Funny, Isn't it. You wait your whole life for this moment. As a friend, I am a great Cheerleader, I can give my friends that extra boost to get them through that crunch moment, I can put my arms around them and tell them that everything is going to be all right in the end. As a friend, I can look my buddies in the eyes and tell them that of which they all ready know. " Look what you can do", "See", You are awesome, look at you. I am a good friend because I mean every word of it. But then you become a mother. Your heart stops beating as you hold your breath and tears fill your eyes as the judge says " Rider, you have two minutes."

You look up into your daughters eyes and at that moment you realize that she is so small but so brave. "Rider , you have one minute." Then you look at this amazing beast she is sitting on. " please be a good boy." you say. "Rider, you have 20 seconds." Then I look up into her eyes again and she looks down at me.." 10..9..8 you hear”... “Have a good ride baby" " 7..6..5.." As she walks into the start box...." I will." she says, "4..3..2..1..Go."

And as she leaves the start box, I realize just how small she really is. " Rider is on course." As I watch her jump the first jump, I begin to breathe. She can do this in her sleep, I say to myself. " Rider has cleared jumps 1&2" I hear over the radio. The sun goes behind a cloud and a faint breeze begins to blow. "Thank you God." I say to myself." Rider has cleared jumps 3&4." I close my eyes and pretend I am standing there at every jump. I am there you know. I am in her heart. "Rider has cleared jumps 5&6." I imagine the up coming jump in my head. "Rider has cleared jumps 7,8,&9." " She is almost home." says the judge from the start box. She knows that I am her mother. She is probably a mother too. The breeze picks up ."Rider has cleared the water and has cleared 10&11."

She is on the back of the course I say to myself. How did she get so big so quick. "There she is." A man points to her direction and looks at me with a smile on his face. "Rider has cleared 12&13, and is headed home." My eyes fill with tears. Why am I crying. "You're home." As she comes into focus, it feels like a lifetime since she left that start box ."Rider has cleared 14." As she crosses the flags, the beautiful beast is breathing steady but hard. He has done his job. He has gotten her home safe to me.

She lays down on his neck and hugs him. She loves him. and he loves her. And at that moment, I realize that I am the proud mother of her. She is mine. But as the cheers sound as she crosses those flags, I also know that a little piece of her is carried in the hearts of so many friends. I can't wait to touch her. I can't wait to hold her in my arms and tell her how proud I am of her. She looks down at me and smiles. She lets me know that there will be time for hugs and kisses later. She starts talking immediately about her ride to her friends. As She walks in front of me talking to her friends, she looks over her shoulder and smiles at me again. "Thank You God, for sending her to me." Thank you to everyone who made this weekend what it was....A day to remember.

Thank you to Kim Lennon of UCF Stables in Canton for passing this on to us.