Champion - The Highest Honor Given

September 24, 2021

Champion - The Highest Honor Given

What does it mean to be the champion?

The thing about champions is that each and everyone has a story. It is their story. And it is a very personal story. No two stories are the same. Family and close friends know some of the highs and lows. However, only the champion knows it all.  The excitement of a good ride; the disappointment of messing up; the thrill of winning; the frustration of missed opportunities. Trials and triumphs. Thrills and spills. Winning a championship carries a whole gambit of emotions that are part of the gut-wrenching reality of the journey.   That is why ‘Champion’ is the highest honor given. Champions have weathered it all and rose to the top.

Several associations are awarding Year end champions this time of year.  Connolly Saddlery makes the trophy saddles for many of the associations and appreciate getting to be part of it.  It is heartwarming to see the initial reaction that champions experience when they receive their championship saddle in a moments time recognizing the cumulation of a year’s work and all that went into winning.  We love giving the saddles and so appreciate all the people involved in helping someone win a championship - Moms and Dads, brothers and sisters, family, and friends.  It’s a joy for us because we understand all the hard work they put into winning a saddle.  Being a champion takes a great deal of character because no sooner is a title won than another year begins! Their dilemma is how to relish in the glory but not be lost in it. How to appreciate what they achieved and still refocus on the upcoming year. Yes, it’s a mixed bag of emotions.  The expression – blood, sweat, and tears is not just a saying, it is reality that Champions experience, deal with, and prevail through… The work. The travel. The victory. The defeat.  Therefore, from Connolly’s we say, “Congratulations Champions, you deserve the highest honor given.”




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