This year didn’t really start out as planned. An injury at the beginning of February kept me out of the saddle until mid-March (by mid-March I mean end of April if any of my doctors are reading). Rather than getting the head start on the season as planned, I was seeing a team of PT’s every week to get my eyesight less blurry and right knee to actually bend and straighten again (all while taking it easy for my fractured sacrum). Then, at the end of March, I started my new full-time corporate job. Not really the start to 2017 that I or anyone that knows me envisioned. But that’s okay.
Funny enough, all of the above events had the opposite effect one would expect – rather than taking me further from my goal of riding at the upper levels of eventing professionally, they’ve actually pushed me closer to it. So how did this happen?
I’ve been riding since I was 6 years old, with the longest break of me not sitting on a horse being 2 weeks when I was traveling abroad for school. The effect of having a 6 week hiatus (okay maybe 5 weeks)? I’m a better rider. It took about a month of 20-30 minute rides to actually get my balance and skill level back, but funny enough after that my position, ability to see distances, and overall riding both on the flat and over fences has improved. My personal theory is that because I didn’t ride for so long and was so conscious of my balance and position when I started again, I’ve become a more thoughtful and aware rider. I have to think about all the things I’ve learned over the years every time I ride now, and I’ve become a more conscious rider. Sometimes when we do something every day for many years, I feel we become a bit numb to the nuances. So interestingly enough, what was a really unfortunate turn of events actually led to something positive. How interesting is that?
But that’s not all. I’ve found my fire.
I’ve known for a long time that reaching the top levels of the sport is what I want to do. With starting a full time, non-equestrian role this year, I was a bit worried about that dream fading. About becoming complacent by the interesting projects I’m on at work, and being okay with not being as intense in my riding and competing. That changed at my first event out in April. I took my young horse, Chandler, to Full Moon Farm’s starter trial and he was an absolute star! I don’t think I’ve had that much fun on novice cross country before, but it was such a nice feeling to just be back out on course (I also realized how much cardio I had lost during my time off which was slightly embarrassing). The fire was starting.
The following weekend I took Cedric to Plantation’s April HT in the preliminary. Walking the cross country was so exciting and I realized how much I really missed being out there and doing the bigger fences. That fire was starting to get going a bit more. Unfortunately, I did not prep Cedric the way I know I need to given his anxiety issues around the start box and first fence and we didn’t complete the course (or actually get over the first fence). Admittedly, I was in a pretty rough place mentally that evening. The next day I went up to Ryan Wood’s for a lesson, who thankfully fit me in at the end of a busy weekend. We talked through what had happened, and proceeded to have a really, really good lesson. The fire was still there.
I went back down to my new home in Rockville MD with a plan and feeling more optimistic about the rest of our season. My mom and I left a few days later to watch Rolex out in Kentucky. Talk about the motivation I needed to really set that fire ablaze! Watching what has been my goal for so long and seeing several of my peers complete their first time around Kentucky, I found renewed determination in my goal to also run around that amazing cross country course. Regardless of where I am in life right now, riding at the upper levels successfully and consistently is my overall goal.
Cedric and I returned to Plantation two weeks after Rolex. He tried hard in a very wet dressage test, jumped the best, most rideable stadium round we’ve had to date, and then it was on to cross country. To my dismay, we had our typical meltdown before the first fence. I took a breath, waited it out until we could jump the novice fence next to ours, turned back to our preliminary first fence, and then that was that. In the pouring rain and mud we had one of our smoothest cross country rounds to date. We hit every jump out of stride except for one (let him cut in to the second to last fence) and both came across the finish line excited and ready for more. I relived that round, even though it was just normal preliminary course, several times over the next week. It was just such an amazing feeling to be back out there. I was reminded of why I want to make this sport my life.
Needless to say, the fire is lit, and I’m excited to approach my riding career with refreshed focus and determination.