I taught high school seniors for ten years. Ya'll--it's rare that you come across a girl as classy, genuine, and kind-hearted as Susanna is! I first met Susanna out at the Dabney Farm. She was one of the instructors. She always had a smile on her face and a kind word to offer any time you passed her in the barn. A few months later, my daughter tried out for the pre-jv drill team at Dabney Riding Academy...and made it. Susanna was her coach.
You don't often see Susanna without Waylon, her Great Pyrenees at her heels. Waylon has become the barn mascot and even rode in the Christmas parade with some of the girls on the Diamond D Cowgirl float (complete with a Christmas bow). I asked Susanna how she had come up with his name. She told me she loved Waylon Jennings and his music, so she named her dog after him. If Waylon can't be found hanging with Susanna, you can probably find him napping in one of the empty horse stalls in the barn, or if he's lucky, in the air-conditioned office.
Susanna just radiates happiness--you can't be around her without smiling. Not only is she an instructor and coach at Dabney Riding Academy, but she is also on their Professional Drill team--The Diamond D Cowgirls--and she often travels with them performing across the country. This classy cowgirl loves her teammates, her family, and Jesus. She's very involved in her church, and she lives her beliefs. Her faith is an integral part of who she is, and I am beyond thrilled that she is teaching my daughters...I want my girls to grow up to be strong, classy, faithful women who aren't afraid of hard work...and Susanna is a perfect example for not only my girls, but the many other girls who ride at Dabney Riding Academy.
