High Hopes

Chapter One: 'Make it'

Start Unknown, Finish Unforgettable. Those four words shaped my life. I was and have been a dreamer since the beginning of my time. I had dreamed of 'making it', whatever the statement meant. I was committed to give everything I had to 'make it'.

My family wasn't wealthy, but we weren't broke. Middle class, living at a high standard life. People always say that it not only takes raw talent to 'make it', but also the pay of a lawyer. Of course, neither of my parents were lawyers. Each had an average job living an average life. Two kids, my older brother a 'Jack of all Trades' kinda guy, excelling in everything but not a show-stopper in anything. And myself, average at most things, fairly smart, nothing to really pay attention to. That was, until I began to ride.

My mom rode when she was younger, following in my grandmother's footsteps. I guess you could say that my 'hobby' was genetic, but others might argue. You couldn't keep me off a horse if my family didn't know what one was. I felt that I was drawn to them, like a magnet and a fridge: I was connected to them. The horses, I mean.

I rode my first horse when I was two. Of course it was just a 'pony' ride, being led while sitting on a half-dead pony, like how all two year old's 'ride' their first pony. After that day I begged my mom to let me ride. Claiming that I was too young, she declined. Eventually, two years later, my mom enrolled me in lessons. They weren't the usual hour lessons that 'normal' riders take, but with four little girls and two old ponies. Two would ride while the other two would play in the sandbox just outside of the arena. I'm not going to lie, I was happier playing in the sandbox.

By the age of five, I was riding an old school horse in group lessons once a week. I enjoyed that half hour of my week more than you could know. After a year of riding the old horse, my parents bought him for me on my sixth birthday. I then took him to my house and rode him out in the fields as I wished.

On January 8th, my grade two year, my mom received a call from my grandma, who was keeping Max, my horse, saying that he was in colic. My mom drove me out to my grandmas house where I said one last goodbye to my beloved childhood horse.

Because my grandma owned a stable it was a matter of days before I was set up with another horse to ride. For the time being, I rode two horses: Chili in one lesson and Calypso in another. My parents did not rush me into buying a horse at all. In fact, I didn't buy another one for four more years.

Like I said earlier, I was not above and beyond anyone in anything I did before I started to ride. I think that it really started to show that I had what you needed to 'make it' in the summer of my grade seven year. My horse, Kedo, and I went to every show we could in our province that summer. Truth be told, we left every show with either a champion or reserve champion award with us.

Similar to everyone else that showed at my barn, I began my career in the hunter ring. I was nothing too special, mostly because my horse was bred to run and I wasn't really a calm spirited child. Saying that, Kedo and I won numerous hunter championships throughout the years we stayed there.

The real life-changer for me was the moment I stepped into the green, lush, grass ring of the jumpers.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey guys! I hope you enjoy my story so far! I'm new to this so please ignore some errors:) Enjoy!