The Last Blog Entry...

1. TRAFFIC on 495 :(
2. The rain!
3. My co-pilot working hard in the back seat...she's exhausted!






The last one. It was a LONG drive home today. The weather was fine just up to when I got on 495. Then, the heaven's opened and it poured the rest of my way home. 4PM + the sluicing rain + rush hour = a VERY cranky Hillary when I finally got home at 5:30! But all the wash is done, all my unpacking is done and I cleaned out my fridge (ew).

1. I thought it was appropriate to end the blog with the big truck that is taking Harry home.
2. Harry after his class, soooo mellow and happy.
3. My VERY tired horse show dog!
4. Sheryl's dog Stevie, also exhausted!
5. The show grounds this morning in the fog, it's really pretty.






Tonight is a bittersweet night. I feel like one more week would really have let me get in the jumper groove. The weather has been beautiful, it was a perfect break from the cloudy, cold, depressing Maryland winter. I'm ready to get home and get back to my "real life" but I truly miss my life when all I did was the horses. I don't think I could go back but after 10 days like I've just had it sure is tempting to run off and join the circus :)

Winding down...

1. Harry hanging out today after our round.
2. My tack trunk with the cover on it, all packed up for the night.
3. My trunk...with all my stuff! It takes a lot to get organized!
4. Emma helping wake Lexi this AM..."cuddle time"
5. Ashley on the golf cart.




Today was a long day. I was at the show by 10 but didn't ride until almost 5. I got to watch most of the kids ride and I got to help out. My round was good. Not fast, but well ridden. I've developing better control of my body, looking UP over all the jumps and holding my upper body away so my horse can jump up to me. Harry's learned to be much more careful to the verticals and today I really felt like he was jumping better than he has all week...maybe because I'm riding better!

It's interesting because I was talking out the switch to the jumpers tonight with a friend and I figured out how I feel. I may not have WANTED a jumper. And I may have planned to be in the 3ft hunter ring. But Harry was EXACTLY the right horse at the right time for me. I needed one I could trust to jump the bigger jumps and remind me that I DO know how to ride in either the hunter or jumper ring. Duplo and Perry were great horses in their own ways but they sucked my confidence away for 6 years. And Lego was retired. Harry had given me my confidence back. So, whether I keep him for a while or sell him and get a hunter I will ALWAYS be grateful to him for reteaching me trust in my horse. I used to be afraid of a 2'6 jump...now I'm schooling 3'6 and not even batting an eyelash. This horse has brought me home.

A HUGE shout out to Ashley Foster who was 3rd of of 70 in the Children's/Adult Grand Prix tonight. She and her horse Jordy were just incredible to watch!

These are the action shots taken today by our AWESOME barn manager (I use that word a lot). Harry looks great and I feel pretty good about my riding. I wonder if my stirrups are too long and I wish I looked skinnier but that's a work in progress. My position is pretty good overall though and my leg isn't doing anything too strange...sometimes my leg does weird things!

1. This was a really cute horse lying in the field and eating. It's hard to tell but he's adorable!
2. Harry wearing the "magic blanket": it's got some sort of therapeutic property and it helps the horses' muscles heal and repair so they are less sore.
3. The GIANT rice krispie treat at Disney. There were a bunch of flavors and sizes...I managed not to give in but I REALLY wanted one!

Well. Yesterday I didn't update the blog. I fail ;) My trainer rode Harry yesterdy in a jumper class and they ended up 8th out of about 30. The 8th place ribbons are brown, which we now call "mocha" as I'm very proud of my mocha ribbon. Even MORE exciting: I won a mocha ribbon today out of 30. ALL BY MYSELF! I was riding well and Harry loves his new job description as a jumper. Life is good in Ocala. The weather continues to be amazing, it's been 80 degrees and sunny pretty much everyday. I'm wearing my 85SPF so I'm not as tan as I'd like but I'm being responsible! Maybe on Sunday I'll take my chances and feel a little burn before I head back up north on Monday.
I forgot to mention that I also jumped at least three jumps with only one stirrup! It was terrifying but I was more afraid of what Mary (my trainer) would say if I circled than I was of falling off!
Emma continues to be an awesome horse show dog and is currently exhausted. We both ate dinner (Chik Fil A for me) and are all washed up and ready for bed! I have another jumper class tomorrow afternoon and one horse to ride earlier in the day. The days are long and I feel like I never really sit still but I love every minute of this sport!

DISNEY!!!!

1. Ashley, me and Kimmy waiting in Pirates
2. On the carousel, can't spend a day away from the horses!
3. Me, waiting for Pirates
4. Kimmy, Ash, me and Katie
5. TIRED kids (me too) at the end of the day with our loot!

Today was Disney Day with the three teenagers: Kimmy, Ashley and Katie. I would be lying if I didn't tell you all that this was a very large part of the appeal of the trip. I love Disney maybe as much as Paris, certainly more than most places I've visited. We spent the day at the Magic Kingdom. First, we followed the staff to the staff parking but after that little mistake the day went great. We rode EVERYTHING on our list by 3:30PM: Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted House, the Carousel...whew...I think that's it? Then, we shopped. Then, we drove home exhausted! Back to the horse show tomorrow!

Monday Funday

1. Me, Grammy and Si. My grandma had never met Emma before.
2. Harry and I prepping yesterday for our round.
3. The place I had lunch today, it was GORGEOUS!


4. My friend Mollie's dog Fiona snoozing in the sun.
5. Self portrait of me at the restaurant...no laughing!
6. The view from our lunch table. And escargot on the menu...I was in heaven!






















Nothing happens at the show on Monday. The horses get the day off and so do the humans. I slept in and then ran to Walmart to pick a few things up. Then, I drove to a really pretty spot in a town called Ellenton to meet my grandmother and her husband for lunch. The weather was perfect and lunch was great; we ate outside.

This afternoon I did some laundry, gave Harry a few carrots and then tutored before making my microwave gourmet dinner of ravioli with parmesan. Now I'm trying to stay awake a little while longer so I can get up early for DISNEY tomorrow! I love Disney and have three great teenagers to come with me :)