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by Dennis Bright Last weekend we held this year's first Youth Horsemanship Clinic here on the ranch. It was a nip and tuck race with the storm front that was moving in on us, but for once our luck held and the steely gray clouds gave way to sunny skies by mid-afternoon. Something special happens for me when I teach children, perhaps it's because for a brief period of time, I revisit my own youth and the wonderful memories of my early horse experiences. This was especially highlighted when a childhood friend of mine, Pat Cross, brought his daughter Libby to the clinic. Talk about a reality check! I couldn't believe it had been over 20 years since we'd last seen each other. Our parents met back in the 1960's when they competed with each other as members of the Santa Clara Valley Pony Racing Club. Yes, they really did race those ponies as trotters, just like the big horses! My first pony, "Melody", was a beautiful black Shetland mare that my parents, Dennis and Sylvia Bright, bought for me as a Christmas present from Fern Feldman. At the time, she raised show ponies at her ranch off of McKean Road in south San Jose. I was seven years old and wasn't quite ready to handle "Melody" on my own, so my parents had her trained to drive and pull a cart. It was then that my mother realized my pony's potential as a trotter, which began her racing career. Our racing colors were red and white and it was quite a picture watching Mom outfitted in her racing silks and "Melody" with her mane and tail flying as they blazed around the dirt race track against the other teams. My mother raced "Melody" for two seasons and I was their groom. My responsibilities included feeding, grooming and harnessing my pony to the cart for her daily workouts. By the second season I was exercising her all on my own. It was quite a thrill for me as an eight year old to race the wind with my very own black beauty. Our Youth Clinic was the first opportunity for many of the kids to be around horses, which made for some interesting commentary. One of our students, Eric, was asked what he would like to learn about horses and he replied, " I've never even seen a horse up close before!" By the end of the day, Eric was riding one of our lesson horses and wearing a grin from ear to ear! Another student, Michael, was a bit nervous when it came for his turn to ride a horse for the first time in his young life, so I asked him how he felt. He said," OK, but this horse sure is tall!" The star of the day for the children was a wonderful miniature horse, "Tate", owned by one of our adult students and instructors for the day, Terri Stinson. This little horse stood all of 36 inches tall and is fully grown! He was terrific with the kids as he helped them learn how to lead and stood by patiently while they learned to groom. Looking back now, I truly understand the gift my parents gave me and how it helped to shape the person I am today. The early experiences gave me a sense of responsibility and the pride of accomplishment that came with caring for my horses. That was the message I shared with the parents on the morning of the clinic. As a parent, you just never know exactly what activity, hobby or event will spark an interest in your child that may help them as they journey through their life toward adulthood. I know we can all agree, our children need as much help and care as we can give them. Last modified: Sunday, July 28, 2002 |
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