Find The Stride

Stride Away

Dear Ms. Palmer,

My name is Solomon Sharp of Stride Away Collegiate equestrian foundation, and we would like you to come and join us this summer for a chance to gain a spot on our campus for the coming school year. We are aware that you do not own a horse, as it is if you do not own a horse we will provide you with a horse you will be training and if your scores from each session end high enough, it will be your horse at the end of this summer.

        We do hope you will accept. You must arrive at the campus on June 5th by at least noon. The Campus address is listed below and we will pay for any traveling fees although we need a response email as soon as possible. Any more questions can be answered by emailing me back on this address. Yet again we hope you accept Ms. Palmer and I hope to see you then.

        Sincerely,

                Solomon Sharp

I stare at the email before me, how did they even know who I was? Of course equestrians all over know who they are, but how did they find me of all people? A girl in a small town in the middle of North California. Rubbing my head I felt me breathing start to get shallow. Not now. Not now. I can hear my Mom making dinner downstairs and the tv as my brother played on our families Wii. My Mom knew about my Asthma, but luckily she didn't really know the severity or anything and without her knowing I had put the medicine and inhaler on my own card. I tried as hard as I could to keep anything about asthma from happening when my Mom was around as it brought up bad memories. Taking deep long breaths I was able to prevent myself from having to use my inhaler.

Once my breathing was back to normal I started to think about the email. Even if I wasn't able to get a spot at the campus it still would open a lot of doors. The 'training camp' you could call it, was a lot training the horse you were with and yourself. I had a scholarship for Texas A&M in Equine science next year and my plan was that if no opportunities opened up I would go to the four year college, my parents had reluctantly accepted this. Graduation from highschool had been three days ago so high school was done and June fifth was four days from now. I could do this. I could actually do this. I started to smile, the excitement taking over. It was all expenses paid so there wasn't any way my Mom could complain about the cost and I was officially 18 and I could leave without her permission. I had money saved up and if I needed to buy anything it would do. Standing I grab my laptop and run down the stairs and into the kitchen spooking my Mom. She turned around looking at me curiously, taking in my excited state, my Mom spoke first,

"What is it honey?"

"I got invited to Stride Away," I breathed out and a grin took over my Mom's face. She had heard me talk about for years how amazing Stride Away is and how I would love for them to notice me.

"I have to go," I added and my Mom nodded, tears filling her eyes.

"I know you do Honey, It's just going to be hard having you away the whole summer,"

"It'll be fine Mom, you're gonna have Jake, David and Lil here to help you," my heart broke a little bit when I mentioned my 8 year old little sister. She, too, had caught the horse bug and usually at work I would sacrifice a little bit of my pay so I could use a lesson horse and give her lessons.

Walking around our island I pulled my Mom into a hug,

"Everything will be fine Mom, you'll see," she pulled away nodding and wiping her eyes, "You'll be amazing Bethy," I smiled sadly at her,

"I'll email them back tonight," she both nodded and I walked back up the stairs to my room. As soon as I entered I looked around my room. I had one of the smaller rooms leaving the bigger ones for my younger siblings and my older brother who was currently on a road trip with some friends having left the day school got out. He was going to community college down the road for a degree in management so he could stay close to home. Setting my laptop back down on my desk I sat down and pressed reply on the email,