Kaley Cuoco brushes off split to enter riding competition

Actress Kaley Cuoco took part in a riding competition in California just a day after her marriage split news went public.

The Big Bang Theory actress and tennis star Ryan Sweeting announced their decision to end their marriage late last week (ends27Sep15).

But instead of staying out of the public eye, Kaley stepped into the spotlight by competing in a horse riding contest on Saturday (26Sep15).

The 29-year-old star and her steed took part in a horse jumping competition at the Flintridge Riding Club in La Canada Flintridge, California, as part of the Flintridge Autumn Classic.

It was a successful event for Kaley, with a source telling People.com, "She was extremely focused during the event. You could tell that she was really enjoying being a part of the horse classic.

"She loves working out. She often goes to the gym and enjoys spinning classes too. She also loves spending time at her riding club."

Following the competition, Kaley took to her Instagram.com page to thank her friends and family for their support.

Alongside snaps of herself and her horse with her supporters, Kaley wrote, "Never felt so happy !!! Thank you #fieldstone , Michelle , @twgoldberg @zoeypacyna @peteyleo and all our friends and family that came and cheered us on last night. I've never felt more surrounded by love.

"I have the greatest friends and family on this earth!!"

Another snap from the event showed Kaley kissing her equine companion on the nose, and was captioned, "I big kiss (sic) for miss #nettypie for getting me through my 1st official Gran Prix!!! It's always been a dream of mine, and here we are thanks to this magnificent mare!! (Thank u (sic) Lisa for capturing this sweet moment)."

Kaley has long been a fan of riding and grew up surrounded by horses. She previously opened up about the love she has for the creatures and how they help her in various aspects of her life.

"The bond between a person and a horse is like nothing else-it's hard for people to understand unless they have one," Kaley told LA magazine. "Riding is the Zen part of my week. There are no cell phones - you can't think outside of that moment. Acting isn't easy for me by any means, but riding is such a challenge."