Reflections from a Westernaire Parent

by Matt Thompson, Westernaire parent (and volunteer!)

I always get a bit reflective after a big show. 5 years ago my wife and I brought our oldest to join Westernaires, not having a clue what we were getting into.

I'm not positive, but I think we ran into some girls selling Horsecapades Show tickets at the Ken Caryl King Soopers shortly after moving to Colorado from the Seattle area and that show was our first exposure to the organization.

I remember those first 2 years, not having a clue what the different colored divisions meant, what the difference between A and AAA was, and why in the world was I showing up at 7am so my daughter could spend 30 of the next 48 hours sitting in the basement of a barn so she could ride for 4 minutes in a pre show?

One of the first things my wife and I heard at the Tenderfoot induction was how these would be our daughter's life long friends, they'd be in her wedding, etc etc. I think it sounded like the teacher from the Peanuts to me at the time.

We also heard the word "volunteer" and the phrase "get involved" over and over. Tried to tune that out as well, but one can only say "no" so many times.

Now here we are. Exhausted and fully content after her first true Horsecapades show.

I get it a lot more now. I understand the life long friends part. I watch her interact with some of the best kids a parent could ask for in the barns and I watch the relationships being built, and I understand.

I listened to as many of the graduation speeches as I could get through and I get it now. Those kids have formed life long friendships, and my daughter is forming life long friendships.

No one mentioned that the parents build life long friendships as well. I wasn't anticipating that part, and I'm extremely grateful for it.

The volunteering part? Fine, I'll be a monitor. Wrangler class? I guess that'll be good time with my kid, but I'm not committing to anything. You think I can be an instructor? Ok, I'd be interested in that? Yeah, I used to drive buses, I'll get my CDL again. I enjoy announcing, if you're crazy enough to give me a mic, I'll do it.

I feel like I do a lot, then I look around and realize everyone is doing a lot, and most are doing a whole lot more. Like another dad said this weekend, seems like there's always a kid that needs something, and there's always an adult right there who can help.

Speaking of kids always needing something...these kids really don't. They take care of each other and their things and most of all their horses so well it is mind blowing.

Teenagers are irresponsible and lazy? Apparently we have 1000 of them who didn't get the memo.

I didn't get it at first. I still don't get it all the time. And the more time I spend around the organization, the more the oddities begin to make sense.

I am so grateful for the friends my daughter is making. There are some truly amazing kids who have embraced her. I genuinely grateful for the parents who feed her, get her uniform ready, instruct her, encourage her, guide her. I'm grateful for the friends my wife and I have made as well.

Yep, it's tiring. New parents, it won't always make sense. And in a few years, it will start to become clearer.

I'm afraid a few years after that I'll be listening to the graduation speeches of my daughter and her friends. I'm not ready for that, and I'm going to do everything I can to stay involved and maximize the time I have with my daughter and her amazing friends until that time comes.