United States Eventing Association

USEA Member Story #24

This is the 24th entry in the USEA’s Member Story Series. Help us reach our goal of over 300 stories – email your story to Leslie.

I grew up in the good old days of Eventing when the USEA was the USCTA, the USEF was still the AHSA, jumping vests were just being introduced and not mandatory, and Beginner Novice was just being introduced to make Eventing more inviting. For my 11th birthday, my father gave me a heart rate monitor for my horse, an overgirth, Hillary Clayton's book on conditioning the event horse, and announced I was going to be an event rider. I had planned on ending up in the Grand Prix jumper arena, but after watching cross-country that summer, my life changed forever.

Before I ever competed at a horse trial, my parents said I had to volunteer with them building cross-country fences, painting, and doing anything else the organizers and course designers could come up with. Volunteering was far from torture, working alongside course designer Todd Trewin of then, Mountain Meadows, in North Bend, WA. The year was 1992, just after the Olympics in Barcelona and I had my first taste of being star struck, learning what goes into course design from a rider and horse perspective. That September, I ran my first Beginner Novice recognized event at Mountain Meadows and was hooked! I would return to this magical venue two more times in as many years at Novice before the event was closed forever.

Fourteen years later, and more than double that number of horses and attempts to remove myself from the Horse World, I purchased the partner who would change my life: Cantilator. "Tilly" is a Storm Cat grandson, by famed Washington stallion, Delineator. Little did I know that my partner would challenge my mind and patience, but also give me hope I never thought existed. Purchased at the end of his four-year-old year, we moved through the levels quickly thanks to his amazing talent and by the beginning of 2007, his six-year-old year, we were competing at Preliminary in Area VI, bringing home ribbons at nearly every venue. After a successful spring, we set our sights on Intermediate that fall at Copper Meadows. After an amazing cross-country school with Jennifer Wooten in a clinic, I had full faith that the dream of a little girl growing up outside Seattle, WA was going to come true--I was going to finally run around Intermediate!

Almost exactly two years prior to our first outing at Intermediate, I was six months pregnant talking to a friend while she started her young filly. We laughed that one day we would go Intermediate together, although her filly was struggling with physical limitations and I was unsure of my horse future. Minutes later she was in a riding accident that put her in a coma and days later she would pass away. The day I prepared to run cross-country, I was very emotional. Leading up to the event, I was very aware that any mistake could potentially kill both my partner, Tilly, and myself. We galloped around that course like it was meant for us! Upon finishing, all the pain of losing my friend finally surfaced as I hugged Tilly, collapsing on his neck. Tears poured out of my eyes. Tears of gratitude to him for taking such good care of me. Tears of knowing I had FINALLY gone Intermediate with my friend who was with me in spirit, not in the physical form. Tears of a dream coming true that many never believed in. Little did I know that fateful day in Ramona, CA would be what brought to the opposite coast, to my current life.

Nearly three years and over 12,000 miles of driving later, my amazing family moved with me to Aiken, SC where Tilly and I can continue to fulfill our dreams. We now have the addition of his full brother, Charlie, who is two years younger and showing just as much hope for the future. Tilly has never had a stop at Intermediate with a full two seasons under his belt and is preparing to run Advanced at the ripe old age of nine. We have our ups--namely every cross-country outing, and our downs-- the dressage tests when he likes to remind me that he only allows me to be in control on occasion and chooses to tear the arena down to prove his point. We are far from the end and I look forward to what Tilly and his brother, Charlie, will make possible in the future. If there is one thing Eventing has taught me, it's that you need to have goals and dreams, but remember to savor every moment. Life is precious, but the moments that give us this amazing life are even more precious. Enjoy the journey... and GALLOP ON!