I just re-read my post from last night (I wrote it last night, posted this morning) and wanted to assure everyone that I had a great time. Even Farley enjoyed getting out. The wildflowers were beautiful and some of the rock canyons we went through were stunning. I thought the ride was very well organized (the Ribley's are great) and would definitely recommend this ride! I think I sounded a little negative yesterday because I was tired and a little frustrated with Farley. I try to ask, but sometimes I end up INSISTING and then she ARGUES, and then she gets hurt, because she's NOT PAYING ATTENTION!!!! (just like a teenager...she'll grow out of this right?). Saturday was just one of those days! She looked great last night and I can't wait to get out to the stable after work today and see how she feels. It's suppose to rain all week, so I have plenty of time to unpack, organize, and reflect. The most important thing is that I keep learning and applying that knowledge after every single ride. Each ride I do I'm riding smarter and better, and that's the point right? I'm told that the steepest learning curve is in the first 1000 competition miles.
BTW - I earned my 250 mile endurance patch after this ride! Right now I have 435 AERC miles total (LD=165 miles, endurance = 270 miles). Farley has 165 LD miles and 120 endurance miles. The temptation to do a couple more LD's and earn a 250 LD patch is strong. If I don't those miles will just sit there....
So here's the thought of the day: What the heck do you do with your milage patches?
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Oh , I have the answer to that! You buy one of those nice "cowgirl" jackets and have some embroidery done on it and add the patches. You hang it up or you wear it, but it becomes your own trophy display. I think I'd put it in a case and mount it on the wall somewhere and just keep adding awards to it, and background it with photos from places I've ridden and people I've met. I wish the rides would adopt giving placement patches to riders. That would be awesome to collect, much nicer than ribbons.
ReplyDeleteGood idea - I think I'll have a vest made like yours. Living in the western region I will probably never ever get a milage vest from AERC. This could be my own "accomplishment vest".
ReplyDeleteI've never gotten a ribbon at a ride! Usually the finish awards are buckets, cups, buckles, t-shirts etc. I agree. Give me something useful or give me a placement patch!
Congrats on your first mileage patch - the first one is always the hardest earned I think.
ReplyDeleteI've been sticking my patches up on a cork board in the room where all of my horse 1,000 mile medals hang - they are up above with the patches below. I also have a couple of them stuck on the cork board inside my trailer.
I had been sewing them onto my saddle packs which is great until the pack wears out. I haven't sewn them onto a jacket because usually I ride in waterproof jackets and the patches would probably cause them to leak if they were sewn on.
So they'll just keep getting stuck on the wall I guess.
If you have a special milestone coming up and are coming to an XP or SRR ride, let Dave know ahead of time and that info can be put onto your coffee cup for you. Those are always my favorite awards because it's something I can use and remember the ride by too.
It took me 2 years to earn this patch (3 seasons). I did my first endurance ride in April 2007, and I earned this patch in February 2009. 250 miles does not seem like very many miles, but took me a LOT of hard work to get them! Excluding LD's, 250 miles took me 9 starts to complete.
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know if the subsequent patches are easier......
My goal is to have 1000 miles for myself and 1000 miles for each of my horses by the time I go back to school.