ShowBiz Feature
do not consider the class over until that knew each of the riders and had
every single person in the line has had been watching the line and noticed
an opportunity to walk down the row Kristen. “I will walk with you and
of tables and get just a few precious make sure you get the signatures,” she
seconds with each of the riders. The said. As they got to Mandy, Kristen
impact of shaking hands with, and was introduced and Mandy took the
having one of them say a friendly childs hand, shook it and wrote a
“hello”, will usually stay with these personal note. Chris Pratt took notice
young people for life. and spoke directly to the child and
signed the book with a note to her
Recently a young girl, 9 years old, name, then Keri Potter, Rich Fellers
named Kristen, stood in line for over and finally Richard Spooner.
an hour at the Del Mar horse show.
Her aunt had taken the time to bring Kristen turned to her aunt and said
her to the show for the $100,000 “Wow, they are all so really really nice,
class on a balmy California evening. they spoke to me, did you hear them?
Her seats were on the east side of the They spoke to me and shook my
arena and the autograph table was on hand!!” As they walked away she was
the west, so she was far back in the reading off each of the signatures
line. Nevertheless, she inched along and matching them with the horse
patiently and quietly, occasionally they rode and how they ended up in
leaning to the left and trying to see the class. She knew the stats.
around the line to just how much
further she had to go.
“I hope Mandy and
Richard will look at me
“Do you think they will say hi to me?”
when it is my turn.”
she asked her aunt. “Do you think I
should say my name? What if they
Grand Prix riders are at the pinnacle
don’t want to sign my book? I hope
of their sport and their career. It is a
Mandy and Richard will look at me
very special opportunity to sit at an
when it is my turn”. She mentioned
autograph table and sign their names
this repeatedly as she inched along.
into the hearts of children and young
The closer she got to the actual table,
riders. It may look like they are simply
the more nervous her conversation
using pen to paper, but in actuality
became and finally, she stopped
they are writing their names in the
talking at all and got very quiet.
hearts and minds of our next show
jumping generation. They are making
When her turn at the table came, she
an impact on the desires and dreams
shyly and quietly just slid her program
of those yet to come.
across the table and watched as each
rider signed it and slipped it back.
The wide eyed respect and awe of a
Mandy and Richard were at the far end
child gazing across a table at their hero
of the table and the closer the line got
is contagious, and their heroes know it.
to them the more nervous she became.
Out of the crowd stepped a lady
35
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