One Year Later

A year ago today I earned my USDF Gold Medal on my own horse, a horse I had previously retired after a career ending injury, a horse I had brought along mostly by myself in weekly lessons. My heart horse. Last year was the most incredible year of my dressage career. I am so grateful to have this horse in my life, and so happy that I can give him the retirement he deserves. 

Savor the moment 

65.2% overall.

These are the shoes he was wearing that day, I need to figure
out what to do with these

This is what we did after we finished

Looking back through life, I always see these big moments. I remember the major pony club ratings I earned, I remember each ride that earned all of my USDF medals. When I graduated from college, when I graduated from grad school. When I went to big shows and when I competed at championships. When I took this new job and when I bought TC. The day I got my Gold medal is seared into my memory, something that will stand out as a highlight. That day will be with me forever, that big moment.

I mean it's never the little things, you know, that you remember. It's always the big stuff. But there is so much that goes into big moments like these. It was the hard work day in and day out that paved the path for this big moment. The lessons, the clinics, the practice rides, the setbacks. The tears, the frustration, the feelings that we wouldn't make it or we weren't good enough. The joy of adding another one tempi on our pathetic line, the happiness I felt when we finally had the Grand Prix zig zag solid, the incredible feeling of passage and piaffe that I had long desired to feel on my own horse. And yet looking back, it's this one day I'm going to remember the most. It almost doesn't seem fair.

And because of that, I am so grateful for this blog. I started it without much in mind, other than that I liked to write and what better subject to write about than my own horses. And now, I'm so glad I wrote, because I can look back through the little moments, the moments I would have otherwise forgotten. And those are my favorite posts. The posts about my lessons, about clinics, about practice rides, about all of our setbacks. The posts that illustrate my tears, my frustration, my self doubt. The joy of new movements and of better harmony. I love that I can not only relive the big moments, but the little moments with Rico too. Because those little moments were what really counted.

Thanks for being part of my big moment, blogosphere. And thanks for being part of all the little ones too.

Cantering around the outside of the ring for the last time

Nice foot Rico, resting on the job

I love you, shadbelly

This is me freaking out before I ask him to move on

Heading up centerline

Making the first turn

I miss when my boots fit me, my calves are in pain here

Love him

Such a fancy horse

Turning for our first half pass

Halt and rein back, we earned an 8 on this

Trotting on, preparing for our first pi/pa tour

Second piaffe, look at that horse

And now we're both like GETOUTGETOUTGETOUT

Passage, I miss this feeling the most

Extended walk, our one small break, and Rico really knows how
to savor it

Preparing for the walk to passage transition of our second pi/pa
tour

Off we go! 

One of my favorite pictures of us

The one small break at the canter- pick up the canter at E and
start the twos at F. It's amazing how half a long side and a short
side seem like eternity

Nice tail, Rico, but TC beats you x 4

At the end of our zig zag, this series of movements was brutal:
zig zag -> ones -> pirouettes

Preparing for the pirouettes

Twirl to the left

And around, non-Olympic level canter pirouettes aren't the
prettiest things in the world, eh?

Twirling to the right

And now I look like I'm about to pass out from all the twirling,
my saint of a horse just being like "this is my rider, she isn't
the best rider, but she is mine"

DONE

He was clipped three times before this show

Love this horse