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Regional,
Monthly All-Breed Horse Magazine • Since 1993 |
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Copyright 2011 Rocky Mountain Rider. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction of any editorial material, artwork and photos is strictly forbidden without express written permission of the publisher. For information about reprint rights, please contact the editor; editor@rockymountainrider.com.
I believe what makes a
great rider — as well as a great individual — is the manner in which they
handle adversity. When
you are faced with a tough moment in your life, do you keep moving forward,
looking ahead at a positive outcome or do you let it beat you? Adversity
can help you grow and offers you lessons in life far more valuable than any
success and when you learn to overcome an obstacle it is a life lesson that you
will grow from as a person. It is an opportunity to grow and learn about your
character and strength as a person both in the horse world and in life. In
the late 1990s, I was searching for a business partner who had integrity and a
passion to make a difference in the horse world. I met that person in Parachute,
What
I did not yet know was that he was also a man with true grit. Ron had decided he
was going to buy a horse to show in Western Trail. His goal was to buy a
green-broke horse and train it, promote it, and qualify it for the AQHA World
Show. After
countless trips looking at horses all over the country, he found a three-year
old filly up in He
paid a good amount of money for this filly whom he called Fancy, and was excited
to get her home to begin his dream of owning and showing in the AQHA circuits. Very
soon after he purchased this horse she became very ill. Vet after vet looked at
her with no answers as to what was causing her to become sicker and weaker. The
vets described it as a rare form of leukemia. The original prognosis was bleak.
Months passed as did the entire show season. Ron
would go to the barn several times a day and hand walk his horse. Grooming her
daily and spending time with her, he never lost faith that she would somehow
recover. The weeks turned into months and at a time when many would have cut
their losses, Ron continued believing and working toward his dream. He
decided that if he couldn’t ride her just yet, he could build a wonderful
foundation of trust and communication on the ground. Little by little the filly
took a turn for the better. She began to put on weight, her coat began to shine.
Soon he could put some light rides on her and so began their journey. She was
now a five-year-old and had lost a ton of show time over the past year. Ron
kept moving forward with his plan. He kept his faith and, when others told him
it was too late to qualify her for the World, he simply kept pressing forward. Fancy
not only qualified for the AQHA World Show Event, but she won Junior Western
Trail and was 10th in the World in Western Riding. What an incredible journey
for both of them. The
adversity did not beat him; in fact, he saw it as an opportunity to grow as a
person and as a horseman. How blessed I am to have known and worked with this
man! His strong and courageous belief in himself and his horse carried him
through. You see, he saw a destination beyond the devastation. What a great lesson for all of us who face adversity in our lives. We must keep the faith and believe in ourselves. In other words you must learn to see past the problem, failure can never be your final destination instead let it be a way to grow as a person and teach you to move forward in your riding and in your life. This
article is a chapter excerpted from author Kathy Valentine’s upcoming book.
Contact her at
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Rocky
Mountain Rider Magazine • Montana Owned & Operated |
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