Riding History

I started horse riding on my 6th birthday. I'd loved horses since before I can remember, and at 6 I was finally old enough for lessons at the local stables. Glenrothes Riding Stables, in Fife, Scotland. My mother told me we were going to pick up my cake, and I believed her, even after we got there and I smelled the place. I thought I was in for some pretty bad cake.

I continued taking lessons once a week at Glenrothes Riding Stables, being taught by the owner, Mr. Gilbert, until my family left Scotland three months before I became a teenager. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where I managed to befriend a girl with her own horse. I managed to ride at her house occasionally, but without any instruction.

My friend was also a member of the Desert Riders Pony Club, which I joined. The club was instructed by Frederic Bouland, who rode in an Olympics on the French Three Day Eventing team. I had very limited instruction from Frederic, as that club fell apart a few months after I had joined.

Then there was a long dry spell. I moved down to Tucson, and have not been on a horse in about 12 or 13 years. My 28th birthday is fast approaching, and I'm going to take the opportunity to try get back into riding. It's something I used to love so much, and I let it go. Ideally I'd like to be able to actually work with horses, and ride competitively in eventing. I should probably see how the first lesson goes before I make those kinds of decisions though. :)