They brought us together all those years ago. I was 14 and she was 5, she was my favorite part of Saturday mornings. She was quiet and determined and totally smitten with my horse Ginger. I was trying to figure out my life and she was already convinced that horses would be her whole life. She challenged me to learn new things and be better than I was by simply believing that I was already there. She made me believe I could make a difference in the world by letting me be the difference in hers.

Now she's 15. It's safe to say the student has surpassed the teacher. Now she runs track. and barrels. She lives life with that same sheer determination that she did when she was five. She's one of those people that you just know will have every opportunity in life, because she will make those opportunities happen. She captures your attention and leaves you eagerly watching for the next chapter of the Anna Saga, living a life full of sunshine and laughter.