Horses and Rivals ... It's so Bittersweet!

There is a rival in all of us. The passion we have for a sport, activity, friends, work (thats scary...), etc. Somewhere within our steadily beating little hearts there is that instant tempation to be the best. Man, woman, or animal -- I am pretty sure we have it in one form or another. Soem may be more die hard than others, but basically, we are all human beings with a competive streak driving us to do more, work harder, or to strive for something more.

I wonder where it comes from. Is it something we pick up as we are growing up from the people we are surrounded by or is it chemically enhanced into our soft little brains in the womb?

I worry about those who don't have this competive chip on their shoulder. It makes me wonder what they really live for, want, pursue whole heartedly. Is there any excitement or gratification in their lives?

My competitive edge comes from my horses. I was that girl that got lucky enough to grow up around them. Not just horses, but GREAT horses. I was born into a family of equestrians. Mom and Dad both showed and had lots of expirience. Making me the luckiest kid alive growing up -- Thanks Mom and Dad! I had a few AMAZING ponies to teach me the rules, balance, patience, and the meaning of hard work. The parents backed up the non-horsey lessons, like cleaning stalls, baling hay, and appreciation for working hard to obtain my goals.

For a long time, I was spoiled little girl whose parents bought her nice horses so she could win. What they didn;t realize is that everything we had we made happen on a budget. Living in the country and having horses does not mean you're rich, just happy. I think that just about rings true for every horse owner out there.

I had to prove myself when I became a teenager. I bought my first horse for $500, that investment paid off big. As my first training attempt, that little tyke is now a multiple world champion and is packing around a 10 year old, hopefully teaching her everything that my old ponies used to teach me. Every project from there on has gotten better and better. Oh, and let me not forget to mention he also a STAR on the cover of the breeds promotional brochure -- YAY!

My parents always worried that when I got older and interested in boys that my interest in horses would change. Even I saw it happen in my friends. My age division got smaller and smaller. As all of us got older and college happened, the numbers got smaller again. There was a short time where I put a boy above my pony. I don;t think I ever regretted that more. I lost me in the process and it has taken a long time to find that girl again. Eventually, you come to the realization that there a few things in your life that are constant -- my horses are mine. You can either handle the fact that I am going to spend my time with them or you can walk your happy ass right out the door -- Kapish?

Ok, so while I am thankful for my ponies I am also thankful for Summer! The time where pony and I unite and hit the show scene to challenge our rivals and see just how much my youngster and I have improved and accomplished over the winter. This year -- Success! I attempted my first all-around high point this past weekend and took it right out of the hands of a friendly rival. We also became a circuit award winner that previous weekend. The competive edge was there and we were a success.

Now I get to put it all on hold for 8 weeks while I join the working world in Cincinnati. What a bummer!

So, I guess while I am not going to make it to the World Championships this year, I am already re-qualified for next year and boy am I planning to go. Lets just hope that life doesn't get in the way.