Today, a little more than halfway through by run I was hot, sweaty, tired, and I wanted desperately to stop. “Why did I sign up for a half marathon this year?” I asked myself. “Maybe I will just back out, I can’t do this,” I thought. Then something happened. I kept going.

Sometimes the moment we want to quit is exactly the moment to keep pushing. I have had so many moments in my riding career in which I thought about giving up. And I am sure my life would have been a little easier at the time if I had, because let’s face it, equestrian is a tough sport. Whether it was a struggle in the show ring, tough times at barn jobs, or riding a difficult horse, there have always been times where it would have been so much easier to just quit. But I never did, and I do not think that I ever will. For to have any amount of success in equestrian or any sport, there are going to be struggles. I have had many struggles with Chance over the past few years. I have had trouble with my own riding – mentally and physically – over all the years I have been riding. I have also struggled with being able to afford to ride. I struggled competitively, when I was competing against people whose horses were worth more than my parents’ house. I made it through these challenges, I think simply because I kept trying.

I know that I will face many other challenges in my equestrian life, but I know that I can get through them because I will keep going no matter what. I just hope I can show the same perseverance in the rest of my runs this week!