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SIDELINESMAGAZINE | October 2026
THE AMATEUR’S GUIDE
Still Learning
By Sarah Farrell
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I
came back to riding when I was 22, after taking seven years off, and over the last
decade, horses have become so much more than a hobby. They have shaped my
friendships, weekends, vacations, finances, goals, schedule and, in a lot of ways,
my identity. (...Mostly my finances.)
So when I started thinking about becoming a mother, there was a part of me that
was genuinely terrified. Not necessarily of motherhood itself, but of losing myself.
Some might even say, absolutely horrifying.
Because for so long, “rider” hasn’t just been something I do: It’s been part of
who I am. Taking the plunge into motherhood felt like willingly stepping into a
life I couldn’t possibly visualize. I knew I wanted this baby. But I also knew my life
was about to change in ways I couldn’t control. And adult amateurs already have
enough going on. We’re somehow supposed to juggle 86 things: careers, marriages,
friendships, houses, horses and functioning bank accounts while remembering that
the farrier is coming Tuesday and our horse needs Adequan.
And now we’re adding a baby? Seems reasonable.
COURSES
& COCKTAILS
The Scariest Part of Becoming a Mom
By Gwen & Alice
t all started with a smaller local show.
Four days of showing. A beautiful
show with just the right atmosphere.
Friendly, supportive, well managed and
community focused. Exactly the kind of
horse shows we need more of in our sport.
Annie and I had a great time.
Then, with just one day in between, we
packed up and headed to the next show. A
larger, week-long show. One that has a lot of
nostalgic significance for me. It’s not the big-
gest show we’ll do all year, but it’s my favorite.
And this year, I really wanted to do well.
I’d been looking forward to these 11 days
all year and like every adult amateur knows,
getting there had taken weeks of planning.
Projects at work were carefully scheduled
around it. The family calendar had giant
blocks of days colored in with “Sarah’s at a
horse show.” I’d built a plan for my business
so it could mostly run without me. I’d said,
“I’ll be at a horse show that week,” more
times than I could count.
I knew it would be busy. But it wasn’t just
a week and a half I was hoping to survive.
It was time I had set aside for something I
loved. I wanted to be present for it, enjoy it
and completely soak it in.
For a little while, everything went
according to plan. Then it didn’t.
KEEP READING
KEEP READING
Pregnancy changed Gwen’s outlook
on her life—and her riding.
Photo courtesy of Gwen & Alice
The Amateur’s Guide
author Sarah Farrell
Photo by Totem Photographics