The first meet of my sophomore year was under way. Exhausted from competing all day, my horse Lady and I were struggling to clear the practice fences during warm up. Tears streaming down my face, I trotted over to my coach begging her to let me scratch. With a determined expression, she refused and sent me into the ring, red eyed. To my surprise, started well, that is, until the fourth fence, when Lady sprung to the side and refused the jump. My tired, weak legged body flew off Lady’s back my arms still clinging desperately to her neck. With a gasp of the crowd, I plummeted to the dusty ground. Embarrassed and disappointed, I drug my horse back to her stall, locked myself in the motorhome, and vowed never to jump competitively again. That day, my failure consumed me, yet now as a senior, I look…show more content… It is an opportunity for senior high students to get involved in a more competitive/team oriented equestrian environment. Riders can participate in both individual events and team events such as drill team. Drill consists of six or more riders, carrying flags, which perform a four to six minute compilation of maneuvers to music. I am on the Tumwater High School Team, which is renowned for its competitive drill team. It is both a high speed and a high risk equestrian event, but it remains my all-time favorite.
Last year, my junior year, my teammate Maddy and I violently collided during a drill practice less than two weeks before regionals. That night we went home with injured horses and injured spirits. While this moment of failure was a definite set back, my team chose not to accept defeat. We would not let this define us nor prevent us from competing. Instead, chose to trek on into the unknown events to come. What happened to the girl who gave up and stormed off to cry in the midst of trials? My perspective on failure and set back had begun its
