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Maria LaReddola Takacs ’89 went from the rat race to the horse race. Well, not a race so much as a jump.
Takacs is a champion equestrian jumper, participating in shows all over the country.
“There are eight jumps and what I do is called ‘hunter.’ It’s based on form and precision,” she explains. “The scoring is 100 percent subjective, like figure skating. It’s my goal to be as fluid and smooth as possible.”
Growing up in Warrington, Pa., Takacs fell in love with the horses at the surrounding farms. With her parents’ support, she started riding and was recognized as one of the top youth riders in the country by the time she graduated high school, qualifying for a prestigious competition at Madison Square Garden.
Her parents suggested that Takacs get a college education rather than banking solely on a career as a professional rider. Studying at Lafayette allowed her to pursue an economics and business major while remaining close enough to her horse to train for the MSG competition, where she placed second or third.
But afterward, she sold her horse to repay her parents for the expense of her passion. Following graduation, she became a CPA and later was a principal at Morgan Stanley in New York City. Working there for 12 years allowed Takacs to return to equestrian competition, yet she was too busy to enjoy it.
Marriage in 2000 followed by retirement from Wall Street in 2001 freed her up to flourish again in jumping. This October she competed in the Washington International Horse Show, qualifying as one of the top 30 amateur riders in the country over age 35. There is another category of riders ages 18-35 and among all 60 amateur competitors, she was named grand champion.
“I’m a full-time mom and finally really have the time and resources to compete and win. This is something I dreamed of as a kid,” she says.
Maria LaReddola Takacs ’89