My overall impression
Excellent, solidly written piece which gave me a glimpse into a world I never thought about: A boy living every little girls dream of owning and riding a pony ( “A pony is NOT a baby horse!”). His journey throughout the English riding circuit documents a critical time of pre-adolescence when everything is scary. A dream is realized, becomes reality and then a (scary) challenge. His relationship with his pony, Atom Ant teaches him how to care for another, observe and respect their needs, and prepares him for the next scary challenge: Girls.
Chris ushers us through this weird little world of ponies and propriety with wit and clarity. O’Leary’s direction keeps the story focused which allows Chris the confidence to relax into the telling. As my time with Chris unfolded, I found myself leaning in as I felt he was telling this story just for me. Loved it!
