winner winner biscuit dinner!

I’ve been a member of the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association for a few years now, but this was the first year I managed to fulfill the volunteer requirements needed for year end award eligibility!

handsome doozy, looking quite at ease with all her accoutrements!

Honestly, it’s a great club just in general and I’ve been proud to be a member regardless. And naturally I’m slightly evangelical about encouraging literally anybody I meet to join their local riding clubs and associations. For me, that’s the MCTA and DVCTA and perhaps I’ll rejoin the MDA this year too. 

“please refer to me by my proper title, Empress of the Universe, Knower of Everything” — Doozy, 100%

But. To be perfectly honest, a big part of why I joined DVCTA in the first place is bc literally everyone I knew who had a membership straight up RAVED about the quality of their year end awards program. 

let’s see that from another angle pls, bc obvi we had a full press bay for these glamour shots <3
(also, no, your eyes do not deceive you — she is in fact absolutely caked in mud lol)

So finally I made it my business this year to log the needed volunteer hours at qualifying events and shows. And holy smokes, guys, it was so worth it!

if we look like we’re straight up cheesin for the camera lol… well… 

I’ve never seen a year end submissions process quite like theirs… So many different categories, so many different ways to earn points…

lol @ my face haha

First of all, literally everything counts in one way or another. Recognized events, schooling events, CTs, all jump heights (including poles on the ground)… Everything. PLUS. Points were awarded for final placings, obvi, but also just for like… doing the thing. 

check out this sweet swag too! friggin plates omg - including a nameplate! 
forgot to include the lovely DVCTA mug in this pic bc i was drinking tea from it while writing this post LOL

Did you show up to the event? Good job, here’s a point! Did you finish the event? Even better, here’s another point! Clear jumping? Inside the time? Yep - you guessed it, more points!!

never in my life have i gotten a ribbon with a tassel on it omg
obvi hung some of that satin up on Doozy’s stall wall for a couple days <3

That, combined with the club membership base being predominantly dressage riders, meant Doozy and I made nearly clean sweeps of our jumping categories!! 

Which… is fairly insane if you consider, uh, our actual record LOL. We aren’t exactly what you’d consider a ‘competitive’ bunch. But ya know. That’s not gonna stop me from being tickled beyond belief by this incredible swag, omg. 

nbd, just sittin on my champion mare <3

Talk about indulgent year end awards, omg… Like, sure sure, we can all pretty much appreciate that Doozy and I might not necessarily be destined for topping the leaderboards at any prestigious events or anything like that… 

But if you go by the maxim, ‘90% of Life is Showing Up,’ then yea. We do that haha! Still gotta participate to get that trophy, amirite?