Oh dear, I just looked at the date of my last post. I knew I was late, but eek. I'm way overdue - and I'm blaming the grass! I seem to have found myself in 10 acres of lush grass, needing to be mowed every 5 days! Between a full time job, 2 horses, plus students and their horses... there hasn't been a spare second in weeks!
The best thing about being crazy busy, if you love what you're busy doing, is you love every minute of your life! I had a moment yesterday when I had to stop and pause and smile at just how good life is... after 4 hours on the road, driving back and forth to West Virginia for a (wonderful!) jumping lesson with Jim Wofford... having an epic battle with Mi about peeing in the trailer, and trying to gather up the energy to tack up Katchi... I had Katchi half tacked up in the cross ties and Mi, wet, in the wash stall... and the two of them, looking across the aisle at each other (each wondering with baited breath what the other was getting that might be coming his way next), and watching me - the giver of treats, and any passerby who might have a treat too... it made my heart just swell... it was the cutest thing I've seen in ages. Their innocence, and anticipation, and delight. And I thought, I must be the luckiest girl in the world to have such incredible ponies in my life!
Thinking back to everything that has happened the past TWO MONTHS... the first big event was Ride for Life! This was the 10th anniversary of the event, and my 7th consecutive year as a competitor... and as it turned out, my 3rd year winning the high pledge award for the "open" division! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who made a donation to this event in my name. Each year, I ride in memory of my first dressage instructor, Joy Court, who valiantly fought and won several battles with breast cancer until we lost her in 1997. Joy's love for dressage, horses, and her students was incredible and I like to think that I carry a little bit of her with me each and every ride (I know she's with me every time I put on a polo wrap as she's the one who took the time to show me how and why, and made sure I did it properly every day!). I was especially thrilled this year to enter the arena with both Katchi and Mi, and Joy on my shoulder, watching over me as Mi and I embark on our new adventures together.
Both the ponies were really outstanding, bringing home many pretty ribbons and making me very proud! And while everyone wanted to check out the new pony in his dressage debut, Katchi was a star as well, and made some new friends too (specifically, he has a two year old boy who learned to say "Good Boy Katchi!" and who cannot stop talking about him and his treats!!!!).
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| Kathi and his new little friend, Beckett |
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| Mi checking out the BEAUTIFUL high pledge cooler and ribbon |
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| Good Boy Katchi! |
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| Mi, very proud of himself after his first test - and looking for the jumps to come after dressage! |
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| Mi in his first recognized dressage show! |
