Gearing up for the area 2 championships.

So as the original game plan for the year has dissolved. I think I can remember the day it happened, or maybe just when I realized that i was in fact not making it to the training 3 day (again). It was a good and a bad day. I realized that my horse had some big set backs this spring (not shipping well to aiken), and that it was unfair to ask him to move up and then try and get qualified. So i took a few steps back and looked at what it might take to get him someplace for some more positive experiences, and it turns out he qualified for the Beginner Novice Championships. This was a total accident, since he had not been out in about 8 months we decided to do a low key BN before going back to Novice, and he won it. So after his summer vacay he has been back in work for about a month, and is ready to go to the big BNCH! The past weeks we have been mixing it up with flat schools, jump schools, some cross country schooling, trot sets, and hacks. Sam has been totally game since his vacay and I am quite excited about the weekend!

BCE had another great week. As always Morris was Mr. Perfect, and had some great goes! I always love getting to watch Morris jump as he loves his job, and I always learn something. Charm has been stepping up to the plate and shows great form over fences. She is turning out to be quite the fancy little horse! Freddie has been so grown up. He has been jumping courses and looks like a total pro. He is so fun to watch because you can just tell hes going to be something BIG one day. He just has this thing about him.

This week Valerie and I took Freddie and Sam to Waredaca for there open schooling day. I ran into some people I knew from Middleburg, and it was so great to see them! (sometimes its nice to see a familiar face! and one you use to see everyday.) the ponies were superstars!! I am going to brag about sam because wow! he was just taking me right on down to the fences, sometimes it was a bit hard to remember to actually ride because I kept thinking to myself wow I can't believe this is really my horse!!!! It was good practice for the weekend, because we got to put some small courses together and work on galloping and then setting up. Freddie was phenomenal. He jumped the Novice log into water straight away ears pricked like it was no big thing! He jumped around most of the Novice course and just got it. Hes so fun to watch as he just seems to pick them off!

On a non horse note, I landed an awesome part time job at a locally owned restaurant in Annapolis. It is so fun, and I didn't realize how much I missed being in the kitchen. (funny how that works!) and I am looking forward to starting class next week!

millbrook.

Last week ended with a big trip up to millbrook with morris (clifton jade) and freddie. I think I am getting ahead of myself allready! On tuesday we headed to OCET so valerie and morris could have another show jump school before millbrook. I was so impressed with the facility. not that i expected anything less. and morris jumped around like a rock star!!! as this was my first trip down to OCET I was introduced to everyone there, it felt a bit like being the new kid on the block... but I always enjoy watching other riders since I think you can learn something from everyone. and when someone's getting a lesson all the better. sometimes you go OOOO thats what "insert name here" was talking about. I have had a few of those recently as things that people have said to me in the past that made no sense at the time are flooding back with wooow thats what she/he ment. I love when that happens because then I have figured out another piece to the never ending puzzle. Sam had a light week because he needed some new nikes. (many thanks to angus for keeping all the horses at BCE shod) so we had a very productive flat on wednesday. Working on him staying straight and supple. Hes finally starting to figure it out. Then I was off to eat with my dad who had a layover in DC. I always enjoy when he comes since I don't get to see him as much as I would like. Sadly my car started trying to overheat so it is now sitting in the shop hoping to get a clean bill of health soon.

Thursday we left for millbrook bright and early and arrived there and unpacked just as it started down pouring rain, luckily we all stayed dry!!! The ponies all went for a bit of hand grazing and Freddie got to explore the grounds. Freddie came this weekend to hang out and see what this event thing was all about! Morris ran in the OP since it was his first outing since the CCI** at Bromont. He was very fun to watch as he did not seem the least bit concerned with any off the jumps on xc! Freddie was a super star as well. He got lounged all over the show grounds just so he could have a look around and got ridden in all the different warm ups! It was a fun weekend for me as well, I got to see Robin (who I lived with in aiken) for the first time since leaving for jersey fresh! (I am not going to lie I think that was the highlight) Robins horse is also named sam and is equally as adorable as my sam. We had a safe trip back to MD after morris left all the poles in there cups but I must say I was sad to miss the games demo and the advanced show jumping (I had to settle for some eventing nation stalking instead)....

I am off to memorize my dressage test (since I have had silly errors in my last 3! ... yikes) I had really better get on top of that.