The turf flies up under the horse's feet. Theresa Washtock reins toward the next jump on the course. Her horse surges up the hill and leaps over a rustic wooden structure.
This is the biggest moment in Washtock's life. She's on the cross-country course at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
"Going there was the highlight of my career," says Washtock. "I've always dreamed of being on the Olympic team and this time I was there."
As Washtock neared the end of the course, she had a decision to make. She could either take the short route and clear one large fence, or take the long route to the finish, covering a few more yards but lower fences.
A rider isn't penalized for taking the long route -- it's simply a decision about whether the horse is too tired to go over the one high fence.
But disaster struck.
"I basically missed a fence," says Washtock. A rider on a cross-country course is disqualified for not attempting all of the fences. Washtock's chance for an Olympic medal disappeared with one wrong move.
Washtock rode on a team of four at the Olympics, and when her medal hopes vanished, so did the hopes of her teammates. "I've always wanted to ride on a team," says Washtock.
"But it's a lot of responsibility. When you make a mistake, you're changing three other people's futures -- people who have dreamed of being in the Olympics as long as, or longer than you."
As it turns out, it was a bad day for the team, and the responsibility for dashed medal hopes was shared among team members. Another rider fell on the course when her horse flipped and fell down.
Even though a couple of riders made mistakes on the course, it wasn't easy for the team to deal with their loss. "We had an extremely high stress level," says Washtock.
"But we had a sports psychologist who worked with us afterwards. If you've made it that far, you've already had to figure out how to deal with stress."
Every rider has had failures and disappointments. Four years earlier, Washtock was a shoo-in for a spot on the Olympic team. During trials, she and her horse worked together like magic.
"In the last gallop before leaving for the event, I had to withdraw from the team," she says. Her horse injured its leg on this final run.
It was another disappointment for Washtock, but she realizes that this sport has two participants -- the horse that has won her so many victories also makes mistakes.
"Things like that happen," says Jim Graham, a rider in Alabama. For equestrians, being part of a horse and rider team isn't a drawback.
"The best part of this whole thing is communicating with the animal," says Graham. "Really, getting along with horses is easy compared to getting along with people!"
Graham is a national equestrian champion and three-day eventer who is qualified to participate at the Olympics and other international events. He's currently riding and training a horse called Easter Parade.
"I love watching horses improve," says Graham. "Easter Parade took to the world equestrian game very well."
In addition to riding and judging competitions, Graham also trains young riders and runs an apprenticeship program at his farm, Meadow Run. Amanda Glownia, a rider from Michigan, is currently training at the stable in hopes that one day she'll be ready to join the professional circuit.
Glownia works long hours at the stable feeding, watering, brushing and grooming the horses. She tacks up horses for other riders, exercises the animals and unsaddles them when the professionals are finished.
"I pretty much do everything to make sure the horses are happy," she says.
In exchange for her work, Glownia takes her own horse out on daily rides and gets lessons and training to prepare for the professional circuit. Her horse is young, but is learning the ropes quickly. "It's going very well."
Glownia follows a training program devised by Graham that includes jumping fences, dressage training and having a bit of fun each week. "After the training, we do two or three days of hacking," says Glownia. "That's when we take the horses out for a run and get their brains relaxed."
After devoting so much time to stable management, Glownia hopes to spend more time in the field. "I'm hoping to get into three-day eventing, " she says. "There's so much danger, excitement and precision."
"She's a hard worker," says Graham. "Lots of people drop out, but a few can take the hard work."
If Glownia keeps with the program, she may make it to the big leagues -- if she can make the sacrifices to get there.