Aili Arnell was born in Reston, VA and her aunt put her on her first pony in Middleburg at the age of 2. She went to high school in Indiana and considers herself a midwesterner and Hoosier. After attending Sarah Lawrence College for undergrad, Aili took some gap years and worked nearly every job in the equine industry including groom, barn manager, and veterinary assistant. After affirming her decision to make her passion her career, she attended Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in May 2025. She tracked Equine at Purdue which allowed her to focus solely on horses during her clinical year. She was able to continue competing lightly as an adult amateur jumper with her horse Orla during veterinary school. When Aili is not working or at the barn, she is hanging out with her English Labrador retriever, Olivia, and her cat Binx. Olivia and Binx enjoy traveling to horse shows as well. Aili looks forward to exploring the area and horse showing at Upperville in 2026.