Important Picture

Banks and I after I won fifth place

           This picture is very important to me because it reminds me of the late summer and fall. During that time period I had a horse called Swiss Bank. We did loads of shows together and won just an amazing amount of ribbons. We were kind of "unstoppable" in the Hunter 2'9" category, most people just didn't have a chance. So my trainer and I decided to go to Spruce Meadows with Banks. At Spruce you can only do jumpers; a speed round of a 10 jump course that is made with many tight turns. Often there is a jump off for everyone who jumps clean. A jump off is a smaller version of the jumper round designed to establish a winner. Banks was practically the perfect horse except he didn't have the same "fancy hunter" jump style that my other horse Velvet has. The one of the main reasons this picture is so important to me is because it was my second week at Spruce and I hadn't won anything yet. There were so many talented riders that I was competing with and so many riders per class; about 35 to 40 riders. In the second week I tried moving up a height category since I was riding well. However, I had become very sick and what we didn't know at the time was I had the flu. So I had a terrible crash when I tried moving up. I fell on my leg and it twisted weird then my head smacked against the ground. At first we thought I was concussed but we couldn't tell since I was so sick. So the next day we just stayed at home and I slept about 12 hours straight plus I had many naps. The next day I felt a lot better. So much so that I decided I would try riding and if it didn't work than we would give up. I felt a little dizzy at first when I was in the warm up ring. It wore off immediately. I had already memorized my 10 jump course and played how I would ride it over and over again in my head. Finally, it was my turn. I walked into the ring, waited for the last rider to exit. Than after the buzzer signifying that I was clear to start at anytime; I saluted to the judge, and picked up my canter in a circle to gather my pace. I sailed around the ring in the same massive, slow and steady pace that Banks did so naturally well. I cut my corners in just the right sports only missing a few that were too risky. I finished in an amazing time that beat everyone and took  20 riders before four riders beat me out of first. That's how I got fifth place but I wasn't disappointed because after I finished my round there was a large round of applause the kind that big names riding at Spruce get. I had never had that  after riding a course. It made me feel like a million bucks. Nothing felt better than riding in a victory gallop that you earned. 

Christmas Holidays

     Over the Christmas holiday there were many moments that I will remember for a long time. Although, many of these moments stand out there is one in particular that I want to mention.

     It all started when my friend a few months ago got a new jumping saddle. That is when I realized that I had out grown my own saddle. Of course there were many reasons why I didn't just go get a new one. Including I had two horses at the time with different back shapes and my soon to be main horse was unbelievably out of shape. In all seriousness she looked like she was about to drop a baby any day; that's how fat she was. So I had to wait until her condition improved. Over Christmas was when my trainer and I decided that she was in good enough shape to start looking at new saddles. The both of us were good friends with Antares saddle fitter/shop/barn owners Sally and Paul. Naturally, we called them out to help us find the right saddle for me and my horse. Sally and Paul brought out Sally's own personal saddle for me to try. It fit me almost perfectly! The leg flap was too far forward but otherwise it was great. Since it was Sally's I naturally couldn't have it; but testing that one proved what Sally had thought and she knew a saddle that could work. Unfortunately that saddle that was stuck inVancouver. So about a week later they came back with this saddle that Sally had very high hopes for. It was beautiful! After riding in that brand new Antares saddle for just a little while I fell in love. It was perfect! It's hard to say if I have ever loved a saddle from the moment I first rode in it, but that one I did.

My new saddle

Making my Baby Couisn Happy

      A few years ago. I think about 8 years to be exact. My first female baby cousin was born. I remember going to their house a little while after she was born. My parents had gift of all sorts for them and everyone was really excited. I didn't even know what to think about it. A baby cousin, a girl baby cousin. For the longest time I was the only girl granddaughter on both sides of the family. However, that had changed. So after we get there everyone is passing the baby around. Everybody wants a piece of that baby. Specifically, my mom. After a point my mom asks me if I want to hold her. Of course I do! Slowly they pass the baby to me. I get to hold my cousin. Finally! As I'm holding her, she looks right at me with her big blue eyes. Then she smiles a big happy, baby smile and reached for my hair. My hair just below my shoulders and way blonder than it is now but it just made her so happy. She got so excited and started to play with it. Giggling with her baby giggles and with her baby smiles. She just couldn’t get enough of my hair. Running her fingers through it and grabbing then releasing.  I started to panic because I wasn't sure if she was going to start to pull my hair but I didn't want to move her because she might start crying. So I let her play with my hair until she got bored. This lucky enough for me didn’t take too long. 

Memories with Snow

    A memory with snow. That's my topic and it's hard because I have so many different memories with snow. Good and bad.  In fact I don't think I can write about just one.  Then again maybe I can. I could talk about winter driving memories or I could talk about slipping on ice and falling on my face. However, I think I will talk about the first time I can remember ever ice skating with my family. More like my Dad. So here it goes.

    It was a cold winter night. I have no idea what month it was since I was like 5. My brothers were in scouts and my Dad was a scout leader. It was very dark and the world seemed to big for me to handle, let alone skate on the ice! Yet there I was with my ice skates on contemplating if I should even try. Some random scout leader that clearly knew who I was but I had no idea who he was. Was talking to my Dad and I. He was so tall. Taller than my Dad. I was scared out of my mind by him. So I just hid behind my Dad because at the time that was the obvious answer to everything. He said some encouraging words to me before patting my on the head and walking away. How did he see me! I was hiding. Right then and there was the moment of truth. So I asked my Dad where the fish went in the winter. Right as we stepped on the ice. Turned out the fish were under the ice. That was confusing because I thought the lake froze like an ice cube. So I wondered how deep it must be. All the time I was thinking I was also learning to skate. I think I fell a few times and held onto Dad as much as I could. I did get the hang of it sort of. It was cold though! After small amount of time of me failing on the ice and a large amount of time of my Dad dragging me in a sled. We went back to the group and got some good hot apple cider. Of course supplied by my Mom.

That One Riding lesson Where Everyone Just Laughed

   There I was on my lease horse, Banks, just having an ordinary lesson with my good friend Kendra and her horse Bubba. I know his name is very unusual and pretty funny but back to the story. My trainer Chelsea had just given us a small course. It really wasn't that hard to remember. Unless your me of course. After asking what the course was then messing it up and then messing it up again. I was laughing at myself. That was just the beginning. It wasn't until she was raising the jumps when I said to Kendra "You know what? I think over every jump we should make a duck face. You know when we are at the show and the photographer is taking some pictures of us." Kendra started to laugh. Then I followed. We barely managed to stop before I went.  Of course over that last jump my concentration broke. I burst out laughing mid air. Kendra lost all control and then all we could do was laugh. After a point I couldn't even remember why I was laughing. Chelsea didn't know why she was laughing but it was just so funny!  After what felt like hours of just laughing my stomach hurt so much that I had no choice but to stop and gradually we all stopped. Then it was kind of awkward since we had just finished laughing for like half the lesson. So we continued on like nothing happened.

Stealing my Friends food

      After a long hot day of competing. My friend and I go grab some lunch together at the on-site grill. All we can talk about, think about is food. The only thing that can satisfy our hunger. The line that is normally short is just taking double the time. Everything is taking so long and we are just so tired. Finally we can order. She orders chicken fingers with fries. We sit for a long time again feeling just starved. Then the food finally comes. Her chicken fingers just look fantastic and I want them.  Of course plum sauce, my favorite, comes with them. So I sit there craving only her chicken fingers. All I can look at is the chicken fingers on her plate with little container of plum sauce. She was eating so slowly. Until she got up announcing that she was thirsty. I watched her walk towards the counter. Of which now there is no line. As soon as her attention is on the drinks. I take the chance and reach forward to grab a chicken finger and give it a quick dip in the sweet, thick plum sauce. Just before she turns back I devoured it. A chicken finger had never tasted so good before.  So juicy, crispy, warm and sweet with the sauce.