I think growing up on a farm pretty well squashes any sentimentalism about animals, which is what most people mean by being an animal lover. I never liked riding either. My mother had always wanted a pony when she was young and was just waiting for me to ask for one (apparently that request would have been granted) but I wasn't the least interested.

I think the school-romance worked well. After all, a muggle girl at Hogwarts is a staple of the Mary-Sue genre, though you should have been American to be really authentic!