From the shores of Lake Geneva to the sunny coast of Portugal and the show rings of The Hamptons, Raleigh Hiler’s career as an equestrian show jumper has taken her around the world. She has worked her way up the rankings to become one of the top show jumpers in the nation. Last year, she represented the United States at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, where the U.S. team placed third out of eighteen teams. “Representing the U.S. in international competition and wearing that red jacket has been one of my goals,” says Raleigh. “It was one of the most incredible moments of my life.”

 

Looking back, Raleigh recognizes that her story could have turned out very differently. Meningitis took Raleigh’s hearing at eight months old, and her parents fought for her to get cochlear implants, then a relatively new technology, when she was just a year old. Raleigh had to learn how to talk and how to hear. She has childhood memories of hours spent working with speech therapists and her parents, listening to words and phrases and repeating them back. “I grew up knowing that I had to fight extra hard to have something that others take for granted,” says Raleigh. “The idea that I'm not going to get what I want without putting in the work has always stuck with me.”

 

Raleigh joined Fay in fourth grade, following in the footsteps of her brother Colton ’10. Before Fay, she attended a school for hearing-impaired students and then another small private school, but Fay was her first experience learning alongside hearing classmates in a mainstream curriculum. To help her fully participate, her teachers wore an FM system, a small microphone necklace connected directly to Raleigh’s implant, allowing her to hear clearly and stay engaged in class.

 

Raleigh’s love of horses began mildly enough, with a trip to a neighboring farm to pet the horses. Her parents signed her up for soccer, cheerleading, and riding camp, but it didn’t take long for one activity to emerge from the pack. “I was like, forget cheerleading camp! I'm just going to ride horses!” she laughs. By twelve, she was competing in local shows, and by fifteen, she was heading to Florida each spring to ride in the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival. At every stage, Raleigh found creative ways to continue growing and competing in the sport despite her hearing challenges, from customizing her helmet to fit her cochlear implants to wearing a headset to hear judges’ instructions during competition. Riding has several disciplines: dressage, eventing, show jumping, and cross-country. While her mom admired the elegance of dressage, Raleigh was hooked on the speed and power of show jumping. “I’m an adrenaline person, I want to jump big jumps and go as fast as I can.”

 

As her profile in the sport has grown, Raleigh has come to see her success as more than her own. She recognizes the opportunity and responsibility to inspire other riders with disabilities to chase their passion, too. She has shared stories about her journey with cochlear implants and her equestrian career on TikTok, and this summer she spoke with the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, sharing her story in a series of profiles for Disability Pride Month. Riley credits her parents, coaches, and teachers, including those at Fay, with giving her the support and confidence to continue pursuing her passion. “I feel so grateful that I am trying to figure out how I can be part of encouraging someone else's journey, whether they have a disability, cochlear implants, or want to take on the challenge of learning a new sport.”