15 Minutes
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15 Minutes
By Tom Grabe
Spring is just around the corner and you know what that means…longer days, warmer breezes, greener pastures. Spring is probably my favorite of the four seasons, fall being next in line. I like the Spring season because it’s a harbinger of life. It’s like someone turns a switch shifting us from the dead of winter to the birth of Spring. The flowers bloom, the grass greens, the birds chirp, and the frozen streams and ponds jump to life.
This magical season also brings about a new crop of future champions on farms and ranches across the nation. These young foals will be evaluated from the moment they are born. They will be nurtured and loved. They’ll be prepared for the day when their destiny will come calling and only then will we know if our plans for them – made at conception – were on the mark. I love watching the babies romp with their mothers, roaming a little further from their security blanket each day and preparing for the moment they will be on their own.
Spring also symbolizes the real beginning of the show season for most. There’s no doubt that many have been showing since the first of January, but the real show season – the consistently big shows week after week – begins after Spring. And there is a certain excitement that comes with the change of seasons.
That’s the great thing about our sport, for just like the seasons everything is renewed each year. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done the years prior, the slate is clean and everyone starts from scratch. We all have the chance to lead the nation, or win the National, World or Congress. And it’s magical; it’s what keeps us all coming back; it’s what attracts new participants to our sport.
The opportunity that lies ahead for all of us is unknown but attainable. We all have a chance at greatness. We all have a shot at our ‘15 minutes’. It’s time to make the most of it. Renew your optimism, look forward to a great year and forget the past because it is just that. You are all champions and you will have your shot. Best of luck to everyone in 2015.
