Some times this happens when you least expect it! I would like to tell you a story about how one person's friendship and acceptance impacted my life tremendously! I believe we all are capable of helping others this way. First I would like to say by acceptance I do NOT mean condoning or supporting bad behavior, which leaves a lot of gray area I know! Rather when I made a mistake this friend for example would tell me, but I always knew they still cared and were acting with love and friendship.
I am not going to bore you with too many details or mention their name, because they now how thankful I am and they don't like to flaunt their good deeds. They, as I do, believe instead that good deeds should be done solely because they are the right thing to do, and not because of what they might gain.At the end I will give you a few hints though.
I was living in Newport Beach California in 1986 with my brother and I had almost lost hope of keeping horses a part of my life. Someone who heard I liked them told me about a barn that was looking for an assistant trainer so I went and checked it out. The trainer there said I must have been from the East Coast my equitation was so good and said I should see someone at the Orange County Fairgrounds for a position, so off I went. The first trainer I met with didn't even see me ride and only needed stable help, but he referred me to another couple who were also running a lesson business there.They did see me ride and offered to have me teach some beginner lessons in exchange for lessons and possibly a little pay. After a short time the young woman I was supposed to be replacing decided to stay which meant while they wanted me to stay they could not afford to pay me. I understood this happens in the horse business, but I was unable to continue without pay. I was very frustrated. Then my father had his first heart attack and was told he had Cardiomyopathy which is a heart condition that his doctors felt along with other factors only give him a short time to live. Their best guess was 2 years, he lived 4 1/2 and if you have been following our blog you have already read about his last day. Upon hearing this news I decided to move back to Monkton, Maryland, my parents home.
I was reading The Chronicle of the Horse and there was an ad for a working student position with an FEI Grand Prix Dressage trainer as a working student in Monkton! I thought wow this might be great! I had never ridden a Dressage test, but thought this might be fate telling me something. So I gave it a try. My dad went into a special program at Johns Hopkins where they were doing research on new medications for his disease and he was doing well.
The horses were amazing and the trainer a very gifted and knowledgeable rider, but the day to day atmosphere was very negative. They were always yelling 24/7 about everything, and with everyone, even family. They must have been very unhappy about something? One day someone was coming to see a horse for sale. I was told they were very important. I had no idea how important they would be to my future as a rider and a person. It was a man who was a vet and a husband of an Olympic Dressage rider and Trainer. A working student of him and his wife's accompanied him... I was asked to ride the horse a little. It was embarrassing for me, because the trainer put the horse in long side reins. I felt I could have ridden the horse perfectly well without the reins, but no one seemed to care and our esteemed visitors were quite complimentary, and they stayed for lunch.I was quite taken with the positive energy the working student had. I had never met someone who brightened up every thing in this way. After they left I got in touch with the working student I asked her a million questions. We quickly became friends and she helped me decide to go to Westmoreland Davis Equestrian Institute and helped open numerous doors for me, but most of all she offered a rare friendship, acceptance, and emotional support. The mere sound of her voice ignites a warm and wonderful fire in me to this day, and the belief that you never know what each day may bring. What seems impossible just may be possible! She married another great friend of mine who has a quieter more relaxed demeanor, but is also very special in this same way. If you haven't guessed who I am referring I give these 3 hints. She was a young rider national champion, she won the AHSA now USEF Sports person of the year award as a junior! (an award given for good sportsmanship!) and her Birthday was yesterday!!!
If she reads this I do want to say one million times Thank You for all you have done for me and just being you!!!
I hope this has brightened your day and helped you in some small way.
Sincerely,
John
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