WOW! What a Start

Wednesday was Harry's first day in the ring at Ocala and he was a superstar with my trainer. He's a little afraid of the racetrack atmosphere and thinks he's still supposed to run really fast.

Yesterday must have been a better day...He WON a class, was 3rd and 2nd and ended up Reserve Champion of his division. I am so proud I could burst!

My mom's reaction to the ribbons was very funny:

Me: "Mom, Harry won 2 third places today!"
My mom: "Really, that's great, what color is that?"
Me: "It's yellow"
My mom: "Oh...I wish he had been 5th. Pink is so much prettier"

Priorities, right?

RIBBONS!

Harry debuted in the Thoroughbred Hunters in Ocala yesterday and earned my trainer, Mary Lisa and me two third place ribbons. I couldn't be happier and I'm just SO READY to get there tomorrow night and show my horse myself on Saturday. I started packing the car this morning...Emma got very upset!

First, a football interlude:

CONGRATS TO MY TEAM, THE FANTABULOUS GREEN BAY PACKERS, SUPERBOWL 45 CHAMPS!!!!!!

And now to our regularly scheduled horsey program. Harry arrived in Florida bright and early on Friday. He had a bath, a roll and a nap followed by a workout. Apparently he was a wee bit "fresh", or hyper. I would be too after 16 hours in the car! Imagine a 4th grader made to stand still for 14 hours...yep, that's my horse!

He's in work in the warm Ocala sun and my trainer sent me a picture from yesterday. It's a phone pic but I was so happy to see him safe and happy! And clean...he hasn't had a bath since October!

Harry left for Florida yesterday and I won't see him til NEXT week Friday. The first picture is the big truck pulling in. My friend and I were debating...I think it probably carries 10 horses, maybe 12. The middle picture is Harry all dressed up and ready to go on the "big rig". He's wearing just a cotton sheet because it will be WARM where he is going! The things that look like legwarmers are to protect his legs and support the tendons and ligaments for the long trip. The last picture is Harry driving down the driveway on his way to Florida!

More snow! More ice! I am tired of winter. I need sunshine and warmth. Apparently Harry also needs these things...how is it fair that my horse gets ten more days of vacation than ME???? Harry leaves Thursday and his first show day is next week Wednesday. I won't be there to see it but I'm sure I'll get text updates from my trainers.

This is a picture of Harry from last Friday in the snow. He is also sick of the snow and ice!

Snow Day = Barn Day

I woke up to exciting news that we had a snow day today! I'm from Wisconsin...a little ice and snow wasn't going to keep me from the barn on a day off with Florida days away...I got in my trusty Civic and drove to the farm...the driveway was a bit dicey but the roads were clear. All the horses were in their stalls because of the ice. I have decided that Harry thinks I have either a) quit my job or b) have a new job where all I get paid to do is torture him. He hasn't had a day off since last Thursday (it's a rough life being a horse who does nothing but eat and poop other than one hour a day of work...at the most). He truly gave me a look today that clearly said: "Go to work woman! I am tired of seeing you here!" Little does he know that he'll have 10 days more in Sunny Florida than me!!!!

A long, sick weekend!

I have a cold. Not just a runny nose kind of cold...the "chest and nose and sinus plague" that is going around. As I write this on Monday morning I'm actually starting to feel (a little) better after about a week of Nyquil nights and 9-11 hours of sleep. The extra day off meant another long night of sleep. It also means another day at the barn to ride. I was not at my best or strongest while riding this weekend but I showed up and rode everyday anyway. Breathing is totally overrated, right?