Every time I see one of those "Above the Influence" advertisements I think "This is why I never gave in to peer pressure." As young girl (I'm 23 now), I fell in love with the most adorable paint foal at the Chincoteague Pony Swim. I begged and begged my mother to let me ride, but she wouldn't let me until I started school. The first day of kindergarten we began our search for a lesson barn. Since the first day I began riding I've done everything in my power to ensure I could keep riding. At first, my mother and I worked at the farm to help pay for lessons. Then, when grandparents helped purchase my first pony, we helped manage the farm to pay for board. While I enjoyed playing other sports in school, horses were MY sport. We scrimped and saved so I could compete at select shows every year. While I am no longer a pony rider, I still work hard to keep horses in my life. They are my passion and my stress relief, and I enjoy every ride with my OTTB, Harvard (even on his grumpy days). I am about to graduate in May with a B.S. in Animal Science, chosen mainly for my love of horses, and I am in the process of applying to graduate schools for a Master's in Animal Science-Nutrition, specializing in equine nutrition. In doing so, I hope to use this knowledge for the betterment of the horse industry, purchasing my own farm, and developing a rescue and rehabilitation facility for injured and/or unwanted horses. The picture is of my 7-year-old Thoroughbred and I (in the foreground) at a camping trip last fall. I re-trained him when I purchased him off the track and he has since proven to be a wonderful pleasure and show horse. Our next goal is to try fox hunting and eventing.