SPORTS September 29, 2008 Issue

QUINCY AND THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

PHOEBE LAWSON

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT decisions athletes in my sport make involves finding a compatible "partner." An equestrian can't get very far without a good horse!

I've had my share of challenges making these choices. But after I began to study Christian Science, I found that applying spiritual ideas to my equestrian career changed how I viewed the selection process.

In the past two decades, I'd been supporting my daughter as her primary riding coach. She began riding when she was a toddler and eventually won the national junior title when she was a teen. We often talked together about how prayer could be helpful in the show ring.