[KHTS] – Acton teenager Brooke Paddock is heading to Perry, Geo., for the National Barrel Horse Racing Youth World Championships, being held July 20-26.

“I went to the state competition and that’s where I won a wild card inviting me to go to the world championship,” said Paddock, 17. “I was really surprised, but really excited, too. I knew if you won you got to go the the world competition. I’m just really excited.”

Paddock has been riding horses since she was seven years old.

“When I was really little, my brother rode and one day we went to a local event and they let me ride his horse in it,” Paddock said. “Since then, I was hooked.”

“She’s amazing, the bond between Brooke and her horse is incredible, everything she touches turns to gold,” said Michele Borja, a family friend of Paddock. “The Acton Rangers, who have known her since she was seven, just knew that she was going to do something really big.”Paddock practices for an hour every day, sometimes two hours, she said. She has been feeding her horse, Lakota special food and supplements paired with plenty of rest before the event. Paddock will also represent the state of California in the Coca Cola Barrel Racing Competition.

Borja will be accompanying Paddock to the week-long championship where she will compete against more than 1,000 others in her division, said Borja.

Paddock is raising funds for the trip to pay for the transportation of her and her horse as well as accommodations for her, Borja said. She created a GoFundMe account titled “2014 NBHA Youth World Championship”.

“It’s going alright, we definitely still need a lot of help but the GoFundMe has definitely helped a lot,” Paddock said.

Paddock is currently a senior in high school and is home schooled. She plans on attending but has not decided on a major, she said.

“She has her father and grandparents who have always been behind her competing,” Borja said. “The communities have come together to support Brooke, it’s awesome.”

– Jessica Boyer