Over a fence, over the limits
Fernanda was young when she first saw her father horse jumping. Watching him fearlessly leap over fences was intriguing; it was no surprise she found herself wanting to try it out. Since her father couldn’t find time to teach her himself, when she was eighteen, she took charge of her interest and started to take lessons. As soon as she turned twenty, she began begging her father for a horse of her own. Fernanda’s father allowed her to ride his, but only if she agreed to sign up for the national competitions, held once or twice every month. Though the fright towards facing new challenges tried to hold her back, Fernanda accepted the conditions in order for her to obtain her great desire of owning a horse and got going with her practice.
The horse’s name was “Alles Klar”, which meant “alright” in German. Unlike the name may suggest, nothing started off ”alright”. Alles Klar would always trot and gallop away whenever Fernanda attempted to sit on his saddle, but after numerous days of failure, she at last managed to sit on him. She never realized, however, that this was just the beginning of a long journey. Every single time they practiced running along their course, she would hesitate to jump over the fence and stumble to the ground. Since she believed her mistakes were not her responsibility, Fernanda kept on blaming Alles Klar. With her overloading irritation, confusion, disappointment, and, honestly, some guilt for her horse, she often thought about quitting.
Fortunately, one day while watching her friend practice horse jumping, Fernanda suddenly realized how she wasn’t listening to the advice people gave her. She was right-thinking herself, closing her mind, doing things in her own way. With the help of her friends and teachers, she reminded herself how horses are sensitive animals. They are terrified of getting yelled at, being abruptly touched, and the dynamic gestures humans make. They are like mirrors; their attitudes reflect the way they get treated. Horses have their two eyes on the sides of their face; they need to trust the person on their back to run straight forward.
When Fernanda pulls back in front of an obstacle, of course Alles Klar would give a halt as well. After her consciousness, Fernanda tried to be more careful about her moves, acting more delicately and controlling her emotions, becoming the one to confidently guide Alles Klar over the fences. Then, things changed drastically, as though it was the start of something new. The two started to work as a team. By obtaining a flexible mindset, even if her competitions didn’t go well, she was able to rise every time she fell. And finally, after loads of practice and even with an injured back after attending every contest, she won the national competition in her category. It was the most beautiful sensation she had ever felt. Her year of hard work had been paid off; she never knew accomplishing her goal would bring such sparks of joy. The father she used to watch jumping freely was now herself, fulfilling her dreams.
After interviewing her, I can tell how horse jumping has changed Fernanda’s mind and encouraged her to challenge herself, listen to others, and to never quit because of the anxiety she felt about the future. And rather to enjoy the moment itself. It taught her she must lose fear, and push herself until the very end. She is now part of the administration department at Colegio Roosevelt. Working as a communication assistant, she connects all members of the school community by taking pictures, being in charge of homepages and calendars, and scheduling some events the school hosts. “It truly means my happiness”, Fernanda excitedly says. The memories with Alles Klar never fails to grant a smile on her face.