Tevis: Where I am today

You probably won't hear anything else from me until after the Tevis. Here's my thoughts as of today (4 days until Tevis).

I still don't know my rider number, since the Tevis website is so $#$*^#@^%@!!$ hard to navigate. If you want to follow me on the tevis webcast, you are going to have to look up my number from the start list that morning. Sorry.

Farley's stall assignment is 2-5 (barn 2, stall 5) so if you are in the area please say hi.

I'll be camping in a columbia brand tent and looks kind of purple and yellow, at the fairground.

The big 5th wheel RV in the middle of now where by itself on the fair grounds in my crew headquarters.

And lastly, a brown/tan-ish "first up" will part of the crew ensemble at Foresthill, as is the shower tent. Come by, say hi, and if you arrange for hot water, take a shower.

I haven't had any time to worry about Tevis. In fact, Tevis will feel easy compared to the crap I've been through the last 2 weeks. (mostly work stuff). Desperately trying to get enough sleep - cancelling meetings right and left and becoming the "absent supervisor" who says "call me anytime" but doesn't really mean it, if your phone call is going to come after midnight.

My horse looks great. Started elytes last night. On Saturday I had a jump lesson where she was completely awesome. First time in stadium, managed to do a pattern of 4 fences. It was absolutely incredible. She didn't dive out once and she's not rushing. I'm very proud of her.

Sunday was a dressage show, where once again I got to practice lessons of humility and character building. I don't want to get into the particulars, except to the say that my horse did a great job and handled the show really well, even though I didn't get the scores I expected and wanted.


BTW - In the quiz everyone has been taking lately (check out Funder's and AareneX's blog), Farley is a "steady eddy".


More than ever I am totally committed to pulling me horse if there is even a hint of an issue. Having goals beyond endurance - such as dressage - puts everything into perspective. I do NOT want to lose training time for dressage because I pushed me horse too far in an endurance race. TOTALLY not worth it. It's no longer a question of whether she will work out of whatever issue in time for the next race in 6-8 weeks. Now, I want to ride conservatively enough that my horse is happy and sound enough to do a rated dressage show in 4 weeks, which will mean she's happy and sound enough to school dressage before then. We've made so much progress in dressage (we finally HAVE a canter and we are close to having a transition into and out of that canter) I WILL NOT throw it all away for one race.

NOTHING is more important to me right now than finishing Tevis with happy, sound horse.