The Pursuit of Happiness by Emma

The Pursuit of Happiness by Emma - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I have been riding horses since I was six, but it is not the sport itself that has kept me coming back all these years, it is the people. The ones who cheered me on after every fall, stood by me through the hardest moments, and slowly became more like family, especially my best friend. She is the reason I never gave up.

When I first started riding, I was a quiet, hesitant little girl who barely spoke to anyone. I did not even want to ride horses. Somehow, the barn became my second home, and horses became my safe place. At nine, I got my first horse, Cowgirl. At first, we were just figuring it out together—me, a shy beginner, and Cowgirl, a horse that was not built for jumping the bigger fences I had dreamt of. But we kept pushing forward, me falling and getting back up, always feeling like I would never be good enough. And yet, no matter how many times I fell, no matter how many people told me we would never make it, my best friend was always there. She would pick me up when I was down, encouraging me when I thought I could not continue.

I will never forget the day my trainer told me it was time to sell my horse. I could barely comprehend it. She was not just a horse; she was my reason for coming to the barn, the one thing that made it feel like everything had meaning. The idea of letting her go felt like losing the sport entirely.

In the years since, I have had several horses, none of whom have quite lived up to the bond I had with Cowgirl. I have not reached my dream of becoming a “Big Eq Rider,” and I am okay with that. I have learned something even more important—that the pursuit of perfection is not where real happiness lies.

My best friend, despite being younger than me, is someone I look up to more than anyone else. Her strength in moments of chaos is a quality I admire deeply. Over our ten years of friendship, she has taught me some of the most important lessons I will carry with me forever. She is the one who taught me how to live in the moment, to appreciate the small things, and to let go of what I cannot control.

When I reflect on our time together, I think about the little things—the way we would laugh until our stomachs hurt after a bad lesson, or how, on days when everything felt overwhelming, we would sit in silence. She finds joy in the simplest of things, and that is something I have tried to bring into my own life. She showed me that life is not about chasing big milestones or constantly striving for more. It is about finding happiness in the everyday moments, the ones we so often overlook.

Today, I ride when I can, but I do not do it to prove anything to anyone. I ride because it makes me happy, and because it is a way to connect with the horses and the memories that have shaped me. My best friend has since moved to a new barn, and though she is no longer part of my daily riding life, she remains an essential part of everything else. She is the sister I never had. I can tell her anything, knowing she will always be there to support me, no matter what I have done, right or wrong.

I will forever be grateful to this sport for bringing me this friendship—for giving me a friend who will be there for life. And though I may never reach the top of the equestrian world, I have gained something far more precious: a deep, lifelong bond that has shaped who I am today.