by Trey Nosrac

Series introduction is here.

Part 1 is here.

Part 2 ishere.

Part 3 is here.

Part 4 is here.

Part 5 is here.

Part 6 ishere.

Part 7 is here.

Part 8 is here.

Part 9 is here.

Part 10 is here.

Part 11 is here.

Part 12 ishere.

Part 13 is here.

Part 14 is here.

Part 15 ishere.

Part 16 is here.

Part 17 is here.

Part 18 is here.

Part 19 is here.

The Diary of Bridgette M was unique content for a harness racing column. I appreciate HRU offering the format for me to present the story, and thanks to those of you who read along. Also, thanks to those of you who touched base. You may be interested in learning that while the series’ characters, horses, facilities, and situations are fictitious, they represent real people and events. Many words are verbatim from people in the horse racing and addiction worlds.

There are no silver bullets in addiction treatment. Recovering is a complex journey with a happy ending never assured. However, a pair of scientific research studies in the past decade using equine-assisted therapy compared to traditional therapies reported positive results that indicate treatment along the lines in The Diary of Bridgette M. has a place in the battle against addiction.

The weekly format for presenting the story in single episodes was clunky for our fast-paced entertainment world. However, a little trivia — although you may not realize it — you’ve probably read a book or watched a movie based on a book initially published as a weekly or monthly series: The Picture of Dorian Gray, A Farewell to Arms, All Quiet on The Western Front, Bonfires of the Vanities, Sex and the City, In Cold Blood, etc.

Still, reading stories in individual installments over a long period can be cumbersome. A disjointed presentation makes it challenging to follow storylines or characters. Therefore, we condensed the 20 parts into one file, allowing binge reading. A single file should make the story more accessible for anyone new or referred. An outstanding feature of HRU and current technology is that columns are easily archived. At the end of this recap, you can find a single file placed in the Breaking Stride archives here under the heading: The Diary of Bridgette M., The Complete Story.

The condensed file will linger on the HRU site as a free tool. Should you, or anyone you know, be fighting the sobriety battle, all you need to do is click on a single link, and it will be available. Should a single person find a kernel of hope, interest, recovery, or a business model in the unusual tale, that will be gratifying.

Under consideration for next winter is a sequel that takes the main characters and slips them into the world of breeding farms, racehorse retirement, and philanthropy.

Cheers,

Trey

P.S. Next week, Breaking Stride will be breaking into show biz.