“You’re the 4th person that’s told me something similar this week.”

I was recounting the last few years of my riding adventures. With the lofty goal of a 5*……. heck how about a 4*??

there’s just so many competitions, so many entry fees, so many attempts at qualifications…….

for it all to come down to an injury, an untimely hoof abscess, an equipment or shoeing failure……

I was saying that while I have not given up eventing, I’ll never go back to it like I was.

8 horses at all levels, 5 going to every competition. Lining up qualification attempts…… traveling 1000 miles for one competition……. working out everyday on top of riding all of them…….

My listener was telling me that I wasn’t alone. She’s heard this story before.

My season ended last year for the 3rd year in a row without making it to The Big One (that would be the CCI3*L.)

I decided I needed to really evaluate what I was doing. This year it was a horse injury. The year before I had a broken arm. The year before that I had a broken leg………

Before that conversation I remember telling another friend that after failing at eventing yet again……. I might just have to change sports.

She said the funniest thing ever.

“Oh good,

now you can do

pure dressage!”

She definitely hasn’t read my series of blogs entitled, “Why dressage makes my eyes bleed.”

To be perfectly honest.

Even the mere idea of never having to sit the trot again on the Zebrasaurus

makes changing sports incredibly appealing.

In my quest for joy & some kind of balance I’ve been dipping my toes in the water at Jumper Land.

This week I did my first ever jump off.

My round was clear & fast & the Fearless Leader said I should, “Have a go” and see if I can turn & burn for the jump off.

I had a really fast initial round, & I think if I’d ridden the jump off exactly the same way we probably could’ve placed near the top.

But…….

In true BadEventer style I blasted around the jump off & took out the last fence.

Apparently BadEventer is also Bad ShowJumper.