For A Horsewoman Who ALWAYS Helps

Someone very special to me once told me no matter what happens in life you have to keep fighting. To many people she’s known as a horse trainer, or a judge, and even a mentor. She’s all of those things to me but more importantly she’s my mom. The last weekend in March she was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma.

Truth is as I’m sitting here trying to write this tonight, at the end of Midsummer Nationals, I can’t help but wish her best friend was here to help me. Larae was always her first call and I know she would have been the day she was diagnosed. This industry conditions you to be strong and independent, but I could hear the fear in her voice when she went in for the first of many surgeries.

This week I was thinking to myself if only she knew the amount of people at this show that have asked me where she is, I think she would realize how important she is to so many in the Arabian horse community. I made the mistake of sending her a picture of the poles in the warm up the first day of trail and for those who know her well it won’t surprise you that I got a call every evening asking if I made it over to watch any of the trail goes.

Although I know she wishes she was here I am proud of her for staying home. One thing I know is going to be very hard on her is not over doing it. I’m hoping this amazing industry we all call home can be here to support her through this difficult time as I know she has given so much of her life to it.

I love you mom, keep fighting.