The future of my rider career lies much the same as a seventh grader's profession choice: undecided. Some things were potential, such as trying out for the Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championship jumping team and showing in Spruce Meadows, but other than that my future lay blank.
I have always aspired to show in the US, especially in HITS Thermal or Winter Equestrian Festival. For starters, they have beautiful scenery and wonderful arenas. Many equestrian academies attend shows like that and like I said before, academies were as close to a one way ticket to success as anything is.
My coach at the present time is starting to throw hints at me to move onto bigger and better things... including coaches. She believes that she has taught me all that she can and that I need to think about moving to a barn with higher level coaching. It stings, which is unlikely of that situation: My coach is essentially complementing me, but the thought that she is, simply, squeezing me out the door does't feel good. I've grown up at Hillside Acres, and I liked the small-town atmosphere and being able to know everybody by name. If I was accepted to an academy, everything would be foreign to me.
The scariest part about leaving Hillside was the people who I wouldn't see everyday and know how they were doing. These people affected my success as much as anybody. I didn't have barn friends: I had family. I had all of these wonderful people behind me to help me get through everything, and moving would strip me of my security.
There's one person who is especially attaching me to Hillside: My cousin and best friend, Shae. My 5:30 in the morning friend at horse shows, the first person I call when I have a problem, my advice resource, my shoulder to lean on. Not seeing her at every lesson and show if I move feels like a hard punch in the gut. My other half not being with me seems unbearable.
Shae and I have had show season after show season with each other. Shae's horse, Slugger, and Kedo are as close as Shae and I. Shae and Slugger compete and win in the hunters, so when she is riding there, I am right there with her encouraging her and being her 'groom'. Same goes for me in the Jumper ring. If I moved, what would I do?
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Author's Note:
TWO WEEKS UNTIL MY FIRST SHOW OF THE SEASON!!:D
Not that i'm excited lol. Thanks so much for reading my story! I know what will happen now (thank goodness) but now i just need to get the plot rolling:/ Anyways thanks for reading!
-Alana
YOU ARE READING
High Hopes
Teen Fiction"I wasn't over and above at anything. Until I started riding." Watch Alana's story unfold through her own words as a no-name rider ripples into becoming one of the biggest splashes in equestrian history. ***No, this is not my personal biography.*...
