Hey there! Nice to meet you. My name is Taylor Joy. I am one of the owners of The Champion Farm. At only 28 years old, I'm surprised that I own/run my own business, make my own schedule, and answer ONLY to my rooster alarm clocks, pushy goats, needy dogs, and strongly opiniated horses.
A couple of years ago, my life was the complete opposite. I was alone. No pets. No partner. No permanent address. Just me. I was working contract jobs all over the world. It was an unusual life style, that I never expected to quit. One year I was giving tours at the Hammer Museum in Alaska. Another year I escorted horse back riders to wineries in Australia. My favorite place was studying centered riding with Andalusian stallions in Spain. I went from Alaska, to Virginia, to Australia, to California, to Oregon, to South Carolina, back to Oregon/Washington on a cruise ship, to Spain, to Romania, and finally to.... Mississippi? Yep. That happened.
In December of 2018, I watched a very special video called Three Masters, Three Legends. I watched a man work with a horse. And I was never the same...
That was my first time truly watching groundwork. The man's name was Buck Brannaman. His incredible work led me to a Melanie Smith Taylor clinic in North Carolina. That clinic led me to Mt. Pleasant, Mississippi for a two week groundwork/jumping internship with Melanie and Robyn Miller. That two week internship led me to..... a crazy Mexican, you may know as, Edgar.
And Edgar told me I am a champion.
I remember the first time he told me. We had just met, and I thought it was a little weird. Me? A champion? I was just a crazy kid exploring this world, making a lot of mistakes. I was definitely not a champion. I thought a champion had to win awards and medals and stuff. But Edgar kept on telling me "You are a champion." So I started thinking about this special word. I realized that a "champion" is not based on what others say. It is based on YOU. A champion is any person who becomes better... Yep, it's really that simple.
Do you want to change the world? Do you work hard, think openly, or find ways to be a better person? Are you thoughtful about your actions and passions? Are you aware of your body language and words? Do you look for ways to connect with other people or animals?
Are you kind?
Are you always on the path of discovery?
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, I believe you are a champion.
You don't have to travel the world, win a medal, or save a life. You just choose to be better.
Every moment of every day.
So.... are you a champion?
I love this story!