Few and Far Between “Life-long friendships”

After years of riding, watching, training, and competing, it was time. My time to go to Nationals. Pony Club National Championships was an annual tradition where clubs from every state came together to compete at the Kentucky Horse Park. The park where the Olympians competed; the best riders in the world competed on these grounds. This competition was different from any other, it was a week-long excursion at a world class facility. A team bonding experience.

It was 2am as we pulled out of Renwood Farm to begin our 14-hour drive to Kentucky. Three stops total; efficiency was pertinent when traveling with a load of three horses. The middle of July, and temperature increased as we passed the border of each state. By the time we arrived it was 88 degrees, and sunny. After hours of travel, it was time to unload, set up, and get the horses settled before competition began.

Once our rig was unloaded, tack-rooms were organized, and the horses were settled in we were famished; selections in Kentucky consisted of Waffle House, Cracker-barrel, and KFC. My mom was not one to eat at fast food places, so she searched for something “authentic.” To our luck she found a cute little Japanese hibachi restaurant near our Holiday Inn. We shared a lot of laughs, and went over the schedule for the upcoming week.

The next morning, we walked our courses, got to know the grounds, and took the horses on a long walk to stretch and mentally prepare. My team worked diligently to bathe and groom our horses, as well as polish our tack for a flawless presentation at inspection. I never thought the day would come…at 11am I was in the warm-up preparing to enter the dressage arena. My test was memorized. I practice multiple times, Archie felt great (a bit wild), excitement filled the air. Archoman and I brought our A game.

As we entered the arena I heard my team cheering in the sea of people. I was relieved to hear so many familiar voices excited to watch us compete. These moments burn into my memory. Teamwork and support was why competing was so fun. We were all there for one another every step of the way.

This competition was about working with one another to be the best we could be for our horses and for our team. It was a week-long event, so we were not just there to compete every-day, we were there to create friendships, make memories with horses, and without. The bonding experiences; pool parties at night, games during the day, and exhilaration of competing at National Championships is something I cherished. To this day, my closest friendships I made riding, caring for, and competing horses. This past weekend I went home for the first time since college started, and to no surprise I hung out with my life-long friend Kaleigh. I met her when I was five, she was my first team captain at my first event rally.

My Pony Club family had really become like my family; we vacation together, we share our victories, our heartbreaks and life experiences. As life shifts and changes we continue to grow and we not only share our love for our horses, but for each other. I am the capable person I am today because of these experiences and I have my horses to thank for it!