My niece Samantha, who rides with the IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association) High School team at Rising Star Equestrian Center in Medway, Massachusetts, has qualified for Regionals!

Sam has been blessed with the ideal rider’s body and it was difficult for her to find tall boots that were tall and slim enough.  But that’s not what got her those ribbons that are hanging all over her room.  It’s her talent, her desire and ability to bond with any horse she rides, and her competitive nature. Sam wants to win.

Getting ready to ride

No matter what ribbons she gets from here on in, she’ll always be a winner in my mind. Knowing Sam, I think she’d disagree with me. And that’s one of the reasons she keeps bringing home the blues.

I wish that Sam lived close enough to me that I could train her myself, but my second choice would be the trainers at Rising Star, who combine sophisticated technique with solid fundamentals and theory.  Like the best coaches always do, they push just enough to bring out the best in their athletes, while being supportive enough to instill self-reliance and confidence.

No matter how many ribbons Sam collects, I hope that confidence is something she can always count on.

Bravo Sam!  And good luck at Regionals!