Re: Kids Ride Free

[Della Johnson <djsong@yahoo.com>]

I want to thank you for saying what you did about kids riding free. 
My daughter Christi is 10 and has been riding with my mother in
endurance races since she was eight.  She LOVES riding and just
completed her first 1 day 100 at the Carolina 30/50/100.  I am so
proud of her accomplishments.  One reason I encourage her to ride is
because it is something she can do for the rest of her life. So many
children get involved in other sports that once high school or college
is over (if they are fortunate) the sport is over and out of their
lives. With endurance racing, she can do it forever, or as long as
she's healthy.  It has been very hard on us though because we have to
pick and choose what rides she will attend because of finances.  My
Mom has always carried the majority of the load, but now we've moved
to Tennessee and are 400 miles away from them.  If we want Christi to
continue to race, then all of the financial burden will fall to us. As
well as the job of finding her a sponsor because my Mom won't always
be there to ride with her now.  
  As a teacher and being in the school systems I know first hand that
kids at earlier ages are more worried about boys and dating and drugs
and other unfortunate past times that cause trouble.  Christi at ten
is more interested in horses and I want that to always be the case. I
feel like as long as I can keep her in the sport I can keep her away
from those other things that can very easily ruin a young girls future.
However, very few rides even offer a reduced fee for junior riders and
it does make it hard.  I'd like to thank Wesley Crow (Million Pines)
and my Mom Lucie Hancock (The Hallelujah Ride) in the Southeast for
managing rides where the juniors do ride free. I would also like to
challenge other ride managers to do the same.  

Thanks,
Della Johnson (Christi's Mom)
and Christi & Bukkura




==

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Check out my site....

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/park/2869/xmas.html

Love, Della
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