Bryant, 29, also comes from a riding family. “I was a baby when I first started,” she said — Adair calls her “the little sister that I never had.”

In August, the three friends loaded their horses and saddles into an oversized trailer for the drive to Atlanta. On a trip like this, they’ll take turns driving through the night and make periodic stops; the horses have to be walked every six hours.

“We try to give them a day off if they’re going to be on the road,” Adair said. “I also pray right before a competition. I try to get in a good head space. I pray for everybody, not just myself, because it puts a layer of stress when you travel across the country with three ladies and four horses.”