The Comeback Kid

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

I’ve been sitting here at the computer for a good 10 minutes trying to start this blog entry, and that really sums it up rather tidily! Because we won the Young Rider Grand Prix today!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

OK, calming down now. A little. The rain held off long enough for me to hop on Cleo this morning, and I made it very clear to her: if you don’t feel 110%, we’re not doing this. Tacked her up, let her tool around at the walk, picked up the reins and put my leg on. She tucked her neck, shook her head and launched.

Yep! You’re fine!

We just played around for a bit, got her over the whee factor, rode her long and loose and made some big bendy lines, including several changes each way, even to the right. She felt like she’d had a day off, but was more than a little fresh, so I braided her up, warmed her up and off we went.

Warm-up felt the same as Thursday, maybe even not quite as good. But she was with me almost every moment of the test, from first centerline to final salute. The trot half-pass zig zag was lovely and fluid. The transitions in and out of extended trot were crisp and tactful. The first passage was a little hairy, but the first piaffe, second passage, medium trot and next passage-piaffe-passage line were fluid, organized and had good energy. Maybe a little distracted in the extended walk, but a bold, active collected walk, followed by the best canter tour I’ve ever ridden on her, at any level, ever.

It was, in short, the best ride I’ve ever had at this level, on any horse, hands down. And compared to the Grand Prix tests of the world, it was not an Oh-My-God test; Cleo is still a developing Grand Prix horse, and we’ve got plenty to learn.

But it was the nicest effort, and it felt SO good and SO straightforward. We went for it! We rode forward! We stayed organized! Got an 8 on impulsion (from zee German Judge to prove it!), and some big scores on transitions to prove it! And to do it after all the veterinary drama! On a horse that I finished myself, and ride on my own about 300 days out of the year!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

I ended up placing fifth overall, which is aces with me (always been partial to pink ribbons, when blue is not an option), and I’m just thrilled to death that my fellow Pam Goodrich student Jocelyn Wiese took the big prize—Pam had a heckofa day!

And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, I got an invitation out to dinner with an exceptional group of dignitaries: Jennifer Keeler, Jenny Van Wieren and Gil Merrick, the dressage force at USEF; top American dressage rider Susie Dutta and her family; team vet Rick Mitchell and his wife; and two great dressage legends, Jessica Ransehousen and Debbie McDonald. It was a totally incredible honor just to be at that table, hearing their conversations, but to take part was an absolute dream. Somebody slap me, please!

I’ll load up and head home tomorrow, where Cleo is going to start a whole new chapter of both of our lives: we’re going to start getting ready to breed her for Embryo Transfer! (The irony has not gone unnoticed—if she’d only waited about five days for this follicle popping business, we’d have saved an awful lot of trouble!)

I’m breeding her to Iron Spring Farm’s Dutch stallion UB40. If baby can have the character and heart of my amazing mare, it’ll be a stunning creature indeed.

Indulge me in just one more: EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!