Weather Features

Mish Michaels: Equestrian

(WBZ) Long before I wanted to be a meteorologist, I wanted to be a veterinarian. A horse vet to be specific.

When I was growing up, I fell in LOVE with horses. I started riding in 3rd grade and rode competitively until I graduated from high school. I owned a horse named Peaceful Sonnet, a black thoroughbred with a fiesty attitude, but deep affection for me.

She is still alive --36 years old-- one of the oldest living horses of her breed in the country. I make it a point to visit her at least once a year.

Way back when, Sonnet cost $1,500 - dirt, dirt, dirt cheap by today's standards. To keep up my horse habit and help pay the horse show bills, I cleaned three houses a week, made jewelry for a local craftswoman, and maintained a straight A average. It was a great academic "carrot" for my parents to use. Riding was my life.

Before I left for Cornell to study animal science, the death of a friend's horse made me stop to think about the lifestyle I was signing up for. I had always been fascinated by storms, excelled at math and science, my direction changed. I have never looked back.

A few years ago, after several life altering events, I decided that I needed horses back in my life. I found a fabulous barn in Concord, Mass. called Stoneymeade Farm. There, I have been "leasing" a horse named Joey.
 
The lease works just like a car--you get a fancier model for less money, you just don't own it at the end of the day. I train twice a week and compete at horse shows across the Northeast. And this past weekend, I competed in the biggest horse show of my life.

Every year, thousands of horses from New England head south to Wellington, Florida for several weeks of competition, but they are not alone. Horses from every corner of the country and even many from across the Atlantic gather for the challenge. It is the best of the best and competition is stiff. When I was young, I dreamt of competing at this level, but the resources were never there. Now as an adult, with superstar Joey under saddle, I get to make a childhood dream come true.

For me, riding is more than physical competition -- it's life training. I believe the discipline required to care for a horse, train year round, and compete in the show ring prepared me for professional life almost as much as the meteorology I learned in the classroom. Life as an equestrian is an exercise in devotion--no matter what the weather, you are at the barn. No matter what the time, you are there for your horse.

In return, I feel like horseback riding has saved me in many ways and adds a richness to my life that make me want to pinch myself--I feel so blessed.

This past weekend was no exception. I competed against the best of the best. I am SO grateful to have had the chance to do this--a dream come true many decades in the making. And although I am by no stretch a "great" rider, I do really try. I still have MUCH to improve upon and still MUCH to learn--a challenge which I love.

This past weekend, one of my rounds over fences in the "Adult Amateur Hunter Division," was good enough for an 8th place ribbon out of almost 40 horses and riders from across the country. I am thrilled and, as you might guess, Joey enjoyed many extra carrots for his efforts!

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