My horse show Mom

My mom is the best! Not only did she give me my love and passion for horses to begin with, but once I really got rockin and rollin in the horse show world, she became my biggest fan and supporter at shows.

It started with those first fun little schooling shows at Greenie Mountain Stables where I learned how to ride, kicking my way over fences on Natt, that cranky (but loveable) arab mare who hated jumping, yet I was bound and determined to jump her anyway... and when I got her around that X-rail course with NO refusals, not only was my grin the biggest, but my mom was cheering the loudest!

Then as I grew up and started attending Pony Club ralllies, while she was not allowed to help ME directly, she still helped. Volunteering as gate steward for the dressage ring was her favorite job. And always, always, she would flip up the camcorder and video my test or round when it was my turn in the ring.

She was over the moon when I announced my intention to start eventing, it was something she had always wanted to do when she was younger but didn't get the chance, now she could live vicariously through me! When I went to my first event at beginner novice and entered the stadium ring, she was more nervous than I was and after every single fence she whispered "Thank you Jesus!" into the camcorder.

She would travel where ever I went to watch me show, from those Welsh Pony national shows way out in Tulsa, OK to the USPC Championships in both Sacramento, CA and Lexington, KY. No matter where the show was she would pack up her minivan and follow behind the truck and trailer, just to come watch me compete, help where she could, and to cheer me on.

Now that I'm in college and no longer actively competing she'll call me up every now and then just to say "I have horse show withdrawls!" Aaaah mom, you and me both! I invited her to come jump judge with me at the Colorado Horse Park 3-day event last summer, that turned out to be a miserable affair of cold, rain, desperate runs to starbucks, and more cold. Hopefully this year will prove to be a sunnier show, we both need our horseshow fix.

Here in a few years though, once my baby is foaled and grows up and I'm out of college and get to start competing again, I'm sure my mom will be right there, by the ringside, cheering me on, and saying her wonderful little prayers of thanks everytime I clear that fence!

Love you Mom