No whining, no complaining, and do what Maryben tells you. Those were the rules I found out about on my first meeting with Maryben Stover -- my first introduction to the wonderful sport of endurance". I met Maryben through (the great) Becky Hart and Judith Ogus, who I had been taking riding lessons with for five years.

Being a junior is no easy feat. If you're a good one, you have to open gates, haul buckets of water and trot horses out. But it's paid off well -- you get the best prizes and get to ride with the coolest people!

My first real endurance ride, after doing two LDs, was the Camp Far West 50 [West Region] which I was going to do on my very first horse ever, Nuvo. Maryben, Katie -- her former junior -- and I loaded up and took off.

We got to the ride and walked around after checking in and saw this camp with a TV. Maryben said, "What kind of campers bring a TV with them?" Then she noticed that NASCAR was on. Guess where Maryben ended up?

I rode with Hugh Vanderford and completed. I have to admit this was probably one of my best rides ever. I was hooked. I loved this sport where we wake up in the wee hours of the morning and put ourselves through insane torture to comfort our horses.

I went on to do many more 50s and then came my next feat, riding as a unsponsored junior at my second attempt at a 100-mile ride, Git-R Done [Pacific Southwest Region]. This was also my first FEI ride!

I packed up my horse Tyson and went with my loyal and amazing crew who also is my best friend (boy, was she in for a shocker). We drove down with Becky and Judith to Inyokern, in the middle of nowhere. At ride camp everything was buzzing.

Keep in mind I am doing a FEI ride, so minimum weight is 165 with tack. I weigh 100, so had a weighted saddle and drank plenty of water and Gatorade for the six o'clock weigh-in. When 6:00 p.m. came around the weigher-inner was late. I had to cross my legs because I had to pee so badly.

When the weigher arrived, Fred Emigh graciously helped me carry my saddle to the scale. I made weight, dropped my saddle and ran to the bathroom, which had to have been the funniest thing ever.

So the ride started and we went. I attempted this 100 a few months earlier and got pulled at 93 miles. This time around I got to 87 miles and at trot-out my horse seemed lame. I freaked out. Becky, Maddy, and Lori took control. I tried not to start sobbing while they walked him.

Fred walked up and said, "I'll see you on the trail." My response was, "If I make it out." He then said the best thing anyone could've ever said to me: "Not if, when you go back out." We did a recheck and made it through (yay, yay, yah!).

I went on to walk the last loop of 13 miles by myself in the dark but I finished -- and came in 13th too! It had to have been the most emotional ride for me so far.

So here is some advice for all you juniors and even adults: never give up, do what you're told, and make a good name for yourself because in the end that's what you'll have, the respect people give you. Trust me, you don't want to be known as a stupid, annoying, irresponsible junior.

Remember, even if you don't finish one time, you will someday. We all have bad luck. You win some and lose some; it's what you make of it that matters.

First and foremost, always put your horse first. He didn't choose to be here, you loaded him in the trailer and you ride him. Your horse matters most if you want to stand a chance of finishing!

Oh, yeah, don't forget to smile, breathe, relax and have fun. That's the whole point of this sport, right?