2008 Senior Sportsman of the Year

I first met Heidi when she generously agreed to loan me her horse to compete in the medal finals in 2005. Not only did that mean letting me take the horse to the show, but also Heidi giving him up for the 3 weeks before so I could take extra lessons and get to know him.

The outcome wasn't great, as he stopped in the first round, sending me over the fence alone, but it was the beginning of a very good friendship, as Heidi moved her horse into training with Debbie right after that show. We quickly found we had a lot in common, from children the same age to the challenges associated with juggling family, work and riding.

As it turned out, my experience at the Year End Show was not an anomaly, and Heidi spent an incredibly frustrating year dealing with stops, chips, and a lot of less than satisfactory rounds. Still, she remained a good sport and supportive of everyone in the barn.

Later that year, Heidi realized that her horse was just not going to work out as a show horse, and her parents gave her the best gift of all—helping her to purchase her current horse. To honor her mom, she gave Nino the show name of "Regalo de Madre" (Mother's Gift). He was pretty green, so the less than satisfactory rounds didn't go away completely, but with the knowledge that he'd learn and get better, those bad rounds could be chalked up to a learning experience instead of money down the drain.

Everyone in the barn enjoyed getting to know Heidi's parents, who became regulars at all the local shows, watching to support Heidi and their new investment. It often seemed that Heidi was more upset about not having a good round for her parent's sake than for her own. But, each show, as she got to know her new horse, they got better and better together.

During 2008, there were still some difficult rounds, but what I really appreciated about Heidi was her ability to put them aside and truly cheer on the rest of us in the barn. She was always at the back gate with words of encouragement and good luck. She made showing this year better and more fun for all of us.

Toward the end of the season, Heidi had a lot of success with Nino, and still, her parents were at most of the shows to cheer her on. What most of us did not realize, was that Heidi's mom was very ill. Heidi never let on, and although we were aware of some health issues, the severity of them was not known.. At the Year End show, when her mom's health made it impossible for them to watch as Heidi had one of her most successful shows yet, she was still there and everyone's biggest cheerleader and supporter.

Later in the fall, Heidi's mom passed away.

I am nominating Heidi for Sr. Sportsman of the Year, not because she experienced a tragedy this year, but because she did so with such grace, compassion, and caring. She found a way to balance her life throughout this difficult year, keeping her riding in perspective, and in doing so, honoring her mom and dad, as well as herself.

Sincerely,
Melanie Pennington