"I can't cross the street by myself. Nor do I know what I look like. But give me a horse and eight fences, and I am a force to be reckoned with. In fact, I am the only legally blind equestrian in America who can jump horses over 3-foot, 6-inch fences.
I have been ranked among the top 20 amateur riders four times, and I have led the country twice. I was ranked as the nation's top Adult Hunter rider (3-foot fences), and in 2007 I was the top Amateur Owner rider (3-foot,6-inches fences).
When I enter a show ring, spectators tend to gather around. Everyone wants to watch "the blind girl" ride. I was only six years old when I was diagnosed with a chronic immune disorder that attacked my eyes. When I was thirteen, the retina in my left eye detached and was termed, "dead." In time, I received a prosthetic in its place.
But I was so passionate about riding, I managed to place my disability high on a mental shelf and focus instead on the competitions that had become the focus of my life. I was relieved to find that, despite the loss of one eye, I could still do a decent job of riding and competing. But a "decent job" wasn't good enough for someone with my impossibly high standards. Yet, as hard as I tried to become the exceptional rider I wanted to be, something wasn't working.
And then, one amazing day in 1998, Milo came into my life. My trainer told me he'd found a very special horse in Germany, and I couldn't wait to meet this magnificent animal. But instead of the impressive beast I had anticipated, I was presented with a filthy, emaciated animal that had obviously suffered at the hands of his previous owners.
But when he turned to look at me, I saw the one thing about him that literally glowed: his eyes. I named him Milo, after the wise-beyond-his-years character featured in the Bloom County comic strip.
Two years later, I was diagnosed with chronic glaucoma. Again, I tried to convince myself that I would survive my latest setback, but the pain in my eye grew worse as the pressure behind it climbed dangerously high. In constant agony, I had to admit that I was in serious trouble. For the first time in my life, I was terrified that my future was in jeopardy.
The battle to save my vision was on, and for eight months, my horsemanship took a back seat to my fight to survive, both physically and mentally. After a miracle, I began riding again and quickly realized I would have to rely on my other senses and my horse if I had any hope of finding my way back to the show ring. Milo stepped up and became my "seeing eye horse." His fans dubbed him "Magic Milo," and I finally became the rider I had yearned to be because of my blindness, not despite it.
Our journey is more than a tale of hope and perseverance. Though the loss of my vision could be considered a tragedy, Milo helped me understand that you don't need eyes to see. Our devotion to each other helped me realize that what some see as a disaster was actually a gift in disguise."
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