One of my New Years Resolutions is to be better about updating my website with current blogs, show schedule, show results, clinics, and other happenings. I am still going to try and keep that resolution, even though it is already February!
I think everyone will agree that this winter has been by far the worst Kentucky has experienced in about 20 years. I still refuse to wavy the white flag. I mean, it has to warm up eventually! With the weather as bad as it has been, I have been forced to get creative and plan in advance.
In January, Frankie and I went to the Intermediate/ Preliminary at Poplar Place. Frankie was full of herself for her first outing but was mostly obedient in the dressage ring and put in a very smooth, clean, show jumping round. On Sunday, we picked up an early 20 when were having a serious discussion about who was setting the pace! However, after we picked up 20, she settled right down and got to business. Gail and Monica Jackson came with me and brought their horses as non- competes and took advantage of Poplar's amazing facility! They schooled their horses all weekend, ending with an EPIC XC school for both of them!
After that, we came home to HORRIBLE weather with the Advanced/ Intermediate at February Poplar only two weeks away! The weather was so bad that school was cancelled for six straight days! As a school teacher, this meant I was FREE..... sort of. As soon as school was called off for Friday that Thursday night, texts messages started flying!
What did I do next? Well, I did what anyone else would do! I loaded Collyn's horse, Emily's horse, and Frankie and started driving east! Ten hours after beginning to throw ideas around with friends of how we were going to use the remaining days to prepare for Poplar, I was on my way to Aiken, SC with three horses in Collyn's rig to meet up with Megan who escaped with six horses just a few hours before me! This trip involved lots of shuffling and Tom was incredibly supportive! He walked in the door after driving home from begin on the road and I greeted him with, "HI! Hey, do you want to go to Aiken?" "Sure." He replied. "When?" "In 10 hours, with three horses, for the weekend." He chuckled and just responded with, "How about I go next time but you go and I'll see you in a few days." From there, the packing frenzy began!
Aiken was a whirlwind of riding for me with my horse, Collyn's horse and Emily Zurkuhlen's three year old, Irish gelding, I had something to ride the entire time I was there! Emily took the opportunity to send her green Irish horse with me just to get him out to see the world! It was WARM and I rode in one layer of clothing, so I LOVED being outside riding again!
Day 1: Megan took Frankie and me to Jumping Branch for a show jump school. Frankie could not have jumped any better so I wanted to go to Poplar on that! After returning from Jumping Branch, we tacked up another set, loaded them on the trailer and headed to Hitchcock Woods! On this outing, the horses would get the chance to go for a little XC school. I took Jameson, Emily's horse. ONce in the truck and on our way, I figured I should text Emily, since I had not ever ridden Jameson, or even had the opportunity to be around him, and find out if there was anything I needed to know! I started by asking her if he had ever schooled XC or been ridden in the open? Did he buck or bolt? She said no, he'd never done anything "real" bad, and that he had not schooled XC but he had jumped crossrails and verticals before! LOL... I replied, "Well, we are on our way to XC school! I will let you know how it goes!" He was such a sponge and quite brave! He took it all in and loved jumping the friendly XC jumps! He was trying to act
really grown up- even though the steering was a little questionable at
times! It was so much fun and he could not have had a better opportunity for a first XC school!
Day 2: Frankie and the others big kids, went to Paradise Farm to school XC. They had great terrain questions to play around with! Having the privilege of watching Megan school Guinness XC for the first time was really neat. What I was able to witness was the first glimpse of developing, what I know is going to be an amazing partnership. That was really special. Andrea and Emma were just so happy to be outside cantering around outside and it was a fun and easy school for them.
Collyn experienced a delay trying to get back into the country.... did I mention she was studying abroad for the month of Jan and I rode her horse while she was gone so he would be ready for February Poplar? She and I were only able to communicate through Facebook messaging so when this plan was thrown together, I messaged her saying.... The weather is terrible and not getting better so your horse, equipment, truck and trailer are going to Aiken in less than 10 hours! Hope this is okay! Please come to Aiken in my car when you land in Lexington! And don't forget your show stuff because you'll head to Poplar from Aiken! I was glad she received my message before I left town. However, when I heard back from her I had loaded 12 bales of hay and was wrapping horses legs! Luckily, Collyn is always up for last minute adventures!
When Collyn got to Aiken with my car, I left for Lexington so I could return to work! Megan rode Frankie for me the next few days, Collyn took amazing care of her and Andrea helped calm my nerves about leaving her there without me! It always takes a village!
Emily drove down to Poplar with me the following Friday (after work), to meet up with the crew. Only a few short hours after we arrived, the show began! Frankie was so much more relaxed in her dressage test than she normally is although I almost lost her focus in warm- up when someone came through the bushes carrying a rake high over their head. Needless to say, we were at the other end of the warm- up arena before I even knew what we were running from.... and then I was next in the ring. I was pleased with her effort and from there, we can continue to move forward.
Her advanced show jumping round was one of those jump rounds I will remember for the rest of my life. I still see it when I close my eyes at night to go to sleep. It felt so smooth and effortless. From the moment the bell rang and I took a deep breath before cantering off to fence #1, I exhaled and thought only of what I needed to do and what I knew we were capable of doing. Megan supported me in what I consider not an ideal warm- up situation. She knows me quite well and understands that if I am not pleased with my warm- up, for whatever reason (and I have some ridiculous ones) when I get into the ring, I tend to slowly unravel and get off my plan. Nothing went "wrong" in warm- up.... I just found it hard to find a canter I was happy with in the small warm-up area, so I kept changing it, looking for the pace and flow I wanted to carry in the ring. I never really found it but instead of letting that mentally take me the wrong direction, Megan and I were able to stand at the in gate and talk about the pace I knew I need to find once I got in there. We talked about not hurrying to the first jump, making one decision and sticking with that decision. I went in the ring on that 30 second conversation and felt calm and prepared to jump.
Sunday was not at all what I had expected. It was almost like opposite day and after fence 3, even though she was jumping out of stride, she was not taking me to the jump and that is not at all like her, we walked off the course at fence 5. As I took the long walk back from the XC course, stroking her crazy mane and talking to her, I felt worried. She had been jumping so well..... suddenly, she was not jumping at all. Even though I had planned on staying until after the show was over to XC school Emily and Collyn, Megan and I agreed, with very little discussion, that this was not a jumping issue and that Frankie did not need to school. Lexington can seem as far away as the moon when you drive and have hours to worry.
I really should play the lottery..... because I do consider myself a VERY lucky person! So, here I sit counting my lucky stars tonight! After a few hours well spent and a FULL work up yesterday, because I was convinced something was really wrong, she relieved to us that she was just very sore. Frankie has always been and still remains so stoic! That often makes it hard to diagnose any issues she may have so we have to look at what she MIGHT be telling us physically but we also have to analyze her behaviorally. I am glad that she is already feeling better and that we are certain there is nothing serious going on! I finally slept last night.
Now, to figure out how to get ALL the snow to melt!
Stay warm everyone!
Suzie
