Comeback version 6.423 – Tales from a Bad Eventer

I’m going to be honest.

I ended last year defeated & basically done with eventing.

I drove so many miles, rode in so many competitions, and spent so much money all just to “qualify” to move up.

So when the only horse qualified bowed her tendon, feeling defeated is not even close to how I felt.

So I took a break.

And ran off to jumper land

It was –

Well –

It was fun!

And fun wasn’t something eventing had been for me in awhile.

So after learning that “missing” just isn’t an option in the jumper ring………

I felt like after round after round in the jumper ring I was finally to the stage in my riding where I rarely miss. As opposed to where I’ve been most of my life, which is where I rarely don’t miss!

And believe me, this has taken DECADES of work to get to this point.

So I went to a few cross country schoolings.

And decided at the last minute to enter a 3 phase schooling show.

This may have been a schooling show but they ran the same courses as the recognized show & let me tell you, they were not soft courses.

When I got up on show morning I really started wondering what was wrong with my life choices.

I haven’t left the start box in 8 months.

Then Poison Ivy in spite of scratching her face during her halt laid down a 24 in the sandbox.

If you recall she did that to me during the 2* last year in New Jersey. #shethinksshesfunny

The Zebrasaurus – not to be left out – put in a 26.

Both horses were winning their divisions after dressage.

And after jumping clear in show jumping I decided to jump the next higher division for XC, which Poison Ivy stormed around like a beast,

even when her ridiculous jockey didn’t keep up.

The Zebrasaurus, in return-to-unicorn fashion stepped up & gave me the best round of my career with not a single misstep on the toughest course he’s done in a couple years.