Personal Narrative: My First Sorting Horse World

Most people do not understand what it is like to get ridiculed for something that you love. When someone works hard to fit in with a certain crowd, but not accepted because they are not as good as others it can have a negative or positive impact. If someone were to take the criticism negatively, it may cause them to give up and no longer try. On the other hand, positive impacts may encourage someone to work hard to become exceptional. Working hard to become better at something is not easy, but the benefits can be tremendous. I personally have encountered this struggle. During my younger years, I developed a large interest in horses or more particularly the sport of ranch sorting. Around the age of seven I got my very first sorting horse, whose name was Skipper. Skipper was colored like the planet Mars. He was not the best horse for this sport, but he helped develop my skills. I started competing at the Vassar Arena every
In this particular arena, and in most others there were cliques. Cliques in the horse world are very similar as to what they are during high school, you are either in or you are out. I was not considered part of the clique, because I did not portray the skills they were looking for. I was younger and when the better riders would not ride with me, the words were bullets shooting down my confidence. Consequently for them, it did not knock me down but raise me up. After deciding I needed to work harder, my father bought me a slightly better horse, whose name was Sonia. Sonia had the speed of a cheetah. I began to practice and work hard every practice trying to better myself. The Vassar Arena held a competition to win a saddle and I entered. Many people did not believe I would do well, but I proved them wrong. I had won the saddle that was worth over $1500.
“Now they have to respect me and ride with me” I had sad to my dad shortly after winning the