Texas Rose April Horse Trials was a fun time! Tonic was drafted into the role unprepared but we survived. Although he barely canters without significant encouragement at home and is a quiet lazy lug, he turned into an insane crazed fire breathing dragon for dressage. What a change for me (NOT)! Regardless, it really was fun and I am SO proud of him. We came home with a shiny purple 7th place ribbon.
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Recently my husband and I decided to do a local "fun-run" held at a brewery right down the street. I have always enjoyed a good run, particularly the kind where I'm out there alone on the street or trail, just feeling my feet hitting the pavement and feeling the beat. I enjoy conquering my own limitations and pushing myself, just one more mile, one more minute, one more mailbox. In high school I always sort-of enjoyed running and even once signed up for track. My stint as an almost track star only lasted a few weeks until I realized the daily after-school practices were seriously getting in the way of my riding, and I was out of shape and not nearly as fast as everyone else who had been practicing since middle-school. My legs hurt, it was harder to ride both physically and with the reduced time, and I wasn't good; so I dropped out. As a kid, I also dropped out of soccer after my team only managed to score one goal all season (against ourselves nonetheless). I dropped out of gymnastics after I could never land a back handspring. I dropped out of ice-hockey because the lack of sleep from the early-AM rink times made me feel pukish all day; and I even dropped out of playing the flute after it gave me a mustache-rash (nickel allergy). I'm not very good at sticking with things I'm not good at. I have reduced all my efforts into one single hobby: horseback riding, and there's not room for much else in my life except family (but that's a whole other post...). I have never given up horseback riding despite incurring major injuries that have put me in the hospital, making a fool of myself in front of many people, and loosing many many more times that I've won. I'm not a particularly good horseback rider, but I am damn persistent and I am always trying to learn and improve! The timing of this run was not ideal as I had also signed up for a Mary D'Arcy clinic that same weekend, had a heavy load at work, and a lot of horses to exercise at home in the evenings. My husband was adamant: we were doing this and we were doing it together! I emailed the clinic organizer and got myself a special 7:30am lesson so I could ride and then quickly come home, unload my horse, and get to the run registration. As with nearly everything else in my life, the horses came first. Soon it was only two weeks before the race and I had barely practiced. I ran once in my fleece riding pants and paddock boots. I managed to fit in another run at dusk the next week, with my 8-year old step-son and his cousin heckling me from atop my large prelim corner fence, as I made laps around the jump field. Fear was starting to settle in: How was I going to run 4+ miles and not make a total fool of myself? Race day arrived! After a frustrating Mary D'Arcy lesson where I basically did nothing other than attempt to contort my body to make my horse bend to the left for a solid 1.5 hrs, I did a quick change and went down the street. Riding was not fun this week. Arriving at the race, I was greeted by a huge swarm of people. Maybe 350+ people were there and some even had families standing at the finish line with signs. Everyone was wearing wicking T-shirts, high tech pants, and had fancy arm bands for their phones/ipods. I was wearing some cotton sleep shorts, 10-year old tennis shoes, and a qualtrics T-shirt! I was starting to feel a little self-conscious and wasn't even sure where to pin my race number on my shirt. I placed myself in the middle of the pack, and left at a slow jog. My husband quickly outpaced me, but I found a good place running behind a man in a green turtle T-shirt. The race ended up being a lot shorter than I expected and I never once even pushed myself to go faster (I was trying to save my energy for a long-haul that just never came). By some miracle, I finished in the top quarter of people...around 21 minutes, not limping or even slightly out breath. At first I was mad, I could have finished in the top 20, but that would have been silly. I am not a runner. I'm a horseback rider. I didn't train, I didn't even try. But it was fun! At the finish I heard so many people say things like, "I am so proud of myself, I stayed running the whole time" and "I finished in less than 30 minutes, that was my goal!" Not a single person was hard on themselves and everyone was so happy to have just finished the race. Maybe it was just the fact that everyone who ran got two free beers at the finish line (hint, hint eventing...). In eventing I more often than not hear even the best riders come off course or out of the ring saying, "If only I had used just a little more leg there, or had a slightly better connection in that corner." Eventing is a difficult sport, and eventers are hard on themselves, after all, to borrow a quote, it's "A sport where the work is hard, prizes are rare, ribbons are elusive and the potential for mistakes are many....We ride three times, doing very different tasks for one chance to place, one chance for a ribbon and one spook at the judge can end the quest no sooner than you start." My recent running adventure left me wondering why I voluntarily have chosen to devote most of my life to this hobby where I usually lose. It affects the regular job I have, my finances, where I live, how much time I have, what friends have (not many), if I can take vacations (no way...). Why do I do this sport that makes me have to push myself to my limit almost every single day? Most of the time I do it because I have to. I do it because I don't want to make a fool of myself at the next show/clinic, because I want to make sure my horse is in shape and I'm not asking him to do something unreasonable for his fitness level, or because I'm riding someone else's horse that they have paid or need me to exercise. Based on my past track record, there has to be something more than that or I know I would have quit completely already. So I decided to make a list of all the reasons I ride and event: 1) I do it for the horse: When I got Stromboli he wasn't worth much to anyone, had no muscle, was misunderstood, and didn't have a lot of talents in life. It's been 3.5 years and I can honestly say the horse is a fantastic jumper and the prince of the farm. At the very least, this horse is not going to end up on a slaughter truck or wasting away in someone's field. My last event horse, Whit, also was not worth much and now is a successful fox hunter living a life of luxury in Virginia. At least I have the ability to work with a horse and change their trajectory in life. 2) I enjoy pushing myself and working towards something. Last year, I finally achieved my goal of competing at the preliminary level. It was an incredible feeling to do something that seemed so elusive and that I had wanted to do for so long. I got to sit at the "big-kids" table. I didn't do well, but I finished. I even managed to improve drastically over the season. 3) It's fun (sometimes). I do enjoy the camaraderie of other eventers, getting in my truck with my horse trailer and setting out on a new adventure. 4) It gives my life meaning and keeps me healthy both mentally and physically. My horse's depend on me. The owners of the horses in my care depend on me to take care of another animal that gives meaning to their life. I am in good shape. I don't have a lot of extra mental energy to spend on trivial matters like drama amongst my friends. We had our first event of the season last weekend: Feather Creek. I took Stromboli and entered at Training Level since things were not going well at home despite a lot of concentrated effort, clinics, dressage help, and intermittent progress. It could have been a lot worse....but it sure was not fun! On Friday we did a nice practice ride on the grounds. Finally Stromboli was connected in both reins, he was agreeable in transitions. We even did a canter depart that felt like angel wings were lifting his body and I was sitting on a cloud. But by the next day, he was back to his old self. It was cold. I felt like I had the flu. He was crooked and leaning. He couldn't hold his own body straight even on the lunge line and was grinding his teeth. We had the same dressage test we have had every time for the past two years and the same score: 43. It was tense, it was angry, and it was not graceful. SJ warm up was scary, but we went into the ring and despite me feeling like I was about to blow chunks all over his neck, had a smooth round with only one rail. XC warm-up was scary and though I finally found my rhythm with him by the end of the course we came home with 5 time penalties! This was not where my prelim horse should be...I was angry and embarrassed. After this event I decided it is time for me to make a change. I scratched Stromboli from Texas Rose and am taking my husband's fat, out-of-shape, lazy horse Tonic in the BN division instead. I'm going to try to have fun, take the pressure off, and learn to enjoy the sport that I know in my heart I truly love. I'm not sure if I'm giving up, but I know I need to make peace with myself and find a way to improve and feel successful. After all, I've built my whole life around this sport! It has been a whirlwind since June. Stromboli and I completed our first rated prelim at Hunter Oaks in Illinois. Dressage was bad as usual. When I first walked the XC course I felt confident about the first 5 fences, but did not see how I could get through the rest of the course. It was HUGE and extremely technical. It had every question I was afraid of, multiple skinnies, a right-hand bending line corner out of the water, another right hand massive skinny up a hill, etc. After walking it two more times I decided I would go out on course and just ride until I couldn't anymore. On top of the difficulties, the footing was very gluey and deep --not what we were used to in hot flat Arkansas. I did not wear a watch and went very very slow. My main goal was simply to complete the event with a number not a letter. Although I feel that my time may have been incorrect (another person finished with a time of 45 sec which would not have been physically possible except if she was riding a cheetah), I completed the event with a NO JUMP penalties and a crap ton of time. Stromboli was wonderfully calm in SJ, but a combination of odd footing, light PVC rails, and the first time experimenting with studs led to a lot of rails. Regardless, we finished! We then headed to do a P/T at Corona Del Sol in Baird, TX in late August. This event did not go as planned in anyway. It was very hot and the footing was very hard. Although our dressage score improved, Stromboli did not feel like himself and was extremely crooked. By SJ he was rearing a lot and running sideways, refusing to turn right, and being a total beast. SJ was such a mess I considered withdrawing before XC, but I didn't want to leave on a bad note. The next day he came out of his stall with a different attitude and blasted around the XC double clear as usual. Our last event (pics below) for the season was at Heritage Park in Olathe, KS where we finished 7th with a few rails and time penalties, but a clean XC. Stromboli has proved he is definitely capable of succeeding at this level and he is signed up for a dressage boot camp this winter. I do not plan on eventing him again until his dressage has made significant strides. I found an old and very funny article that mentions the "August Farm Creed." The article begins, "Once upon a time, August was the month when farmers sneaked away for a vacation, politicians left steamy Washington for the beach, Chicago commodity traders invaded Wisconsin and heat-dazed dogs dozed in the shade of maple trees."
....Hot dog. But before the nation’s farmers, ranchers, politicians, bankers, commodity traders, bureaucrats and, yes, even its dogs overheat too badly this month, let’s take a moment to recite the nearly-forgotten August Farm Creed: “I promise to spend August not making any farm- or ranch-altering decisions unless I am either waist-deep in tall clover, neck-deep in a cool lake or eyeball deep in cold beer. Taste is #1. I will spend each day and night either on vacation and/or in the company of my family, friends, dog (but not the cat) and local liquor wholesaler. While with them I will hold only one tenet sacred: great taste is always better than fewer carbs. As such, if asked to go fishing, I will. If asked to go shopping, I will. If asked to wear shorts, I will. If asked to cook supper, I probably will. If asked to wash the pick-up, I will have a beer. Solemnly, indeed. “And I solemnly pledge to spend this August like Augusts of the past: I will not bend, concede, buckle, adapt, submit, stoop, kowtow or curtsey to any issue, idea, initiative, intrusion, interference, insect, in-law, innuendo or invoice so help me Sir Arthur Guinness.” On this day (8/24) 13 years ago, I was riding Beauty at Senator Bell Farm in the Junior Novice Division. We placed 6th.
This weekend will be my 30th USEA rated event (most of these at the Training Level). Time flies! It's nearly halfway through June and we're on day two of rain storms, something that is a big relief. As you can see from the photos below, things are still nice and green, and we haven't had more than a few days of completely oppressive heat (yet..). Since moving to the farm, I've been focusing on being patient and making progress in whatever area I can. We've done a lot of small jobs around the farm. I've been trying to appreciate the beauty of the place and take a few moments to slow down and actually enjoy it.
Last month I made the hard decision to sell Finn in order to pay off some debts from the construction of the farm. He has a new home with the Keen's in Maumelle, AR where I'm sure he will be incredibly happy and able to live up to his potential. I can't believe it's June and I've only done one recognized event so far this year. I haven't been able to really "buckle-down" and push for any big goals with Stromboli, but he's the best he's ever been. Stromboli and I were supposed to make our unofficial prelim debut at the MACTA schooling 3-phase event at the end of May, but it was cancelled due to heavy rains. We are riding in the Lainey Ashker Clinic this Friday, then trying the MACTA again the following weekend. Although we didn't take home any ribbons, Holly Hill (April 18-19) was definitely a success. Stromboli hadn't competed since early August, which did not exactly go as planned, and we went to Holly Hill with only a couple lessons this year and no cross-country schooling or other preparation. Stromboli was calm and relatively mannerly in dressage (44.5 ...not a score to be proud of, but nothing disgraceful), then jumped really well in SJ except for a tap at the first fence (rider error), and then had a double clear XC. I feel good to be "back in the game," and I swear Stromboli came home 1 inch taller and moving better than when we left.
Stromboli, Finn, Bayley, Comanche, and Gunner are all going to a NWAHJA Hunter/Jumper show this weekend, which is sure to be an entertaining & fun time. The barn and house are complete and I am not a full-time resident of Always August Farm. I've only been there for two weeks and it is still a pretty strange (though wonderful) feeling to wake up and see the horses out of almost any window in the house. We decided to go to a local NWAHJA show last weekend and everyone had a great time, learned a ton, and came home with lots of ribbons! Alexis and her horse Gunner had just started jumping consistently, and they both really stepped up to the plate in the Maiden Hunter division. They even won their very first over fences class! Gunner has had quite the transformation! Anna Kathryn showed Comanche in the Baby Green division and did a great job of conquering both of their pre-show nerves and jumping around a bigger/longer course than they have ever done before. Ellie and Bayley made their show debut together in the 2'3"-2'6" and 2'6"-2'9" jumpers, and rocked every single round clean and fast to get Reserve Champion in both divisions. Stromboli did a couple jumper classes as a warm up for Holly Hill where we will compete in the training division. He was calm as a cucumber the entire day and very controllable. Fingers-crossed this comes to Louisiana with us and transfers to the dressage ring! Things have been pretty hectic and there hasn't been a lot of time to think about things like blog posts or even enjoying the new facility (though it is beautiful and the horses and riders are all very happy)! The barn is finished (minus paint), fencing is up with more on the way, and the house had a lot of activity. Most of the horses have been enjoying a mini-vacation, though we have been able to ride occasionally. Here's a photo gallery of the progress:
Two weekends ago, Lissa Kelly and I went to Olathe, Kansas for the Heritage Park Horse trials. This was Finn's very first event! He was absolutely PERFECT in dressage (although maybe just a bit slow) and I was honestly disappointed to only get a 35. He bravely jumped around the XC putting us in a tie for 2nd place going into SJ. We went in and rode the show jump course like a hunter round, but ultimately, the first place person and the person I was tied with both had double-clear rounds as well, so we finished in 2nd place. I was extremely impressed and proud of him!
Lissa Kelly and her horse Llama contested their first Novice, and had a great weekend to finish in 6th in their division! Everyone has moved over to the new farm, although the barn is still not quite complete! |
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Christy ZweigAdventures eventing as a semi-pro in the mid-south. Archives
April 2024
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