ITR Excerpts

[Sadie Smith]

Chapter One - Ever Changing (2009)

Almira Viera, a blonde haired sixteen year old girl, awoke around five a.m. that Sunday morning. Allie, as all the girls called her, was participating in a horse show today. She had to be at the barn by six. She hopped out of bed, excited to begin the day.
She loved showing and she especially loved her horse, Venture. Though she’d only started working with him this show season, he was already one in a million to her. He was big, beautiful, and young, but he knew his job. Horses like him only came along once in a lifetime. Allie and Venture compete in Junior Equitation, which is judged largely on the rider. The horse however, must be responsive and cooperative.
“Allie, sweetie, are you ready to go?” her mother asked from the bottom of the stairs.
“Yeah Mom, just finishing getting ready. I’ll be down in a few minutes. Can you put my bags by the door?”
She finished up in her room and shut the door so her puppy wouldn’t get in and chew on anything. She nearly flew down the stairs, but did so quietly, so as not to wake her sister, Shannon. Allie gathered her bags and headed out into the chilly morning air. She opened the door to her little silver Nissan Altima and stuck the gear in the back seat. Her mother and father would follow later on with her sister.
She put on her “Horse Show Playlist” and drove just a few miles faster than normal.
This was her day. It was a qualifier for Finals and if she placed well today, she was a shoe-in. With Venture, she had great chances. God forbid she didn’t place, there were another two qualifiers available in the next two weeks that she could compete and try to win at.
She kept thinking about everything she needed to do while in the show ring. She needed to have perfect Equitation and Venture needed to be on his game. She had a good feeling about today.
As Allie pulled into the driveway of Finesse Equestrian Center, a sudden queasiness filled her. Just nerves, she thought, no big deal!
Her instructor, and the owner of the farm, Marla DeRosa, met her by the truck and trailer.
“How are you feeling this morning, Allie?” Marla asked as they placed her bags in the dressing room of the trailer.
“Pretty good. I think Venture and I will do really well today.”
“Excellent. Keep that positive attitude!” she high-fived Allie and led her into the barn, where the grooms already had horses out on crossties.
The Finesse Equestrian show team was big. They had everything and every level from short stirrup and novice Dressage to Grand Prix Dressage and Show Jumpers. Today, only a small portion of the team would be going. There were ten girls that comprised the Equitation team. Allie was proud to be a part of that.
Allie met Pablo, who was brushing shavings out of Venture’s tail, to see how much longer he would be. The grooms were quickly cleaning the horses up, bathing if needed, finishing braids on manes and tails, and outfitting the horses with shipping boots. It usually got very hot in the trailer, so sweat sheets or cooler sheets were loaded for each horse as well. Everything else, like saddles, bridles, grooming supplies and anything else had been loaded into the trailer the previous day.
“How is my beautiful boy today?” she asked, knowing she would not receive a verbal answer, but instead a gentle nudge from the bay gelding. Pablo smiled at her.
“He was very frisky when I took him out. Wanted to trot around a bit,” he said with a spanish accent. Like most show barns, Marla hired foreign grooms because they would work for less, but do a fantastic job regardless.
“He’s excited to be showing. It’s been a month now since he’s been off the farm. He’s raring to go.” Allie patted Venture forehead, where he had a small cowlick in the center of the white diamond shaped patch of hair. Once Pablo was done with his tail, he velcroed the shipping boots on and led Venture to the trailer.
They loaded horses and secured everything in the trailer. Six horses were going today, with six girls for Equitation. This was a qualifier for Maclay Regionals so they needed to be the top of their game. They needed to be perfect. The girls said their goodbyes to their horses and separated to their cars. Parents would follow later on in the day.
Music blared through the speakers in Allie’s car. She was driving three of the girls to the show, and they followed behind the trailer so they didn’t have to use GPS or get lost. It was a long drive to the show.
Emily was in the car in the passenger seat and their friend Kemper was in the back. Emily was also sixteen and Kemper was eighteen. This was Kemper’s last year to compete in the Junior Equitation so she was hoping for a spot in the top ten at Finals.
Emily was a lanky girl, with brown curly hair and very fine facial features. She usually rode Shaniko, or Shan for short. Shan was a dark bay Thoroughbred, who was saved from the racetrack more than seven years ago by Marla. She and Sadie, one of the other instructors, re-trained him to jump and then sold him to Emily’s family, who had developed an amazing bond with the horse. Emily still had another two years to compete in the Equitation with Shan, unless she won this year. Emily was the top Junior Equitation rider at Finesse. She was going as a groom for today as she was already qualified for the Maclay Finals. Another girl, usually quiet and quite reserved, Elsa, was also in the back seat. She was seventeen and she was an excellent rider. She would be gunning on Allie’s heels for the top spot.
As they pulled the trailer into the show grounds at Grazing Fields Farm, Allie’s feeling of nausea went away. It was all adrenaline now.
The girls who were competing today unloaded their horses and began to tack them up. Marla walked to the show office to get their numbers and a class list. Allie quickly brushed Venture once more and placed her saddle on his back. She kept the cover on it, and pulled the stirrups down so that no dust would get on the meticulously cleaned buffalo hide saddle in the warm up ring.
Marla gave the girls their numbers and they mounted up.
There wasn’t much talking with the Finesse team. Marla had taught the girls that it’s better to be quiet and thinking than loud and worrying about what could go wrong on course. If they had concerns they were to take it up with Marla.
Kemper and Elsa would go before Almira. Kemper lived at her own family farm, where she kept her horses. She had the one she was showing today, Waureagan, her Show Jumper, Tenzen, and his half-brother who was only a year old, Tibetan. Waureagan or Wario as he was cleverly nick-named, was a huge PMU horse, whom she rescued a few years back. It took awhile to train him and gain his trust, but he would jump the moon for Kemper.
Elsa on the other hand, leased a horse from Marla, named Kazmanian Devil, Kaz for short. He was similar to Venture in that he had the fiery spirit that made up most of his personality. You could point him at any jump and he would take it, long, short, or the perfect distance. He was perfect for Elsa in this way because she needed something with a lot of confidence.
Both girls rode flawlessly to the untrained eye, however, Elsa still lacked certainty at some of the fences, which Kaz made up for but you could see that he sometimes shook her up. Kemper and Wario were always loose-cannons and when it was all about precision and timing, you could see the obvious absence of such.
“Next up is number 389, Almira Viera, riding Ventura Highway. Almira rides for Finesse Equestrian Center, in Plainville, Massachusetts,” the announcer said.
“Alright, Allie, just be soft, quiet, and allow him to flow around the course with you. Now go get ‘em, girlie,” Marla said, patting Venture on his butt as the pair walked past.
Allie was excited, but she just didn’t feel right all of a sudden. Maybe it was just nerves.
They trotted into the ring, confidence oozing. Hoping the judges could see that, she picked up the canter and did her courtesy circle. Then she began her course.
The first jump was very plain with a single rail. This was to trick horse and rider and to see if they could figure out the correct distance. Of course Allie did and they cleared the first jump easily. The second was five strides away and had brush under it. Venture had no problem with that. The third, ten strides away and they came in a little hot. Venture got worried but Allie brought him back. Then came a line. Three jumps, a swoop with some yellow flowers, a bridge after two strides with blue and white wings, and two to a brushy oxer. They cleared everything. As they cantered to the next line the feeling of nausea came back and rushed Allie’s head. She blinked quickly and focused back on the jump in front of her. But suddenly it wasn't a jump, it was leaves and branches. She'd fallen from her horse somehow. She tried to look around but a sharp pain hit the back of her head and she flinched violently in agony. As for Venture, Marla was able to grab him. Something wasn't right though. He was limping. He was limping bad.
=====
Allie was tended to by the doctor on site. A concussion. Apparently Venture had pulled up when she blinked and in half a second, she fell to his left and hit her head hard on the wing of the jump. She was dizzy and her vision was blurry. It was easier for her to just close her eyes and listen to what the doctor was telling her parents.
“She has a mild concussion. Nothing some rest won’t cure. Her helmet certainly helped prevent further injury though, thank god,” he said, Allie’s parents listening carefully, clutched in each other’s arms.
After kissing her on the forehead several times and telling her to rest and she’d be fine, they left and went to check on Venture. His prognosis was not a happy one.
The gelding had been sedated to prevent him from further injuring the leg as he was in shock and quite distressed. The vet spoke to Marla along with Allie’s parents, explaining exactly what he’d seen.
“He’s done some decent damage to his suspensory in the left front. It’s too swollen for me to really take a look on the ultrasound. I recommend getting him home and in a stall as quick as you can and have your vet out asap. Once the swelling has gone down some, they’ll be able to check out if there’s any more damage. For now though he’s sedated and can be carefully loaded onto the trail. I’d have someone ride in the back with him as well, just to monitor him. For now I can give you an anti-inflammatory gel to put on that leg for a few days, until your vet comes out. I can also give you ACE to keep him quiet if you need it.”
Marla glanced over at Allie’s parents. Like most of the other parents, they were clueless because they only paid for the horse and came to shows. They didn’t know what to do.
“Mr. and Mrs. Viera, I suggest you take the horse home. I don’t think euthanasia is an option. It’s better to try and rehabilitate him rather than let him sit or retire. It’ll upset him more to be a backyard pet than to show and have a girl ride him six days a week,” the vet explained. Marla nodded her head in agreement.
“We have the capabilities to rehab him at the farm. We have a medical paddock and the grooms to watch him and -----
“Now Allie, you have to understand, he may not heal. He could be in pain for the rest of his life.”
“But there’s a chance...” Allie asked, tears stinging her eyes as she held Venture’s head close to her chest.
“There’s always a chance. But if you give him the chance it’s going to be a long process. It’s going to be months, maybe even years before he’s back to where he was. If it’s bad enough he may not even be able to jump again. He could be crippled for the rest of his life. There’s risk of re-injury.”
“I don’t care! I want him to get better! I’ll make him better!”

[Sadie Smith]

In The Ribbons – No order, just passages, very rough and unedited.

Sadie was well off enough on her own now after competing for so long. She had been awarded a full scholarship for college, as long as she rode on the equestrian team at Mount Ida. Needless to say she didn’t have to pay too much, save for books, and other extra expenses. She earns her income now from lessons and training rides. Dad pitches in occasionally, when she really needs some cash. Showing put her up as well. She could afford to have Mclain Ward, her instructor come out and stay for a week about three times a year, and then she could go to his stable three times a year as well. She would also meet him at shows. He did clinics when he came to Finesse and extra instruction. She knew it wasn’t in the cards for a relationship at the moment. She worked her butt off every day, ate on the go and was barely home, except to sleep. She never got tired of it, but if there was a change in the routine she wasn’t sure what would happen. Would it all go downhill or would it be okay? Maybe better? A boyfriend would be nice, or even a husband, but it would be awhile before she settled down.

Twenty six years old. She was a professional horse trainer, climbing he ranks slowly. When she was fifteen, her friend Lottie and she had dreams of monsters and demons. Sometimes they had flashes back to that, thinking it was real. In actuality the both of them had been in a coma for three months. They’d grown up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a small, dark, dank town called Altadena Hills. It was a small place where everyone knew everyone and everyone’s business. The girls had dreams of becoming hunters and vanquishing demons and ghosts. Their parents held on long enough that they were uprooted and brought to Boston to get the girls well. They never gave up hope and when the girls woke, they were away from their friends and boyfriends. They both made home base in Plainville, close to where Sadie’s grandfather had his champion racehorses and show jumpers. Another small suburb, where she met her second, third, and fourth boyfriends, Ryan, Enzo, and Damien. She began working with horses and picked everything up very quickly. She had natural talent and her work ethic was amazing. She worked on the stud farm and took lessons at a neighbouring farm. She competed consistently in the Junior Equitation. She saved a gelding, Dylan, rehabilitated him and won with him at the Maclay Finals when she was eighteen. She cared for one of the stallions as her own, Storm, and had a very special bond with him. Her father gave her his son, Storm Chacer, to compete on. She went through college, majoring in Psychology and Business Management. She competed on the side, had established herself as an excellent trainer, begun working with a Psychologist as an intern, hanging out with friends, going to sporting events, and even doing things with her friend Brent for his band. They met Avenged Sevenfold and had some good times with them. Brent went on tour for a while, and Sadie stayed back and managed finances for things that she could. He was able to fund a new barn for himself when the band broke up and married his longtime girlfriend Katy. Jaylen continued working on performance cars with his dad, training and importing horses with his mom and grandmother. Lottie was going to school for teaching and she maintained a small barn for her own horses and a few other peoples horses. Her brother and his band continued to tour as well as Sadie’s. Mateo’s infatuation with Sadie passed, as did Nathan’s with Lottie. Through competing and winning, Sadie was now in demand and she was receiving lessons and training from her idols, like Eric Lamaze, Mclain Ward and Beezie Madden. She’s been to Ireland, Great Britain, and Germany for competition and training. At twenty four she finished school and went into the equine industry full time. Unfortunately with the good, there is bad, and she lost two horses to colic, Storm, and his son, Storm Chacer. The two boys were the most prized and closest to her, her father, and grandfather. But there was Storm Chacer’s brother, Storm Challenger who would become one of the most decorated Thoroughbreds from Legacy Stables ever with Sadie aboard. There was also Shaniko, a horse her and Marla saved from slaughter and re-trained him to be an excellent Junior Equitation horse and Show Jumper.
Both horses went in all types of bits. If anyone could get a horse to go in anything from a snaffle to a Pelham, it was Sadie. She had the softest hands of anyone Marla knew. She had softer hands than some of the Grand Prix and Dressage riders she knew who competed regularly at international competitions. Horses of all levels certainly appreciated her hands. The Equitation girls competed on Shan with the Pelham because that was what the judges liked to see. Sadie was allowed to compete Stormy in whatever she wanted because she did the Jumpers with him. Because he trusted her so much and went in any bit with her, most of the time she used a hackamore, which used pressure on the pole and nose instead of the mouth.

Brent and Sadie often exchanged horses time and time again just to give them different feels for different riders. Sadie was a great dressage rider and she really knew how to settle a horse longitudinally, but Brent had always been great at lateral movements. One of Brent’s amazing stallions, Don Alejandro, a rare chestnut rabicano Andalusian, had been in a year of training with Sadie, mostly working on his topline.

A friend of Marla’s, Donna Bruhn, managed the farm that backed up to Finesse, Varrow Farm. It was owned by the Varrow family, who were very rich and had taken the time to carve trails and cross country schooling for both farms. Marla and the Varrows had always had a great rapport with each other. They shared everything, but always competed against each other, in a friendly manner of course. They taught all the students the value of good sportsmanship and horsemanship. The main barn had upwards of fourty stalls and it was connected to the indoor arena. This day, all the horses were out in their paddocks, unless being groomed or ridden. One of the girls, Kiana Carroll, was having a lesson on Cadere. The gelding was an unbelievably rich red chestnut and he could jump the moon. His canter was so rhythmic and even, it felt like riding a big couch. His trot was the kind that made him seem to float over the ground. He taught many of the students how to jump their first three foot course and how to navigate the difficult challenges the equitation ring posed. He was a pro at his game. His sire Cadfael had been that way as well. Cadere had two brothers, Cadmium and Cadrean, and would soon have a sister. The Cad bloodline of horses came from Canada and they were marketed as combo eq. and jumper horses. The biggest thing that came from the Cad bloodline was the richness of their coat colours, whether it be red chestnut, mahogany bay, or spectacularly dappled grey.

In Sadie’s small farm house in the back of the property was a kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room, a garage, a small sun room, a basement, and a porch that wrapped all the way around the house. The garage was for two cars, so Sadie kept her truck and trailer up by the main barn. Her other two cars, a black Acura TSX and a blue Subaru WRX, were kept secure in the garage. She rotated cars frequently, and she made sure too because one was a gift from her brother. She’d bought him a beautiful new drum set. It would’ve been easier for him to get her a horse but at the same time he knew she had her eye on the Acura for a very long time.

The mare lay still in her stall, groaning as her muscles contracted and relaxed. With one large push the foal came out, covered in goo. John patted her neck and head, comforting her. Mark, John’s father was letting his son do this for the first time. He was sixteen at the time and he was already learning to give birth to a foal. He suctioned the foals mouth and nose quickly, then let the mare take care of him, mustering the strength to stand on her own, the foal quickly following. That was the fastest Mark had ever seen a foal stand up. He nudged his mother gently, ready for milk. John mumbled something about the foal being strong and his father added that one day the horse would be his to compete and win on.

The stallion had reached the peak of performance. A big mahogany bay stallion, perhaps not as big as some of the others in actual size, but his presence was huge. His muscles bulged, his head and tail held high in the air and his coat gleamed in the summer sunlight. He was extremely calm for his breed. He was so respectful of those who handled him and so caring and careful with his riders. He was quick-witted and learned fast. When he trotted, it was as if his feet didn’t strike the ground but once to start him off. His canter was uphill and felt as though he could continue the gait for hours. He had plenty of scope and then some when he needed it. He loved trail rides and ring work alike and his favorite thing to do was lay out in the field with his two mares. One million in prize money so far had set him above par and above so many horses of his time.

He was in pain. He lay still, groaning softly as the vet came around to his neck, sticking the needle in. Just a pinch and time began to slow. Sadie held his head in her lap, caressing his soft cheek. Her father massaged his neck gently, and played with his mane. Spencer sat by his legs, rubbing his front fetlocks. As the stallion closed his eyes and fell slowly out of consciousness, he felt warm. He was numb to the pain soon and he relaxed completely into the arms of his family. Friends from all over had gathered this day to ease the stallion into the big meadow in the sky.

The inner portions of Sadie’s house were interesting to say the least. When you stepped through the door and off the porch, the smell of fresh apples and cinnamon immediately struck your nose. You could smell it all throughout the house. Two dogs would usually greet you, a male dachshund, black and tan, named Courage and a red and white Husky named Cherie. (sh-ree) There was a hallway which lead down to a sliding door to the sun room and the view to the back yard. The kitchen and dining room were on the left, next to the stairs and the hall. On the right side of the house was a large living room, with a large front window. A long couch was there, where a tabby cat would curl up, watching out the window. The house was very clean. Sadie rarely had time to be home and do much. She had amenities like a tv and microwave and all that stuff . Going up the stairs took you to the bedrooms and the bathrooms. There was the master bed and full bath and then the guest bath and bed on the other side. Connected to that was an office for Sadie’s records and her computer. She kept all of her horse’s things down at the barn. When you stepped outside the house there was a grill on the back deck and a firepit for parties. There was also a hammock and chairs. The porch wrapped all the way around and stopped at the garage, which had two cars, the blue Subaru WRX STi with spoiler, scoop, chrome rims, and chrome accents and the black Acura TSX with carbon fiber rims, spoiler, and accents. She had a small shed for tools and firewood.

At the end of his days, Storm was very quiet, as if he knew he would be sick. As if he knew that we would have to put him down. He spent his time in the bottom pasture with his two mares, who nickered to him when he left and nickered when he came back. The mares definitely knew he would be departing soon. They stayed close to him and followed him everywhere, as if protecting him. The end of his days were relaxed and all he could ever ask for.

They would only have to wait a few more months before Monday gave birth to her final foal. Then she would retire completely and live outside like a wild horse. She would get hay mostly, and grass obviously, as well as a few other supplements to maintain her health.

Sadie had a horse for a girl named Cresida Dalton to try out. His name was Oceanic Citrine, and he was a tall Belgian Warmblood gelding, dappled grey in color. He was a wonderful equitation mount but in order for Marla to allow him in, he had to prove himself with Cresida first, as there were only two stalls left at Finesse. Sadie called the girl, making an appointment for a Sunday morning at Hickory Farms, owned by Lottie Torelli, in Plainville. The horse was basically bombproof. He never batted an eye at any jump, but he was still forward. He loved his job. He was comfortable in the trot and canter, but he was still young and had some other movements to learn, like half pass and clean lead changes. Sadie worked him lightly this day, doing work on the rail with a long rein, letting him stretch down in his neck and back. Before Sadie got him, he couldn’t carry himself at all, but since she’d worked with him and had Brent work with him as well, he’s been able to swing back on his hind legs and carry his own weight and his rider. He wasn’t as strong as some of the other horses on the Equitation team but he was promising. If Cresida liked him, she would be able to lease him and do the Junior Equitation on him and hopefully get to the Maclay finals.

There was another young horse that Sadie was working with named Storm’s Marco 7. When she rode him, it looked absolutely effortless. He traveled so freely and easily, partially because of his excellent bloodlines and partly because of his training. He was so adjustable on the flat and to jumps, it was unbelievable for such a young horse. His canter was so light and smooth that he looked as though he was hovering above the ground every single stride. Most of Sadie’s horses went like this, soft and dainty, because she was very soft with them. She only pulled when she needed to and that was rare to see.

Looking back on that day, Sadie still felt like he was there somewhere. She could feel him in the wind atop the hill. The day of Storm’s funeral was sad but wonderful at the same time. Everyone from the barn who could come on the memorial ride went up to the top of his favorite hill with Sadie in the lead. She rode Storm Challenger, Storm’s son, and had saved half of his ashes to throw into the wind. He would stand atop the hill and glance over the property, watching carefully. She kept a lock of his mane and the other half of the ashes were in the barn office with a plaque dedicated to the amazing stallion.

[Sadie Smith]

In The Ribbons is about many people. Mostly in the equestrian world, but also some linked to those outside of that very small niche. It’s about good and evil. It’s about love and loss. It’s friends, family, lovers, and losers. It’s the epitome of a fantastical fictional feature. But most importantly it’s about the tale, and how these characters influence and change it. How the past, present, and future all come together to create a story that could possibly change the way you think about your own life and your own choices. And I hope it does.

There’s the woman who’s worked hard all her life, not ready to settle down, seemingly ever, but is thrown a huge choice, which may be the biggest of her life.

The girl who loses everything, who thinks nothing can go right, and is raised from the ashes of her sorrows into the crowning moment of her life thus far.

A woman who can finally be at peace with the demons of her past.

A girl who figures out that she’s not all that, and to be humble is to be happy.

The guy who was always stereotyped, bullied, and put down, all for his choice in who he wants to marry will finally get the freedom to choose for himself.

The man who married the girl of his dreams and became what he always wanted.

And plenty more.

[Sadie Smith]

It was dark as usual. She heard heavy rain falling outside. There were a few flashes of lightning and with her heightened sense of hearing, she could make out thunder booming in the distance.

The mare tried to move around as much as she could in what little space she had. The stall in which she was confined was ten feet by ten feet. The mare knew in a few years, if she was still alive, that she wouldn’t be able to turn around at all with the way she was growing.

[Sadie Smith]

Ch 1

It would be like any other day. She woke up and the first thing she did was check the clock. Her normal time to wake up was between 5:30 and 5:45. Because she lived on the property where she worked and because it was a barn she didn’t have to dress spectacularly. She would throw on jeans, boots, and a t-shirt. It was hot in the house so she assumed it was at least fairly warm outside.

She let her two dogs out and so came the cat with them. The dogs generally followed her down to the barn after they did their business. The cat was usually right by her side until she entered the barn. Then he headed for the office and sat on the desk all day.

Sadie's first order of business would be to feed the horses. She had to get the cart from the grain room. Every horse’s food was set in buckets so they could be dumped in ground feeders or corner feeders. She rolled the cart down the aisles, giving each horse breakfast as long as they stood quietly. If they weren’t quiet, they weren’t allowed to have food yet. They would get fed last. Around the time she finished feeding them all, the grooms started arriving to help turn out.

There were ten stable hands or grooms that worked at Finesse. There’s usually first shift and second shift, five grooms per shift, unless its a show day. The first shift is normally 6 A.M. to 1 P.M. and the second is 1 P.M. to 8 P.M. Show days can be very complicated but that can be explained later.

The stable hands in the morning would turn out, do stalls, water, and set up grain and hay. The second shifters would turn in, do the outside water, hay, and pick out the paddocks. In between jobs they would help with tacking up horses for lessons and getting horses ready for training. Ben, Sam, Sadie, and Marla offered training in many different disciplines and skill levels.

Sadie mostly did training rides on the Equitation horses and taught the Junior Equitation riders. She had some students in the Jumpers as well. Marla taught all the Hunters and advanced adults. Ben taught the beginners and intermediate riders. Sam was only part-time and she took on any extra lessons that needed to be taught and she also did a lot of training rides.

Sadie didn’t have any lessons until around 11 so she decided to hop on a few of her horses and get their rides in. Two of her geldings, Beau and Dylan, would get quick fifteen minute rides for tune-ups before the girls had their lessons on them later.

She took a little more time on her Jumper stallion, Stormy. He was a champion just like his father and his father before him. The line of Thoroughbreds he came from had become prestigious to say the least. After losing Storm Chacer to colic last year, she was concerned about keeping Storm Challenger as healthy and as fit as she could. Chace’s colic episode was simply a result of the weather changing too suddenly. A lot of horses colic in the Autumn due to the weather and he had unfortunately been one that became too ill to help.
Stormy, like his father, had a big personality. When anyone walked down the aisle, he stuck his head out, begging for a pat on the head and no one could help but give in. He was brawny and dark brown with a jet black mane, tail and black up to his knees. The stallion was still in his prime at fifteen years old.

[Sadie Smith]

Sadie and Lottie in High School
Sadie, Lottie in College
Younger Equestrian Girls (middle/high school)
Alicia Addleston and the girls in Britain
Mauria Kelly and the horse she saved when she was in the Netherlands (Andreas Helgstrand)
Alexis and the Boston Bruins
The Hirotashi Family
Sierra and McLain Ward
Brent’s Band
Coen and Zach moving from North Dakota to MA
Sadie and Marla saving Dylan from auction

[Sadie Smith]

"It's so weird. When I was competing under Marla when I was sixteen and seventeen I never got home schooled or anything like that. I had to juggle school, field hockey, and horses. It sucked."

"I know. Now these girls and guys who compete all all the time can be tutored and home schooled and half of them don't even have anything else to do. Some of them just sit at home all day and do nothing and then someone will drive them to the barn and they don't even have to take care care of their horses."

"That's why I like the way Marla does because they actually have to come and do work in order to get lessons and be able to compete."