not just everyone for themselves; we all want everyone to succeed.

“I think it is nice to see college take an individual sport and say you have to work as a team, which can be a little bit difficult,” she added. “The way Auburn does it, all of us figure out how get along and we want to help each other.”

Although the team dynamic plays a significant role in individual success, Mckeever stressed that having a healthy mentality also plays a part.

“It is a mental sport and I think that is overlooked sometimes,” Mckeever said. “There are going to be nerves and you have to figure out how to use them to your advantage. It's an honor to have nerves and be able to get nervous for something you care so much about.”

In addition to having a strong mindset, riders have to possess confidence. When discussing the mental challenges, there was also a need for confidence in preparation.

“You have to have confidence in yourself and the preparation you have had in the past and just know that you are capable of doing it,” she said. “It is all about having a good and confident mentality.”

For Mckeever, riding is not just about collecting medals. It is about fostering the ability to connect with strangers and, in her case, horses.

“Equestrian has shaped me into the person I am today,” she said. “I would not be where I am or who I am without it. It is about having a love for an animal that cannot always communicate with you, but that you are able to trust.”

Equestrian is more than just a sport; it is a way of life. It offers not only an escape from the challenges of daily life but also an opportunity for riders to discover their true selves.

“If I were ever having a difficult time with the sport or getting frustrated with it, I would circle back to the concept of how grateful I was to just be able to ride horses, and I understand that so many people cannot do that,” Mckeever said.

During difficult moments in the sport, Mckeever perseveres by leaning on this perspective.

When asked to share her favorite memory with horses, Mckeever introduced this story.

“Going into my sophomore year, I won a medal at the North American East Championship with my horse Formidable,” she said. “It was nice to come back to school and know I had done something and I had never been so excited. It was just a great week.”

Mckeever could not imagine a life without horses, so when she started planning her next steps following graduation, she knew they would remain integrated into her life.

“I have grown up on my family's farm, which has been a big part of my life,” Mckeever said. “I would like to be around the horses and there are so many job opportunities within the horse world and I could see myself doing one of those.”

As Mckeever reflects on the past and looks forward to her future, she appreciates the role Auburn plays in her story.

“It is a great opportunity to be here at Auburn and be able to get an education while also having the horses in my life.”