This one is for you.

There are so many things I want to say to you and, even more things I want to say thank you for. I hope this letter helps you realize how important your role was in my life and how much I miss you.

I remember the first time I sat on a horse. The picture is tucked away for safe keeping. I look at that picture sometimes and see the sparkle in my eye. Horses became an obsession for me at such a young age.

I was four-years-old when I came to your farm and wanted to start lessons. I was a young girl with an unbridled passion for horses. I still wonder how you were able to channel my energy and passion at such a young age, but you did. You started me on a path to a lifestyle that I am still proudly living today.

There are very few people in my life who have believed in me as much as you did. From a young child to a high school student, you watched and helped me grow. I will always remember the importance of keeping my butt in the saddle, my eyes up and my heels down. You have instilled such a strong base for my riding career that I still think about your lessons every time I sit on a horse. The things you taught me in the saddle are countless and I can’t thank you enough for every single one of them.

You taught me that it’s okay to be scared but to not let my fear ever hold me back from something I wanted. Those big scary jumps aren’t so scary anymore. I learned about hard work from watching you. People do not realize the huge job horse back riding coaches have, I know I didn’t, but you made it look so easy. I realize now that you truly put your blood, sweat, tears and heart into teaching and running the farm. All the hard work you put in allowed me to live my dream. You also made sure we knew about every aspect of horse back riding. We spent just as much time off the horse as we did on, and that’s been an incredibly valuable lesson.

As if all the lessons you taught me in the saddle weren’t enough, you taught me so many important lessons about life. I learned how to hold my head high because of you. I learned that hard work and persistence is enough. I learned that money isn’t everything and that it doesn’t make you, you. I learned to put others before myself and that you should always help people when you can. You taught me to own up to my mistakes and to learn from them. You were never afraid to put us teenagers in our place. At the time, I’m sure I didn’t always appreciate it, but now I’m so thankful you kept my head on straight.

You’ve done more for me than I can ever put into words. You have played such a vital role in shaping me into the person and the rider that I have become. I’ll never forget the years I spent with you and the things that you taught me. I will always be grateful for your presence in my life.

This is me thanking you from the bottom of my heart.