Qualified!!

Maryland horse trials was my last qualifying run for the 3day at waredaca, and the pressure was on to make it happen.  Let me go back a second... When I bought lena, we mapped out a plan to make it to waredaca since my qualifications had expired.  The plan however changed rather rapidly as it was clear with my busy grooming schedule that getting lena back in shape was not happening.

So we waited and kept revising and then it ended up being only 5 horse shows. We ran one novice and I waited to see how it went before getting excited about the t3d.  We spent the whole show season taking it week to week, and evaluating if it was still in the cards. After Maryland I can confidently say its on the horizon, but I won't get too excited until I'm there. It is horses after all!

So Maryland was an okay weekend, lena was such a star! Me not so much. I memorized the wrong dressage test, managed to make it through the test with 2 errors, and a few 4s for not getting some of the transitions exactly right.  After all that I still managed to pull out a 41 something. Which kills me, because she should have rocked it. We certainly won warm up. I tried to relax but really the longer I sat there the more upset I was at myself.  I tried talking myself down to no avail, but forward progress had to happen eventually.  Show jumping was not quite our best, as I got a bit to forward to the last 2, but she put in a double clear, she always puts a smile on my face. 

The course was the perfect last run, it had great questions, and lots of terrain.  Lena ate it up.  She is so light and quick across the ground.  We had a fabulous go through the first water, and at the ditch and brush, which I was super worried about! The 2nd half of the course I decided to take it quite slow and just sort of coast, since I had breezed that morning and my pace was a bit off! I was also still wound up about the dressage, so I used it to take a deep breath and relax! She was great, I saw all the distances, and could not feel more prepared.  I brought north along to hang out, and ride around.  He was awesome, doing flat work, hanging out, and stopping to chat! I can't believe how grown up he is, and am excited to see what he's capable of!

This week is fair hill, where I will be grooming 3, and lena will be enjoying a quiet week.  I promise lots of updates, and I really might have a problem with owning red heads...with white faces :)