Overcoming Obstacles in High Hurdles Collection One by Lauraine Snelling

The idea of overcoming obstacles is undoubtedly recognized in our world, day by day. Perseverance plays a key role in this. Without perseverance these obstacles and challenges would not be overcome. Lauraine Snelling’s novel, High Hurdles Collection One, illustrates the idea of overcoming obstacles with perseverance through sections, Olympic Dreams, DJ’s Challenge and Setting The Pace.

Lauraine Snelling’s Collection starts off with an introductory section of Darla Jean Randall, also known as DJ. This section sets a stage for readers as they begin to learn of DJ’s perseverance and dreams. In this section, Olympic Dreams, DJ tells of her dream to be an olympian. “‘How do you plan to ride in the Olympics when you don’t even have a horse?’” Amy said, recommencing her discussion with DJ (Olympic Dreams 10). She has a dream to ride in the Olympics but, there is a catch. DJ does not own a horse of her own that she can ride. In order to achieve this goal that is set in place, DJ has to persevere to overcome this challenge. DJ’s dream was in reach when the Ortegas allowed her to ride their horse. When thinking to herself DJ states, “Today, just for today, she would pretend Diablo really was hers. After all she would be showing him in less than two weeks” (Olympic Dreams 14). DJ is taking the next step to pursue her dream of making the Olympics through Diablo, the Ortega’s Quarter Horse. According to her, Diable was her horse. Diablo was her only chance to ride. Yet again, DJ faces another obstacle. Bridget delivers the bad news to DJ by saying, “‘You know how the Ortegas were coming to see Diablo? They came with a trailer and took him’” (Olympic Dreams 20). DJ no longer has a horse to show with. DJ shows that she will not give up pursuing her dream. She says, “If you want it bad enough you can make it happen” (Olympic Dreams 21). Towards the end of the first section in her novel, Snelling states, “She not only had a grandfather and a whole new family but a horse of her own” (Olympic Dreams 112). In the end of this section, DJ has overcome multiple obstacles. In the beginning of the novel DJ did not own a horse. But, now she has a horse to train. Through it all DJ perseveres to overcome her challenges.

In Snelling’s second book in her collection, DJ’s Challenge, DJ is faced with yet another obstacle. DJ is challenged to train Mrs. Johnson’s horse. DJ starts off introducing the idea of training Patches when she says, “‘You ready for some training? You’re going to make a real flashy show horse someday, you know that?’” (DJ’s Challenge 14). DJ is tasked with training Patches into a true show horse. This will take a considerable amount of perseverance. DJ is seen training Patches every morning until show time. Chapter Four states, “Patches had finally been broke” (DJ’s Challenge). Now DJ had a trained horse to ride. But, after DJ trained Patches Mrs. Johnson handed him off to another young rider. Now DJ has to buy a horse of her own. She gets a lead in the right direction when Joe offers to sell his horse when he retires. DJ soon gets her horse when “she lifted the $380 to Grandpa Joe...He was all hers” (DJ’s Challenge 86). DJ conquered yet another obstacle. All her hard work paid off in the end. She has a horse to call her own. DJ has entered into her first show with Major. She has been training for ages and this moment has finally come. She challenges herself to do her best in the show. But, she gets off to a terrible start. “And the red ribbon goes to Number 61 DJ Randall,” Announced the judge. DJ received 2nd place in her first big show. Throughout this section DJ has overcome multiple obstacles from, training and buying horses to her first show.

More obstacles come in the next section, Setting the Pace, when DJ’s friend becomes a target, stress builds up and a new step in life comes. The first challenge comes when DJ’s mom says, “‘Robert has asked me to marry him’” ( Setting the Pace 8). DJ felt as if she got kicked in the gut when Lindy said that. DJ has to figure out how to adjust to her new stepdad and his kids. Things start off rough for DJ. She is barely speaking to Robert, let alone her mom. Their relationship separated further and further day by day. It took her months to warm up to her new family. Towards the end of the section DJ states, “‘We feel like a family’” (Setting the Pace 38). DJ had warmed up to her new family. Her fears had been erased and the challenge had been overcome. Amy, DJ’s friend, has been targeted by racial slurs. DJ must overcome this time in order to continue to do her best in the shows. Her and Amy will have to persevere in order to compete in this hardship. The first show “DJ could not stop thinking about Amy… she had faults in every round” (Setting the Pace 55). This show DJ got a pink ribbon. She must persevere in order to do her best. Leading up to the next show DJ helped Amy feel better about herself. The next show DJ got 1st in Western and Amy got 2nd in Dressage. Thanks to her perseverance DJ was able to overcome and win the show. Snelling summed up this section with, “She now had a functional family and the top spot in her shows” (Setting the Pace). DJ had a variety of obstacles to overcome and they were all accomplished.

Lauraine Snelling’s novel, High Hurdles Collection One, illustrates the idea of overcoming obstacles with perseverance through sections, Olympic Dreams, DJ’s Challenge and Setting The Pace. Obstacles are constantly overcome in Snelling’s Collection and in our daily lives. Just like DJ, these challenges help us become a better version of ourselves. All hardships can be overcome.