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Lol this should be fun.

in only 100 words!? :O
Also does it have to be an essay, or can it be a micro story?

How about a poem?

To whom do we submit the entries?

Guess I'll be the first to take the plunge. Mine came out at 291 words.

Spring Is

Spring is life: change, hope, beauty and happiness.

Spring is vivid green leaves on lofty trees reaching confidently toward an ever changing sky. Rain-soaked clouds drenching the verdant carpet. Then, the brilliant sun beaming benevolently overhead.

Spring is riding your horse through a dappled forest trail under an intimate canopy; feeling the warmth and energy of the newly reborn world, listening to a natural symphony. A wide meadow breaks into view. Muscles coil impatiently beneath you; your horse and you, together, eagerly feeling the wind after a winter of somnolence. You give him his head and GO - it's only you and him and a perfect start to a new season.

Spring is an exuberant dog, a pond and a ball. It is playing chase me, fetch and get the bullfrog. It is boundless energy, leaping, running and catching the favoured toy. It is swimming and endless canine patience stalking bullfrogs and lily-pads, sticks and ladybugs. Bright, happy and excited brown eyes sparkling up at you with jubilant energy.

Spring is nature waking up, blinking sleepily in the bright sun after a too long winter lull. It is an osprey screaming its fierce and arrogant exaltation overhead; a red-winged blackbird serenading the world in the reeds nearby. It is rabbits nibbling sweet grass with twitching noses. Mother nature in all her splendour adorning the world again.

Spring is warm days, cool nights, new buzzing in your spirit and endless possibilities. It is joy at simply being, awe of the spectacular natural world, bright thoughts filled with limitless promise of things to come.

Spring is sunrise painting the sky more beautiful each day. It is sunset, radiant and glowing, bursting forth in a perfect finale.

Spring is life: renewed, resplendent, animated and incredible.

LATE MARCH MADNESS

A cyclone of wings boils over the flood walls.
Gulls wheel above an island that will bloom
white on rock-lined nests. They screech
defiance—or is it longing—
a code unfeathered brains cannot unlock.

Coltsfoot kicks its frosted stems into the chancy air
of spring. The year’s earliest gold, unsheltered
by broad leaves, stars the poverty of margins
where little grows. Petals, fine as eyelashes, fringe
nested cups that open for passing wasps, for future plants.

I, too, yield to the slow seduction of longer light,
as Earth’s tango tips us toward the sun.
Gull-restless, I long to thrust myself along roads
that buzz with biker swarms in the late-March warmth,
to explore what might be born if I ventured
onto the edges that line my sheltered life.

Awesome entries so far!

Here's mine :) I have enjoyed everyone's entries

Spring means the cold, harsh barrenness of winter gives way to a gentle awakening of the Earth. Everywhere you look, there are green leaves returning to the trees, and tender young grass is breaking through the ground. To our great joy, the land awakens after its long sleep. I love watching the flowers spring up from the ground and bloom. They fill the world with beauty and attract the magical butterflies that come to feed on them.

The birds return from their long winter journey to build new nests and lay their eggs. Moreover, as the warm spring days pass, you will begin to hear the soft peeps of the newly hatched fledglings. The parent birds will spend long hours gathering enough food to feed their young and will enjoy the bird feeders being full. The fields will soon fill with the murmurings of baby calves, foals, and kids as they explore their new world. The new generation will spend it’s time frolicking around much to the delight of those of us that enjoy seeing them.

Soon the woods will be full of baby animals that if we are lucky, we will get to see. In the early morning, you can see spotted fawns that will timidly venture forth to forage in the fields. The baby rabbits that rush madly around, jump, and twist in mid-air. The return of spring means hope to me, the hope of the renewal of the Earth. All around me the world is brimming with new life, a sign that life will continue to move forward. I love the newness of spring, the way that the warm sun drives off the cold of the weather. Spring to me, represents hope and renewal, a fresh start for the new year.

This is spring to me.

When the short, cold days of winter must submit to the power of the turning sun – it is as if the world comes alive again.
It’s as if nature has been holding its breath since autumn – and now finally fills its lungs again.
It’s shedding horses that leaves you covered in fur. And the happiness they show when they’re able to turn out without blankets again.
It’s muddy pastures but also the first timid flowers emerging from the soil that just days ago was covered in snow.
Spring to me is the carefull calculations, including the weather reports that has to be made to plan the exactly right time to change from spiked shoes to regular ones.
It's the long hikes where we ride on both green grass and snow depending on the altitude.

It’s the time for fresh starts, new chances and waiting for the first foal of the year to be born.

Spring

Wind whips her hair around as it bursts through an open car window. Sunroof open, the scents of spring guide her down the road, leading her to the other half of her soul. Gravel crunches beneath the weight of her silver sedan, quickening with anticipation. In one fluid movement, she's out of the car, and steps closer to her bliss.

They spot each other. Eyes bright, ears excitedly tuned in, a sweet high-pitched nicker escapes a horse still covered in her winter woolies. Feed is fetched, and the slow, eager, munching of powerful jaws commences as brushes are gathered.

Clumps of mud drop to the stall floor. A lip curls and twitches as an itch is found in its usual spot, too far behind a leg for a muzzle to reach. Long, soft, pale hairs fly through the air, and then cling to clothing, and hands, and lips. No complaints are muttered, only quiet content. Two halves of a soul, exchanging energy, love, sharing a heart beat.

Her hands become caked in a layer of grime, essence of equine. And even though the feed is long gone, not a hoof has moved. She pauses, glancing at the piles of hair that have been shed, lying dead on the sawdust. Then she sees it, the magnificent gleam of gold that's been hidden beneath the dull of winter.

She moves to the door, her fingers barely have to brush the latch before the once dazed mare fires to life and rushes to greet the outside world. The door is swung wide open, and with a burst of exuberance, hooves pound the ground and wave to the sky. Spring has sprung.

Breaking Point.

Break: to shatter, burst, or fracture.
This is the ice, finally receding: icicles falling from rooftops; sheets of ice, once solid beneath the snow, cracking as they lose their strength to the sun and warmth; and snowmen, falling to pieces.

Break: to separate into parts or fragments, especially suddenly or violently.
This is the water, running again: rivers pushing their way through ever-widening gaps; streams that only exist during snowmelt, bursting their way down to the racing rivers; and rain, splashing as it hits the pavement and splatters rather than resting, frozen.

Break: to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of.
This is the ground, suddenly disturbed: plants pushing their way through the soil, where they’ve laid hidden all year; animals, leaving tracks on the freshly revealed ground; and people, digging into the ground to spur new growth.

Break: to put an end to, overcome, or stop.
This is spring, ending the winter’s cold and dreary rule with sunlight, warmth, and longer days.

Winners will be announced later tonight. As a thank you for your time and entering, everyone will also be receiving a consolation prize as well.

I am very pleased with the quality of entries. Everyone did a good job!

Thank you again everyone for your entries. Everyone truly did very well. I've taken the time to look over everyone's entries and have picked our winners out!

Our two runners-up are Kat8805 and True North Acres. On top of the 100k you will be receiving, I'm also giving both of you a guaranteed intact straw from any of my stallions (excluding Satin, Ice 2 and Ice 4).

In addition to our main winners, I asked my husband to look over everyone's entries and pick his favorite. He was unable to decide between Kat8805 and SandyCreekAcres. He thought you both did a great job. I am giving you each 50k and also a guaranteed intact straw from any of my stallions (excluding Satin, Ice 2 and Ice 4).

Our grand prize winner is HiLo. You will be receiving the mare above from Visions and 500k from me! I loved reading your entry and enjoyed the way you applied the different definitions for break. I am also giving you two guaranteed intact straws from any of my stallions (excluding Satin, Ice 2 and Ice 4).

Lastly, for entering, everyone not mentioned above will be receiving 25k from me.

If everyone could please reply with the ID# they'd like their prizes sent to and stallion names for those who won straws I would greatly appreciate it! I will send prizes out as soon as I know where to send them. HiLo, Visions should get in touch with you tomorrow to arrange transferring your mare!

Congratulations everyone and thank you again for your entries.

I'll be singing yours all day now Gizmay LOL!

everybody's essays were so great! Congrats to all the winners :D
my id is 133971 :)

Thank you so much! My ID is 213364. I'll have to look over your studs when I'm fully awake, only up because sick babies :(

Congratulations everyone! These were all fantastic!

Finally looked through your boys. Could I possibly get both straws from this boy? http://www.huntandjump.com/horse.php?horseid=2033113

Thank you very much 215251. Congrats to the winners I had fun taking part in this contest. Thank you for hosting it and being very generous.

Everyone has been paid up to here besides Kristin. I am going to PM you Kristin. Your account is less than two months old so we need to work out another way for you to get your payment.

For straws, just post here when you've decided who. Kat, I will send your two over in a bit.

This was a GREAT idea for a contest, and I loved writing my little poem! Congrats everyone, and my ID # is 186992 :D

i enjoyed it every one had such good ideas. # 56594

I'd love a straw from this boy, please.

http://huntandjump.com/horse.php?horseid=2892065

ID: 137592

Thank you very much.

I noticed his new name. :D Looking forward to using the straw, but not tonight. It's been a long and busy three days leading up to Easter, and I'm tired.

Thank you very much.

Sending your prize money now!