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? 

best eventing club ever

Our local eventing club, the MCTA, is just such a special group. Maryland is part of the USEA’s Area II, a densely packed and competitive group of riders, comprising everybody from Olympic level professionals, to young riders and ambitious and talented adult amateurs. It’s a big pond with a LOT of big fish.

Ruddy cheeked red heads lol

But the MCTA is something smaller and more intimate amid all that. It’s (obviously) a more geographically local membership… But it’s also more of an accessible community that more or less just celebrates the sport of eventing - at all levels.

Sorry i don’t have a pic on the horse…. Yet!!

I always strongly encourage literally anybody I meet who does at least one event (including unrecognized!) at any level in a year to become a member. Bc the year end awards at this club are LIT lol.

Case in point: While Doozy and I completed 4 unrecognized horse trials this year, I only submitted our results from the last two - Loch Moy and Waredaca. Mostly bc perhaps I don’t really understand how the club actually calculates and tallies points toward all the various award categories. 

And holy crap guys, my sweet mare won four GIANT ribbons — including a TIP neck ribbon omg! And a sweet Big Brown ribbon too <3 <3

I swear this club will find literally any reason to award you a GIANT ribbon

Honestly it’s been my sense for years that the club finds ways to recognize literally everybody who submits results for the year end awards. They have seemingly endless categories, including separate categories for horses and riders, and do their best to count points favorably such that you get the best possible awards.

Look at these awesome prizes!! The little gift bags are FULL of treats

Naturally — there are prizes too!! Really really sweet, creative and thoughtful prizes omg! And guys — we only got 3rd 7th and 8th place ribbons. I wasn’t able to attend the banquet so I don’t know for certain what all was awarded for higher place finishes, but saw among my friends’ swag bags custom photo printed blankets, monogrammed saddle pads…. And let’s not forget all the engraved perpetual trophies.

Also, there was a silent auction where yours truly mayyyyyy have snagged some exciting goodies!

Really, so much amazingness from what is honestly a modest and relatively small club. MCTA offers one recognized event each spring at the iconic Shawan Downs, and two starter events - one also at Shawan (generally a week or two after the recognized) and a fall event often held at Tranquillity.

The unrecognized events in particular are insanely inviting and both allow for complete schooling of all the courses in advance (well, y’all already know Tranquillity just straight up allows complete schooling year round). And natch, points earned from MCTA events count double toward year end awards!

‘Tis the season for aspirational dreaming tho, amirite? LOL

The club also organizes an absolutely stellar silent auction in conjunction with the banquet each year too. Allllll sorts of items get donated, including lessons, schooling passes, wellness packages (like chiro, acupuncture, massage…), gift cards, swag bags and on and on. 

This year, tho I concentrated my bidding attention on event entries — with a whooooole bunch of interesting activities tempting us into bidding wars. There was everything from schooling shows, derbies, 3-phase starter trials, and even recognized USEA horse trials.

I may or may not have snagged one of the latter, omg. So, uh, stay tuned for more on that lol.

It’s all ahead of us <3 

In the meantime, we’re still fairly snowed in around here. It’s less bitterly cold and everybody is used to the snow now — roads and paths are clear etc. But it’s still a a bit limiting and actually I think Doozy’s feet got a little bruised from ice packs, womp. 

So ya know. It’s a quiet season, a time for reflection and hopes and dreams for the future. And ya know. Maybe a time to renew my memberships to the MCTA and all the other associations etc for the year ahead! Are you joining any associations or clubs for the coming year too??

creating a NEW new plan!!

I reminisced a couple weeks ago about how great it was for my confidence to take two jumping lessons each week back in 2015. Ideally, that's the direction I'd like to get back to. In the meantime, tho, realistically I'll settle for even just more saddle time, independent of whether we jump or not. 

Y'all don't need me to tell you that life with Charlie requires many many starts and stops. The casual reader might be forgiven for thinking we're perpetually in the "getting started again / legging back up" phase of work, let's be real.

charlie is the best at making new barnyard friends <3 isn't Bess adorable tho??

To be perfectly honest, I've often considered (at times, very seriously) whether I might actually be able to swing two horses -- just to always have a back up for ye olde King of the Dings, Charles. 

Somewhat serendipitously, tho, an even better situation just popped up. You see, the owners at Charlie's farm have long felt like something's been missing. And they've been casually looking for a new barnyard resident. Finally, they found her: Bess. And guys, Bess ticks all the right boxes. 

she's really the friendliest tho

She's obviously super cute. But also super friendly, gentle, and people-oriented. Only issue is that she's still kinda young and doesn't have a ton of mileage yet. She's not ready for "prime time" in the school program yet, if ya know what I mean. 

So -- we ended up working out a win-win solution for everyone involved. I get a solution for filling the gap in my saddle time, giving me the opportunity to increase my fitness (and grow my skillset in new and different ways). And Bess gets the attention and experience she needs to be a productive member of the farm's society. 

haven't found a bridle that fits her yet (plus, omg, so downhill!) so it's a real test of my balance lol

And honestly, so far everything's been going pretty smoothly! She's obviously a very different ride from what I'm used to -- not even considering the conformation changes. 

And, lol, somewhat embarrassingly, she's already got a bigger better engine than retired racehorse Charlie.... Which honestly is a nice change of pace for me (lol puns) not feeling like I have to kick kick kick her along every step. Tho, uh, the lack of steering and downhill way of going has meant for some slightly dicey moments at times -- esp out in the open fields!

but she's got hops!! good 'nuff for me <3 <3 <3

Honestly, tho, Bess is SUPER fun. She's brave and game and so far has shown a shocking aptitude and talent for her new job. Idk how long the lease will last, to be honest, bc some of the more advanced lesson kiddos are already itching to get their chance with her too. 

But for now, I'm just taking my time and making sure we both get a lot of good positive experiences. So! There ya have it -- my new exciting partner in crime, with our lease starting today, April 1!! :)

a slight change in plans

So you all know I'm a fairly goals-oriented individual. I like to have something to work toward, things on the calendar, ya know?

And, of course, I've written at great length previously about what my journey as a horsewoman and rider means to me. About how, to me, personally, a major fulfilling aspect of my horse habit is the act of learning, getting better, and improving my own skills.

For me, it's all about developing and growing. Facing new challenges even if they scare me. And learning, over time and with practice, how to refine and improve.

charlie's known how to strike a pose since day 1. no bad angle with this good lookin gelding!

With Charlie, this has manifested in my choice to bring him along myself, as his solo rider and trainer since his final race in Aug 2016.

Of course I've had the guidance and instruction of many, many, MANY professionals and trusted advisers along the way. But generally speaking, I'm the one in the irons. And the pace of our progress is and has been dictated in large part by my own abilities.

There's more than one way to skin a cat, however. And with horses, it sure seems like all roads lead to Rome, as far as I can tell.

Which.... Is another way of saying, "There's been a slight change in plans."

first introductions went well!!

You see... I've lamented recently about my difficulties in budgeting, and the expenses of what was promising to be a big blockbuster show season. Ya know, bc I wanted to move up, and show recognized, and maybe even earn some qualifying results.

Which.... currently all feel like majorly ambitious goals when accounting for my own limited abilities haha. To even just get that far, it was clearly going to take a huge investment in coaching and educational experiences, etc. Considering that getting me to ride even marginally better is akin to Sisyphus and his god forsaken rock... It would be no small task, and one big price tag!

The reality is, tho, that.... Well. I'm broke, yo. And I'm finally coming to accept the fact that the enormous cost of reaching those qualifications goals, the unfathomable speculation that is imagining myself as capable of riding even halfway decently... Well... Realistically it's gonna take way more resources than I currently have on hand.

charlie kept his cool at his first major international gig with Matt

Suddenly, tho, and basically out of nowhere, Charlie got his big break and I got my deus ex machina. You see, Charlie's always been a beautiful horse. Let's be real, half the reason I bought him in the first place was bc of his impeccable hair.

Turns out, tho, I wasn't the only one to notice this. A luxury modeling agency's talent scout happened to stumble across pictures of Charlie on a random google search (true story: she was casually searching "fail" horse memes and our George Morris critique popped up lol) and was immediately mesmerized by Charlie's tall, dark and handsome features.

In fact, she happens to represent international Australian model, dressage rider and Youtube sensation Matt Harnacke, and thought he and Charlie would be a perfect match.

to say i'm a little jealous of the bond they've developed would be an understatement!

Obviously, I was shocked when I got the call. And my immediate knee-jerk reaction was an emphatic, "No way, are you actually fucking crazy?!?" What sort of lunatic would I have to be to ship my horse all the way over to the Netherlands just for a couple photo shoots, when we're only just now getting ready for our own competition season?!? Are you guys really that strapped for good looking horses that you need to import my no-name OTTB??

But.... the more I thought about it, the more it made $en$e, even if I felt a little sad and bittersweet about it all. Realistically, the exposure is just so so good for Charlie's career. It would be selfish of me to deny him that.

And obviously the sponsorships were too hard to say no to, esp that Divosa spree!! Plus, Matt even generously volunteered to keep Charlie in work for me, so maybe the horse will come back as a supermodel AND dressage star?

So off Charlie went. Off to fame and glamour and luxury, off to earn his own benjamins (or whatever they call them in Europe haha), while I sit here twiddling my thumbs and waiting for his ad campaigns and agency contracts to run their courses.

It's all good, tho. Yes I still have goals. Yes I still want to do things and go places with Charlie too. But all in good time, right? It's only April 1, after all ;)

christmas wishes from the west coast!

Tracy from the Printable Pony has hosted an equestrian blogger gift exchange for years and years now, and it's just straight up wonderful! Legitimately one of my first orders of business upon firing up my own little blogger machine was to sign up and participate in that year's exchange!

eeeeee i love christmas surprises!!!

Each year when I learn who my own giftee will be, I spend all sorts of time creepin and crawlin their blogs, trying to figure out what direction to go in for gifts. It's a lot of fun, tbh.

And of course, it's also been awesome to receive surprise gifts too!! Every year has been different, but always super creative and super inspired. And this year was no exception!!

this package apparently did not have an easy trip across the country...

Karley from All In drew my name this year, and sent an adorable package filled with all manner of fun stuff for me and Charlie to enjoy! The box.... Well. The USPS honestly abused the ever loving shit out of this package. Holy moly. It was banged up.

was still crammed full of goodies tho!!! full disclosure: those peppermint pretzel cookie things are GONE haha

Luckily tho, the package's contents all seemed no worse for the (extensive) wear!! It was actually kinda like opening up a clown car haha, more and more goodies kept falling out!

First up were some snacks that I'm almost (almost) ashamed to admit how quickly they were eaten up haha. Peppermint pretzels for me and candy canes for Chuck, yum!

kensington mesh bath tote with fun products and sponges!

Then a cute kensington mesh bath tote (in navy, natch!) with Show Sheen gel detangler and Ultra Shield bug repellent gel, a squishy rubber curry, a big body sponge (christened with some nice lotion by Karley's daughter haha) and a smaller bath sponge that's pre loaded with shampoo.

charlie approves <3

I like that the tote has so many pockets and straps to hold products in place, and like that it's mesh so it won't hold water and will dry quickly. Perfect for bath time!

judgey barn cat surreptitiously creepin from that random cat-sized hole in the wall also approves

The products too are pretty exciting! Like, even the big body sponge: the one that lives in my trailer has finally sorta bit the dust, so the timing for that is perfect haha. The bug repellent will have to wait for testing until next spring when all the biting flies come back to life, but the mane detangler was put immediately to good use!

bc god save you if you don't get that all-important cat stamp of approval!

With all the rain and mud lately, Charlie's honestly started to look a little homeless. Like, at least being blanketed means most of his body stays mostly ok.... But his mane and tail are straight up wild. And there's just.... so much of both of them! The way this horse grows hair is unreal ugh.

just ignore the dried mud haha and enjoy the neat and tidy mane!

In an ideal world, the mane would be pulled and a bit more tidy, and the tail freshly banged, in advance of the clinic this weekend. But.... Oh well haha. At least with the detangler the mane looks semi presentable! And we'll just have to hope for the best with everything else!

Thanks so much Karley for this thoughtful gift! And thanks Tracy for hosting every year and coordinating all the details!

And to my own secret gift recipient: Your gift is in the mail, so keep an eye out for a box from Baltimore ;)

charlie's blast from the past

I've written before about being very lucky in the circumstances around adopting Charlie. A couple weeks after his final race in 2016, his connections placed him at an organization dedicated to rehabbing and rehoming OTTBs.

His former owners and trainers had funneled a few horses through this organization previously (and since, I believe) so the woman who runs the program was pretty familiar with them. Plus, I knew a number of horses who had been rehomed by the organization too (hai, Bali!! and others!!), and the organization administrator and I have some close mutual acquaintances.

All this added up to a situation in which, while none of us really knew each other personally or well, we all knew enough about all the other parties to feel pretty good about things. 

So I was able to get in touch directly with Charlie's former owners and trainers, all of whom were really friendly and candid in telling me all about their time with the horse. They each provided their own versions of his full history, their favorite stories, and little details about what made Charlie so special and lovable. Bc yea, it was pretty clear from the start that they all each cared deeply about the horse.

Charlie's portrait by Alyssa Kelley, Jan 2017

Since adopting Charlie, I've tried to keep them up to date on his progress. Obviously I don't want to spam them, or try to act like I'm anything other than a regular old adult ammy playing ponies and jumping small sticks with their former classy race horse.... And naturally I have spared them the roller coaster ride of thrown shoes, random dings, and splints gone bad.....

But, generally speaking, I send the group an email or two a year - usually with some picture of Charlie looking fabulous or with a fun recent cross country video or something (or like that time Charlie made the front page of US Eventing lol...).

One owner, in particular, always replies that he'd love to set up a time to come visit. At first I was really excited at the prospect, but months went by with nothing materializing. So I kinda figured that it might not actually ever happen.

one of charlie's former owners gave me my own framed win pic!!!! much exciting!!! higher res version, and charlie's other (slightly more flattering, but who's counting lol) win pictures can be found at this link

But lo! Last week he emailed me again saying he'd be in the state for his daughter's lacrosse tournament, and was I around for a visit??

Why Yes, sir! I am!! Everything worked out and he found the farm without issue. Charlie for his part was kind enough to be reasonably clean, currently uninjured, and in a particularly hammy mood lol.

So we got to hang out for a little while - with both of us cramming the spoiled rotten pony full of carrots, brushing him off, taking lots of pictures, and generally recounting all of his favorite Charlie stories and histories.

Plus he brought me my own framed picture of one of Charlie's bigger wins!! Which obviously I am totally over the moon about haha. I had found all these pictures not long after bringing Charlie home and had hemmed and hawed about ordering my own framed prints too... but just hadn't pulled the trigger. But now I have one!! Makes me feel like a super legit OTTB owner haha ;)

yep, dat's my classy race horse ;)

I guess this particular owner had first claimed Charlie as a 3yo, and over time used various trainers and partnered with different owners. I had understood some of Charlie's history (esp some of the more unfortunate health- and wellness-related aspects) from his last trainer, and was able to learn more from this owner who actually owned the horse during that time. Very insightful!

Plus it was kinda cool to hear him go on about his enthusiasm for horses (he's currently got a couple other race horses right now too - down in Kentucky and also back up in Delaware) as someone who isn't really as involved in the day to day handling and care of horses.

All in all, it was really great meeting him. He was very kind and seemed genuinely happy to see Charlie looking healthy and happy in his new life (like when one of the very small pony riders at my barn came skipping up alongside Charlie and he immediately lowered his nose to her to say hi <3).

And for my part it was really cool to meet this complete stranger who loves this horse just as much as I do. And who jokingly said that his daughters refer to Charlie as "their little brother" lol.

So often we hear stories of ambivalence or neglect from owners and trainers at the track. Like the impression that these horses are somehow considered disposable and discarded the moment they're no longer profitable.

Maybe that's true somewhere, or sometimes, or in some cases... But I tend to believe it's less common than we might think. And it definitely was not true in Charlie's case haha. And I feel super lucky to have gotten to speak with and now meet some of the people who were so influential in Charlie's life from age 3 to 7. Feels like I have a real piece of Charlie's past now.

Have you ever gotten to meet your horse's previous owners? Or get any glimpses into their histories? Or is your horse's background more of a mystery?

Charlie made US Eventing's front page!!

Thanks everyone who sent me the heads up about Charlie's unexpected stint as cover model for US Eventing's latest podcast (on the value and importance of starter trials in the eventing community - you should totally check it out here! Presenters include Carolyn Mackintosh of Loch Moy and Marc Donovan of the War Horse Event Series.).

There's exactly zero chance I would have seen it otherwise, so I seriously appreciate it!

screenshot of useventing.com from Friday

Charlie looks like such a freakin prince in this shot by GRC Photography and I'm just a bit overwhelmed with pride that US Eventing chose to use it. I had submitted it to the Loch Moy folks after they asked for pictures, and USEA picked it up from them.

As you all know, this particular cross country run for us at Loch Moy last month wasn't without difficulties and challenges. But this moment right here, and the feeling Charlie gave me during that moment, are really what it's all about. We're green and we make mistakes, but this horse has got it in him to just be straight up magnificent.

gif version of the jump. dem knees tho!!
full helmet cam video here icymi

I feel so lucky that the quiet, kind OTTB I found a year and a half ago - my first ever horse! - has blossomed into such a beautiful and talented event horse.

And I feel even more lucky that Maryland's eventing community has so many awesome venues like Loch Moy to host these excellent starter trials. Without them, there's no way I could have gotten so many experiences as an eventing newbie with limited resources.

So. Ya know. Seeing Charlie's picture on US Eventing's front page, even just briefly, just filled me with pride and gratitude. My inner 12yo is walking on air. And yes, I totally emailed all his former racing connections (trainer, owners, all of 'em) with the link haha. I figured this was reasonable enough material for my bi-annual update on the pony ;)

Charlie's definitely getting extra carrots today :) Especially as our big plans for the day include heading out to Fair Hill for a relaxing hack through the park with Michele and Sarah for a farewell sendoff before Michele leaves us for Tennessee. Should be a good day!

Hope you are all having great weekends too!

santa came early this year!

I must admit - there are few things I look forward to every holiday season quite like Tracy's Equestrian Blogger Gift Exchange. No joke, this is like, a serious highlight for me. And I've been vigilantly keeping watch on the parcels arriving at my apartment building for weeks now.

such a pretty card!

And finally (I say "finally" bc I'm basically an over-eager child when it comes to expectations lol), finally - I got home from a stupidly long work day of commuting to far off states to find a parcel waiting for me! By none other than West Coast blogger Susan Friedland-Smith of Saddle Seeks Horse!!

d'aww, gotta love that bay ottb camaraderie! 

And Susan, undoubtedly with the help of her wonderful OTTB Knight, assembled quite the holiday package for us!

omgosh that's a lotta stuff!

I especially loved that every piece had its own post-it note card to go along! Tho alas some became detached from their original parcels in transit... but.... It wasn't too hard to figure out which went where lol.

socks notecards and coozies!!!

Of particular note are these amazing Lettia fox hunting socks - one of my favorite brands and a very fun design to boot! Charlie and I continue to have ambitious fox hunting plans (one day!) and these suit me exactly!

so freakin cute tho, right? also do i need a green hunt coat now????? #importantquestions

As do these adorable fox hunting motif note cards, complete with stickers from Hunt Seat Apparel!

omg tho. omg these are too perfect for my group of drinking buddies who also have an eventing problem!

Rounding out that bunch are a pair of beer coozies that I think Susan just threw in as extra gimmes... but..... Well. Let me tell ya, gurlfriend, these things are awesome. 

Be Resilient. Like an OTTB. Yasssss. That's a motto I can get behind! As, I suspect, can all of my friends, when we supplement our drinking habits with the occasional cross country school and event!!

it's a reflective LED breast plate tho!!!! brace yo'selves for the inevitable pictures of charlie lighting up ye olde night skies!

But that wasn't the end of it either! There's also a Cowboy Magic detangler sample - a product I've purchased in the past and will absolutely purchase again in the future. AND. Perhaps one of my favorites of the bunch - this hyper reflective, LED-laced breast plate. OMG. And it has charging cables for the LEDs OMG. I literally cannot wait to dress Charlie up in this haha.

Bc obviously I have safety concerns with a very dark and very sketchy driveway we navigate every week night (did I tell you about the time a bunch of teenagers driving a four wheeler way too fast with no lights almost hit us? No? ahhh.... fun horrifying times....). Plus we wander through woods abutting hunting grounds. So. This is mightily useful. And also something excellent to dress the old man up in lol.

aaaand, naturally, some local heart throb flavor du jour. Susan knows what's up haha

And, speaking of the "Old Man," can we just talk about this "Hot Horseman" on the cover of the magazine Susan included?????

Yea.... Susan knows what's up hahaha ;)

Thank you so much, Susan!! Wishing you and Knight a very merry holiday! And thank you Tracy, of the Printable Pony, for hosting my favorite equestrian blogger gift exchange every year!!

spoiler alert!

Happy Sunday, everyone - hope it's been a good weekend! We've been fortunate enough to have continued nice weather (daytime temps feeling balmy in the 50s) and Charlie and I finally got to capitalize by playing around with something we haven't seen in 10+ weeks: jompies!!!!

so fierce tho lol. charlie takes his job very seriously, ya know!

Yesssssss. Finally.

Feels so good to be able to ride Charlie over fences again. Obvi we kept it light 'n low, but ya know Charlie never really does much more than an exaggerated canter stride over small fences anyway haha.

And he was quite enthusiastic to be pointed at colorful sticks again. It was possibly a critical error to ride him in his plain loose ring snaffle on his dressage bridle instead of our normal elevator for jumping. Haha. Ahem.

All's well that ends well, tho. Full details to come (tho alas, limited media) - but in the meantime I'm just gonna be sitting here so freakin excited to finally be nearly back to normal!

heart strings

Strange busy weekend so far. In a good way, I think. But strange. It actually took a bit of a surprise twist. With regard to a certain red headed mare we all know and love.

specifically, this one

I'll probably write more about it later... but this weekend unexpectedly saw me putting a schooling ride on said mare for the first time since.... gosh, June? Since which point she's basically been living the retired pasture puff lifestyle.

Sure, I had the lease on her through October... but we had ceased all purposeful training by July, just sticking to trails and paper chases, and had our last ride after four years together in September.

Until this weekend, that is.

she's still lovable

Turns out I'm just still emotionally invested in the mare's life and future. And while my own path with the horse has sadly ended, the hope is that she might have a promising new opportunity. We'll see what happens!

Charlie the Race Horse: A Portrait

For a while now, I've wanted to do something to honor and pay homage to Charlie's racing career. Racing was a major part of his life to date, and he had many connections who really believed in him as a race horse.

When I read that Alyssa was accepting commissions to offset Bacon's emergency veterinary bills....well. It was a no brainer. Alyssa's artwork is lovely - she has an uncanny ability to capture each individual horse's expression. (I mean, c'mon, did you see her portrait of Bobby?!?)

Plus. Alyssa knows race horses. Who better to immortalize that part of Charlie's history?

  

I sent Alyssa this link to Charlie's win pictures from Parx Racing, where he often ran and sometimes won, and let her choose how to best proceed.

And. Well. I'm just floored. It's so perfect!! Thank you so much, Alyssa!! I love it!!

Obviously I love it so much that it's become Charlie's debut as this blog's star attraction! And of course I couldn't wait until the painting actually arrived to share it with y'all haha - this is a screenshot of a picture of the original piece lol... But the quality of her work, and the truth of his expression are still so apparent.

Eeeeeee I'm so excited and can't wait to hang this beauty up on my wall!! I've never had a portrait of a horse before (or, at least, a horse I know) - just lots of pictures. This somehow feels more special tho. Have you ever gotten portraits of your horses before? As a painting or maybe some other medium?

2016 blogger secret santa!!

It's that wonderful time of year again, when Tracy from Fly On Over hosts the annual Equestrian Blogger Gift Exchange. This is her fourth year hosting, and my third year participating. It's such a fun and special tradition, thanks for pulling it all together,Tracy!!

My secret santa this year turned out to be Stephanie from Hand Gallop!!! Who you may recall I had the pleasure of meeting just a couple short months ago at Dressage at Devon!! 

And Stephanie picked out the most awesome stuff for both me and Charlie. It helps that she's got a great eye and easy access to all sorts of amazing goodies at the tack shop she works at, The Horse of Course (whose travelling shop we had a blast exploring at Devon).  

Charlie's basically going to lose his shit over those homemade peppermint treats and I can't wait!!

And. Naturally, Stephanie understands that the depths of my soul aren't actually black like I like to pretend. Nope. Not black. Rather, my soul is made complete by SPACE CATS OMG. This C4 belt is just..... wow. It's everything. 

I'm loving this cute Irideon xc t-shirt too!! I haven't ridden a full cross country course since May 8 at Fair Hill (when Isabel and I got eliminated in stadium...) and I miss it desperately. Hopefully Charlie and I will get out on course at some point next season... but in the meantime this shirt will maybe help me at least look like an eventer even if I'm not riding like one lol.

The cat approves too!

And this saddle pad.... Wow it just hits all the right notes: Navy with classy silver piping, and FOX FACES OMG. Haha I'm clearly riding high on the "squealing like a child" bus right now lol.

But it's no secret that I've been extremely jealous of Stephanie and Alli and others who get out and about fox hunting all the time (you might even say I've been very weirdly preoccupied by it haha). So this saddle pad is another perfect way of dressing the part until the eventual day when we can actually act the part too!!

And also - in case you hadn't noticed the cute little decoration on the wrapped presents in the earlier pics, this festive little bit is actually a key chain too!!

It's just... wow, so many great presents for the green horse and rider of said green horse. Charlie and I might not be doing anything super exciting or impressive yet - but we're certainly starting to at least look the part!!!

Thank you so much, Stephanie!! Your gifts really brightened my day!! And Charlie's too!! Thanks also to Tracy for hosting this wonderful gift exchange every year!

Happy Holidays, everyone!!