The Beginning

I have decided to start writing this blog about my journey to my first one star as a motivational tool to help me keep pursuing my dreams and to hopefully inspire other that it can be done! I have a quote that seems to fit me well as my journey is 10 years in the making! "Direction is so much more important than speed. Many are going nowhere fast." I'm not sure of the Author of this quote but I know that in reading it I felt better about it taking me so long to move up in the levels.

I have had a lot of speed bumps just as many of us in the horse world do! I have keep the right direction and keep pushing through. Since I began riding I have always worked for my lessons, just like most horse crazy 13 year old I spent my Saturday's cleaning stalls, sweeping tack rooms, grooming horses, and cleaning tack. I have been at Sandstone for 10 years as of July and have been working there ever since! My trainer and coach when I arrived at Sandstone discovered she had a relapse in her cancer not even a month or two after I began taking lessons. She was an amazing horse woman who had a courageous, kind, classy,but not afraid to get her hands dirty and work, kind of spirit. I could go on and on about how amazing of a woman she was in so many ways! She fought the fight with cancer for 5 long years and she is forever in my heart with all that I do. She introduced me to the sport of Eventing,helped me purchase my first and second horse (whom I am aiming to compete in a one star) and taught me so many valuable lessons. It has been 5 years since she has been gone but she still has an impact on my daily life and the lives of so many others she touched. I got my second horse Maddie about two years before she passed away. She helped me get started on this journey and I owe it to so many others for helping me stay on track. Her husband continued with the barn and he has been my main motivator in getting me to shows, clinic and encouraging me to not give up and keep pursuing my dreams.I know I would not be where I am today without his help. All of my wonderful students over the years and girls at the barn have helped me in keeping up with the barn work, cleaning stalls and taking care of horses. I currently have an great group of students who have a passion for horses and riding like no other! Their passion and drive to ride and succeed also helps to keep me going. I want to continue to better myself so that I can continue to better help them on their horse journey. I would also like to thank my parents and friends for supporting and putting up with my horse crazy ways over the years! All of these factors help me to keep going and not give up on my dreams!

Now that I have told you a little about myself and how I got started on this journey I will give you some information on my beloved horse Maddie! Maddie is an 11 year old thoroughbred mare. I have owned her for 7 years and we have come along together in the sport of Eventing from out first recognized beginner novice all the way to prelim. Yes it has taken us 7 years to get to prelim but that is with a few injury set backs and making it through 4 years of college. The last year and a half I went to class from 8-3:30, went to the barn taught lessons and rode and was home around 8:30 or 9 to start homework and then do it all again the next day. I am proud to say that I completed college in 4 years making the move up to prelim the week before I graduated! The last year I have spent figuring out what life after college is like and what living in the "real" world is all about! I am excited to keep updating on Maddie's progress as we journey to our first one start and all the exciting things that come with it!

Can't forget a picture of the precious pup Harvey! My other fur child and barn buddy! I know he will make his way into the blog! He did go to my first prelim with me after all!