I never get enough of competing. It’s as exhilarating now as when I competed as a child. Now， I compete in about 35 shows a year. I enjoy stadium jumping the most. Each competition is like attacking a puzzle； I must constantly calculate height， speed and distance as I move through the 12 to 15 jumps on a course.
I’ve been ranked one of Northern California’s top three riders for the last ten years， but it’s the special connection I have with the horses， not the prize， money， that keeps me going. It also gives me a real edge： I can read their faces and sense their moods. I know when a horse is timid or lacking in confidence. I can relax a horse when it’s being uncooperative. I try not to pick favorites， but some of the horses I’ve become the most attached to have been especially quirky or eccentric. The joy I feel when those horses excel is tremendous.
It’s so hard for me to believe that I can make a living doing something I love so much. It’s pure fun. Every night， I walk up the path to the 20 stalls in our stables， where half of our horses are boarded. When I look at each of their magnificent faces staring back at me， I can tell they know： I’ll be there to check on them again， first thing in the morning. With all that horses have done for me， it’s the least I can do.
我站在家里农场的竞技场上，看着14岁大的米亚骑着她那匹名叫里奥的马。作为米亚的教练，看到她和她的马紧密地结合在一起，我感到很欣慰，她能理解它的想法，洞察它的能力。骑术好说明体内有雷达，有能力理解动物的感觉。我看到了米亚和其他在农场练习的女孩身上的这种能力，因为我也一直跟我的马之间有一种特殊的交流。对于我来说，它们是我同血缘的精神支持者。事实上，发现自己的这种第六感帮助我成为了一位杰出的女骑士。它拯救了我的人生。
我出生于1961年，由于面部畸形，我的下半边脸完全走样。我的童年很痛苦，经常做外科手术，还经常受到其他孩子们的奚落。但是四岁那年，父母把我放在马背上，帮助我练习平衡（人们认为平衡对我这个只有一个耳道的人来说是很困难的），今天看来，我的先天缺陷反而是一份礼物。它强迫我体会心灵深处的东西，让我把所有精力都关注在我所热爱的东西上。