Anyone who has sat in a saddle has had the one horse who set their hearts blazing. That one horse that gave them the “horse bug” and set their equine career in motion. For some people, it may have been the lead-line pony they rode at a fair, the horse that they won their first horseshow with, or the one that they went to the Olympics with. For me, it was George Bailey.

I had a few horses before “Pudge” came into my life, but none have had such an impact as he has. I started riding before I could even walk, riding bareback on my mom’s horse before getting my own little grey pony. Gabby taught me all I needed to know to get started and to make my way into the show world, even making our lead-line debut at Devon. After Gabby, I moved on up to horses with “Everybody Loves Bob.” Bob was the one who I thought I would never get over. You never forget your first horse- the one who teaches you the basics of riding and how great the sport is.