USEA MEMBER STORY # _____

Used with permission of the
photographer - Yokinaphotos.com

The USEA wants to know about me... (and every other member, I'm sure).  My tag line here and in Facebook is "I am an Amateur Owner.  I work a full-time job and manage to ride 5 days a week.  I make mistakes, pick myself off the ground, dust the dirt from my shoulders and I try again.  Life is good!" 

I was a true barn rat as a kid.  No one in my family (immediate or otherwise) had any interest in horses, not one bit.  My passion must have been inherited from my Irish ancestors, lost for just a couple of generations.  So, at 11, I hunted horses down, did almost whatever anyone asked me to do for the pleasure of riding their horse.  Looking back...  at some barns, I was slave labor but I did get to ride!

I went to watch the Essex Horse Trials sometime in the mid 80's.  Everything about it captivated me...  the roads and tracks, the vet box, the XC course, the sweaty, elated competitors and their amazing horses.  Now, that was a sport that I wanted to be involved in...  elegant dressage, wild and free XC and powerful show jumping.  So the dream began.

A million years later, at age 44, I just happened to return to riding and the barn was primarily an eventing barn.  Dreams do come true....

Eventing, for me, is my football.  I follow the Upper Levels like the most passionate football fan.  I am lucky to keep my horse at a barn where the owner does the same.  If we had the equivalent of baseball cards for the horse/rider pairs, I am sure that the two of us would collect and trade them. 

I also follow my friends...  those that compete here in Area 1 and my growing number of Eventing Buddies on Facebook.  We cheer for each other ...  Live Scoring rocks! 

Who am I?  My outerwear is a 50 year-old Insurance Consultant covering the heart of a 16 year old horse crazed girl.  (Luckily for me, I have the income of a 50 year old 'cause horses are not cheap.)  Giving back to this sport I love is important, I volunteer as often as I can and I make small donations to the Young Riders, USEA Foundation, Area 1 and to some Horse Trials.  In order for Eventing to continue, we must do what we can to support its future.

Used with permission
Connecticutphotos.com

My horse, Fame and Frolic (aka Sugar), is a 16.3H registered Oldenburg NA mare (by Hall of Fame/DWB out of Four Frolic/TB).  I bought her from the breeder at age 5.  She was born and trained to be an Event Horse.  As I learned this sport, she was competed by professionals through Prelim and with me, BN and Novice.  We do everything...  Foxhunting (first flight), Dressage, Hunter Paces and I have been known to take her on vacation with me.  For the last six years, we have made a perfectly imperfect team.

Dreams do come true...  This year, as our season begins, I have some...  Area 1 Novice Championships (Qualified), Area 1 Team Challenge, AECs (Qualified), move up to Training and, then who knows?  The possibilities are endless...