Somewhere between sitting on the pinto pony who stood dutifully saddled by the side of the road, offered up to all takers for a price (my parents paid $5 that day...little did they know how slippery was the slope...) and my first time galloping full tilt toward a drop into water on a cross-country course, the tiniest of dreams sparked.
Someday, I could be in the Olympics.
I wonder if equestrian is the one sport where a child born without the "elitest" of elite athletic ability might be able to nurture that dream, and with hard work and passion, actually come close to realizing it. Because, of course, with the right equine partner (and a few other key ingredients), there's a chance.
Maybe it is the remnants of that old dream that lead me to look forward to Olympic years with such keen anticipation. Maybe its some feeling of "it could have been me" that makes the incredible feats of the Olympians themselves--in all sports, on grass and on snow--resonate so deeply. Whatever it is, I know I'm not the only one who feels a sort of happiness that is completely bound to the successes of the US performance on this singular word stage. And I've cried, too, at the falls and the failings. The Olympics are an emotional two weeks for many of us.
(*Top photo of 2016 US bronze-medal Olympic Dressage Team by Cealy Tetley; photo above of Beezie Madden and Authentic at the 2008 Olympics, where she won team gold and individual bronze, by Nancy Jaffer.)
In the end, the closest I can come to being an Olympian is watching them, yes, but also reading their words, and the words of those who have worked closely with them to help them attain their dreams. Perhaps my Olympic dream DID come true, in that TSB helps tell Olympians' stories and share their expertise so today's young riders can feel that same sort of hope and glorious anticipation of what just might be possible that I did.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics set to open on Friday, we are going to spend the next two weeks celebrating our long list of Olympians and Olympic coaches and grooms, at the same time we celebrate the excitement of the events themselves. Visit our Olympic Collection for an idea of some of the books you can read to learn from the best of the best, and the stories behind their successes. (Purchases over $50 through the weekend of Opening Ceremonies at our online bookstore TrafalgarBooks.com are automatically entered to win an autographed copy of one of our Olympic Collection books!)
We are wishing all our equestrian athletes and their horses the best of luck in France, and we hope this year's Olympics, and the many wonderful books Olympians have written, help a new generations of dreams begin.
Trafalgar Square Books, the industry authority in equestrian publishing for almost 40 years, is a small business based on a farm in rural Vermont.