Appreciate Your Trainer – An EC Blog by Sophie King of Carson Training Center

By Sophie King

I started riding at Carson Training Center with my trainers, John and Tye Carson, three years ago. When I started riding there, I was so shy, and I didn’t really like to talk. I remember Tye telling me one day after my lessons, “You know you can talk right?”

That next week I was talking to everyone and making friends with so many people and learning so many new things! To this day Tye and John always say that she shouldn’t have said that. I will always appreciate them for bringing them out of my shell and giving me the opportunity to be the person I am supposed to be.

I started at John and Tye’s with my former horse, Rocky, and we had a lot of work to do to make him into a wonder pony. There were days when I wasn’t too sure about lessons and what we were teaching him, but John and Tye always told me to just trust in the process and trust in them. John and Tye spend countless hours helping every single person in that barn whether they are lesson kids just trying to have fun, to show kids who want to win a globe at the World Show.

They never give up on us, and will never give up on us, and that is why we all love them. Even on the bad days we all can go to the barn and John and Tye will make it better. I’m so happy I chose to trust the process because last year I went to my first ever Youth World Show and in my very first class, the L1 Showmanship 13& under, I won. I was so happy, and I wanted to split the trophy between me, John, and Tye because we all won that class. Every time we hang out with John, Tye, and their two boys, we know it will be a blast. They are the exact same people every day. Just these amazing, talented, kind, and adventurous souls who will give anything to see all of us succeed.

In this industry, if you have a trainer with the same passion as John and Tye do, you will be a winner every day in their hearts even if you don’t actually win. I just thank the Lord every day that he put them in my life, and I will continue to thank Him. Appreciate your trainer for all they do for you and for everyone they help because they are working countless hours all the time.