Finding the ONE!

Someone asked me how do you know when you look at a horse if it has what it takes to be a winner.
I thought about the question and thought to myself.....I don't know. There are so many ingredients that go into producing a winner and just when you think you have the answer and you show up to the jog at Rolex all of your answers are proven wrong. Conformation.....it helps but some of the most winning horses have terrible confirmation. I think it's desire and heart. The want to keep going and the heart to go and try harder when the going gets tough.....and most importantly the partnership. I just recently took a clinic from a very good friend of mine and he said to me.....Tamie don't forget about how much you love riding. How much you love your horses. You get caught up with running your business that it seems as though you forget about the important piece to riding and that's compassion.
It immediately broke my heart. I thought to myself I do love my horses, and I do love riding. But he was right.....I have a very compassionate side to me as well as a very competitive side. I have to remember the one key ingredient to becoming successful and that is a great partnership. I had a wonderful partnership with a horse by the name of Pavarotti. A Trahkehner stallion that at the beginning of our partnership was very difficult. As time went on he became one of my best friends. He accomplished things because of his heart and my compassion for him. We had a wonderful understanding. And because of his extraordinary effort to please me, I had more trust in a horse than I have had in a long time. I recalled my partnership with him because that horse was 10 years old and never jumped with a rider on his back before He came to me. He went from standing as a stallion on a small farm to the 2* level in a little over a year with the help of Allen Clarke, an Australian horse trainer like no other. His ability to learn was like no other horse I have met, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to ride such a wonderful horse.
That partnership took us to top 5 placings in almost every event we entered. I always knew I could count on him and he always knew he could trust me.
So when someone asks me next time how do you know when you have a winner, I will say, when you have a horse with a heart to try and a desire to push through difficult tasks it gives you the most unimaginable partnership. That's how you know you have one that has what it takes!