By: Samantha Musgrave

I heard you were looking for some horsie stories for your new chicken soup book (I loved chicken soup for the teenaged soul!!) Well i’ve been riding and showing for the past 10 years and although i’ve had quite a few fancy hunters, one horse comes to mind, and one day in particular.
It all started when i was 5…i wanted to take riding lessons so badly so i told my mom and she said she would sign me up.

[private]The next monday i had my first class, and it blossomed from there. When i was about 8, i started showing at small local shows with school horses and i absolutely loved it. Then it hit me….i needed a horse of my own. I begged and begged my parents and all they could say was “No, sam you are too young” then this turned into “ok we’ll think about it” and finally “you can have one of your grandfather’s horses for the summer” I dont think ive ever been so excited in my life, i couldnt sit still until they made the arrangements to bring my favorite of my grandfather’s trusty mares, Squiget, to the barn where i take lessons. The day she came, all i could think about was how much fun the summer was going to be, and finally it was time to go unload her.

We took what seemed to be hours (really only 10 minutes) to get to the barn and when we got there, she walked off the trailer like she had been doing it all her life.
That summer, i spent everyday at the barn, going on trail rides, “finessing” my 20 something little chestnut mare, until the last month she was there. By then, my trainer said she was ready, and asked if i would like to take her to a show. My smile must have been a mile wide, and all i could muster was a small “okay.” The day finally came and i brushed her shiny red coat until it shined like a new penny, put her on the trailer and went to the show.

She took everything in stride, and we went into the ring. I was only in there for 5 minutes but i dont think i took a single breath the entire class…during line up, i sat up as straight as i could, smiled my widest and of course, held my breath…To make matters worse, they were pinning in reverse order! They got past 4th, then 3rd. By 2nd i was sure i hadnt gotten anything, and although i was a bit dissappointed, i was still thrilled to be showing my own horse…but then wait…they had announced first! I won!

My little old mare had won! The little red horse that i had spent months with, hours in her stall watching her eat delicate little ladylike bites of hay, hours grooming her shiny red coat, and hours upon hours of dreaming about, had won me a blue ribbon. This was by far, the best day of my life.
Although since that wonderful day in late september a few years back, i have had 2 other phenominal hunters and currently own a wonderful equitation horse, the champions and reserves won at rated shows everywhere on my walls from them mean nothing compared to the blue ribbon proudly displayed on my bedtable that i won with my little red mare at the little local show.[/private]