So I'm sharing my own version too, with all our many experiences synthesized into brief bullet points, with pictures summarizing each month. Enjoy!
January
- We got serious about saddle shopping, and Brita and Wick joined the party as our eventing partners in crime.
- Meanwhile the sand ring at our home barn froze for the season so we hauled out to nearby indoor arenas for any and all schooling outside of lessons.
original wintec top left; various crushed hopes and dreams top right, and bottom row |
February
- We continued schooling at indoors, making FV our weekly destination of choice. This coincided with me getting serious about challenging my jump height comfort zone.
- I bought a saddle!! And proceeded to jump 3' for the first time ever in it :)
- We started playing the game of ever-postponed dressage shows, and actually never made it to a single one...
March
- Isabel and I went to our first clinic together, with Grant Schneidman! It was a great lesson, but really drove home the point that we needed regular dressage lessons.
- Finally made it to our first actual shows of the season, a fun schooling show at OF and then the equitation division at FV's schooling show.
- We embarked on a new dressage journey with Trainer C from TM, with hugely positive ramifications in our entire training program.
do we look like hunters?!? |
April
- The FV show had ramifications of its own, and we brought the equine flu home with us as a souvenir, leading to a small outbreak at our farm and subsequent quarantine. We missed our first two events of the season and had to change focus to carefully bringing Isabel back into work without compromising her lungs.
- I rode Peanut in lessons at OF while Izzy was out of commission. This included a fabulous xc outing and the discovery that my confidence is finally recovering.
left to right: quarantine....; practically the same thing as horse showing anyway; xc with Peanut!! |
May
- Things really started cooking in May. We picked up some serious inspiration by jump judging at MCTA at Shawan Downs and then followed it up with a hugely confidence-inspiring xc schooling with friends at Tranquility.
- Then it was show time! We kicked off the season in earnest by running BBN at MCTA's Jenny Camp at Shawan Downs. And a week later moved up to BN at MDHT's Spring Starter #3, where Isabel and I had our best ever dressage and a stop on cross country to finish 6th.
clockwise from top left: jump judging prelim @ MCTA; xc schooling @ Tranquility; BN @ MDHT Spring Starter #3; and BBN @ MCTA Jenny camp |
June
- The competition train kept rolling into June, our busiest month of the entire year. We started with arguably our worst showing ever at Waredaca, which included another stop on xc plus an uncharacteristically poor dressage test.
- No rest for the weary tho - next came more xc schooling and some efforts to better fit the saddle (that I just bought mere months prior ugh fml). I also built a lattice fence in an attempt to avoid future stops at competitions.
- Then two more shows! Tranquility's dressage arena was soup after inches of rain overnight so I couldn't be too upset by a solidly mediocre test. But we achieved our first ever clear xc at BN!
- The month ended with a bang: xc schooling with Dan, then finishing on our dressage score for 2nd place at a rainy and BIG Fair Hill (where I met Alli!).
clockwise from top left: Waredaca stadium; xc schooling @ tranquility; lattice gate!!; after dressage @ Tranquility; boooo Bates; dressage @ Fair Hill |
July
- July brought a brief respite from competition for us to take a breather and regroup. This included time off for Izzy and some chiropractic adjustments. And LOTS of lessons, wherein schooling 3' became more normal.
- I also wrote about constructive criticism v public shaming, bought myself a helmet camera, and met Austen!!!
pictured: mare flies like nbd |
August
- I had the pleasure of spending time with Austen and Alli at a David O'Connor clinic at Waredaca.
- We put our xc pedal to the metal - first schooling at OF with trainer P, then with Dan at AOPF, all with novice twinkling on the horizon. I tested the move-up waters with a 3' jumper round at Tranquility. We had a rail, but our confidence and execution were exactly what I hoped.
- Izzy saw her favorite chiro/acupuncturist again and we were poised for an incredibly fun return to eventing by romping around BN at our home-away-from-home turf OF's starter trials. This was easily our strongest xc outing yet, and we had zero jumping penalties to finish 2nd on our dressage score.
- Then Novice at Olde Hope! The jumping was actually not very strong, with the mare stuck behind my leg and tentative about the increased technicality on xc (up and down banks, ditch, big jump immediately preceding a drop into water...), but a solid dressage test helped us cling to victory.
- We continued to be plagued with saddle fit issues and back soreness (not to mention an embarrassingly atrophied topline despite the mare working better than ever). Saddle shopping commenced again, then was derailed by needing new tires. Blargh.
- My awesome event pony got to play at polo and go on a paper chase with friends.
- Bali entered the picture, and I remembered what it's like riding a true green bean again (hint: inconsistent lol). Meanwhile Izzy continued schooling 3' like nbd, and we even jumped a stand-alone 3'6" fence in a lesson (a personal record for us, even if we didn't do it very well).
these two should need no introduction by now <3 |
October
- This month started off full speed ahead, tho with a tragic note of saying good bye to the most special of all lesson horses ever, Milagro.
- Bali prepared for and performed beautifully in a BN combined test at home, then was rewarded with a pleasant trail ride. (And let's just forget about when I stupidly managed to fall off him....)
- Isabel got her saddles refitted (with wider trees) and worked hard on the flat, particularly the long and low trot and novice dressage tests. We also went for a last xc school with Dan at AOPF before what proved to be our final event of the season.
- I bolstered my nerves at the Fair Hill 3* (with Alli! and we met Britt!!) and then ran novice again at the MDHT Fall Starter #2, with a disappointing dressage test and slooopppppppy stadium (my fault, not hers) but perfect cross country.
- Isabel got a break in anticipation of another trip to Olde Hope and Bali came to our OF lesson in her place. He was a super star! And then my world crashed down around me (only kinda exaggerating) when I fell out of my trailer and broke my leg.
- Closed the month on a happy note by watching Brita & Wick take their first BN course at Olde Hope by storm!
|
November
- Ugh. November was hard for me as I struggled with crutches and bitter disappointment, and a cat whose medical emergency overshadowed my birthday completely. I took the opportunity to recap the show season, do a zillion blog hops (seriously guys) {and yes those are all links to different hops haha}, and create our Year End and Bloopers videos.
- I also had fun attending horse shows and dressage clinics with friends. And finally got back on my feet again to at least play around with Isabel in the round pen.
if you're fancy and you know it, shake your head! |
December
- Thus bringing us to December, where I soothed my tangled nerves with tack purchases, obsessing over pro pics from Loch Moy, and triumphantly returning to the saddle for a trail ride. Isabel also got to enjoy guest rides by Austen and Brita.
- I audited another clinic, this time with Boyd Martin, and started riding for real again after graduating to an ankle brace, with Bali earning the majority of my attention due to his precarious job security.
perhaps a favorite picture from the year (even if the reason behind it still makes me sad) |
So. There ya have it: 2015 in all it's glory. As always, thank you so much for reading and taking time to comment! I'm looking forward to seeing what 2016 has in store for us :)
Wow you really did get up to a lot this year! Can't wait to see what you get up to in the next year :)
ReplyDeleteIt's been a busy year! I've enjoyed following all of your adventures.
ReplyDeleteA huge year regardless of the tib/fib mishap! Cheers to 2016
ReplyDeleteYou really did have quite a year! And looking back I can't believe how much you fit in especially considering your season was bookended by catastrophies! You and Izzy recovered so well after the flu ordeal and I think you'll come back just as strong/ stronger after you leg is all better. Can't wait to ride along again in 2016!
ReplyDeleteWhat a hear you've had! I'm still playing catch up from the summer - cannot wait to see where 2016 takes you
ReplyDeleteLove the recap! Its amazing what can happen in a year!
ReplyDeleteSo much progress!
ReplyDeleteYou had such an exciting year and I'm so glad we met and I got to be a small part of it! :)
ReplyDeleteOh boy! So busy! And so much progress! BBN to N in a summer! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible year! Love your positive spirit no matter what comes your way and can't wait to see what 2016 brings!
ReplyDeleteyou had a pretty awesome year!.... except for the leg! But you'll be back and kicking butt next summer!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on all the many accomplishments, they're even more impressive considering you had a few (big!) obstacles to overcome! Fingers crossed 2016 is exciting for good reasons only :)
ReplyDeleteThere were some downs in there, but way more ups than downs! You accomplished so much this year and experienced so many fun things.
ReplyDeleteWhat a year! Cheers to another one
ReplyDeleteYou crammed a huge amount of stuff into your year. Did you get more days than the rest of us? :)
ReplyDeleteLove the year in review! Now onto 2016 to see what it has in store for you guys!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a year! And just writing this post was a feat I'm sure. All those pics and links. I'd love to read a compare contrast blog about learning from David O'Conner v. Boyds Martin. You had awesome opportunities this year. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteDarn auto text. BOYD NOT Boyds.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a year! And just writing this post was a feat I'm sure. All those pics and links. I'd love to read a compare contrast blog about learning from David O'Conner v. Boyds Martin. You had awesome opportunities this year. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeletethanks! i'm not sure i have enough material to do a full comparison, but i'd say that if you had to choose between them, go for DOC. his lectures were some of the best i've ever heard, and i'm still referring back to my notes to this day. Boyd was fabulous too tho, and i got some *great* nuggets from him (esp with specific exercises to try), so really you can't lose with either one.
DeleteLove the recap! What a full year!
ReplyDeleteI'm always blown away by how much stuff you manage to get done in a year, between shows, clinics, lessons, schoolings, whatever!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fantastic year! You started with 3' being out of your comfort zone and then by August you are jumping 3' jumper rounds! Plus all that awesome XC and Dressage improvement. Give your self a pat on the back! And a high five!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see where you go in 2016!
I think this was my first full year of following your blog and what a year it has been! Always makes me so happy to read your posts and living vicariously though your eventing journey haha Have a wonderful start to 2016 (:
ReplyDeleteI almost forgot about the quarantine fiasco - you guys still managed to get up to quite a bit of stuff considering the break!
ReplyDeleteYou kicked @$$ in 2015! 2016 is going to be awesome too :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun post. Here's to a GREAT 2016!
ReplyDeletedang you overachiever. Thanks for making the rest of us look like sloths! (I kid, I kid).
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, nicely done. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next year!! I hope that leg is 100% quickly!!
(is that a blue saddle?)
lol thanks! and no that saddle isn't actually blue (maybe i would have bought it if it was haha), just strange shadows ;)
DeleteWhat a year!!
ReplyDeletei liked this post - sounds like a really exciting year!!
ReplyDeletequite the year! looking forward to your adventures in 2016.
ReplyDeleteQuite the year!
ReplyDelete