September 24, 2011 Blog
Whew! So who knew going to the AEC’s would put me so far behind? I came home to find (in addition to the normal game of playing catch-up) that it’s the beginning of the fall show season, the beginning of the Holiday season if you’re involved in retail like I am, and we just started really taking my store mobile on top of all my normal day to day running a business and trying to improve my riding and get ready for Regional Championships tasks. It’s been a crazy ride (no pun intended!) In a perfect world I was going to write a series of blogs about my fabulous experience at the American Eventing Championships, but as I said that would have been in a perfect world…As it is I find myself almost two weeks out, and I haven’t written a word. So…to save time and endless ranting, I’ll just say that having the opportunity to ride in the AEC’s and to compete in such an amazingly beautiful and first class facility surrounded by the best riders in the United States was one of the best experiences of my life. I could quite literally go on and on about the perfect footing, the fun frantic course walk with Jonathan Holling, the beautiful horses, the fabulous new friends I made (eventers really are the best horse people in the world!) the way my area (GO AREA V!) represented itself, the majestic main barn, the tears elicited by hearing the national anthem being played, and what a ROCK STAR my pony (the best horse in the world!) was!!!!! But I won’t. All I will say is that for the first time EVER, I actually had FUN on the cross country course. FUN! Can you imagine? Well, until the AEC’s I really couldn’t, but WOW! Now I can’t wait to get back out there! Yippee!!!
What I really want to do is send this blog in a whole new direction…As a tack shop owner, I am constantly on the look-out for new items that have caught fire and caught on. I want to share those with you. I also want to help with common concerns and everyday items that the products I have in my store can help with. What I DON’T want to do is be preachy or make anyone feel like I’m putting a marketing spin on everything. What I do want to do is help. So…what tack question is nagging at you? What product are you absolutely in love with or what product do you absolutely abhor? What would YOU like to see me blog about? Send me your ideas and comments, and I’ll get to blogging! And have no fear, I’ll still write about the Syd and all our exploits; he wouldn’t have it any other way! So while the road to the 2011 AEC’s may have come to an end, the next road is just waiting to be followed! Happy riding!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Beginner Novice Cross-Country AECs
OK...so I have SOOOOO much to write about my unbelieveably amazing experience at the AEC's, but one of the coolest things that happened was being included in Eventing Nation's video coverage of cross country! Approximately 500 riders, and they chose Syd and I as a team to feature for the beginner novice competition. SOOOOOO flattered and thrilled!!!!! Here it is!
Enjoy! More to come once I get a bit more caught up!
Friday, September 2, 2011
A Mixed Bag
Today has definitely been a mixed bag of tricks. It started yesterday with some unexpected changes surrounding the AEC's and a couple of misunderstandings/miscommunications. As a result, I went to bed early last night and woke with the very distinct and unusual desire to clean my house (This is never a good sign as it usually means somethings bothering me. It's kind of like getting up on the wrong side of the bed.) Needless to say, I started my day feeling prickly and a little down. Okay, a lot down. It mostly has to do with having more on my plate than usual and just burning the candle at both ends for WAY too long. The flames are just about to meet.
I'm trying, trying, TRYING to stay focused on the biggest task at hand, which is the most important competition of my life thus far: The American Eventing Championships. Owning my own business and trying to take care of it and all the people around me, not to mention my furry children, is just about to put to me over the edge. Don't get me wrong! I LOVE MY BUSINESS!!! I DO!! But what's hard about owning your own business, and what most people don't realize, is that you NEVER truly get a break from it. It's like a child. It's always there, and it always needs something. When you're the sole employee, well you do the math...I'm the owner, manager, buyer, salesperson, full-time, part-time, CSM, marketing director, accountant (a job I LOATHE!) website designer, janitor, you name it, and I do it! Sometimes it all gets a tad bit exhausting. OK, more than a tad. This morning I was feeling the weight of that responsibility and then some.
So when I walked into the barn this morning to get ready for my jumping lesson, and one of the first things I hear is that it's supposed to rain for the AEC's, well...First of all, we're still a week out. Newsflash people! The weather forecast can and probably WILL change!!! Secondly, I just get so tired of "Gloom and Doom, gloom and doom!" I am NOT trying to beat on the folks at my barn talking about the rain. I'm just trying to take this one day and one step at a time. If I'm about to ride and it's pouring, well, I'll deal with it then! Today I just needed to have a good ride and stay focused on the task at hand.
As you might expect I was a little annoyed and yes, still prickly, when I finally got on my horse. Syd, sensing my mood, decided it was a good day to go to battle with me. He rarely picks a fight, but today he must have been feeling a little "on the wrong side of the bed-ish" himself. He did NOT want to go where I wanted him to go. But today, anger was on my side in a good way. I had just enough gumption to say, "NO! I'm the boss!" That was that! And I never had to even touch my whip. I just wasn't in the mood to put up with any shenanigans and told Syd so! As a result, we ended up having one of the best cross country lessons I've had in awhile. We went up the bank; we went down the bank; we went up and down the bank; we went up the bank, down the bank five strides to a vertical; we went up the pimple and down the pimple; we went up and over the pimple one stride to a vertical and then reversed it. Needless to say, it was just the cross country lesson I needed. I finished the lesson, dare I say it, feeling (gasp!) ready for the AEC's. FINALLY!
So sometimes good really does come out of bad...And the road to the AEC's is rapidly shrinking! One week from right now, I will have already ridden dressage!!!
I'm trying, trying, TRYING to stay focused on the biggest task at hand, which is the most important competition of my life thus far: The American Eventing Championships. Owning my own business and trying to take care of it and all the people around me, not to mention my furry children, is just about to put to me over the edge. Don't get me wrong! I LOVE MY BUSINESS!!! I DO!! But what's hard about owning your own business, and what most people don't realize, is that you NEVER truly get a break from it. It's like a child. It's always there, and it always needs something. When you're the sole employee, well you do the math...I'm the owner, manager, buyer, salesperson, full-time, part-time, CSM, marketing director, accountant (a job I LOATHE!) website designer, janitor, you name it, and I do it! Sometimes it all gets a tad bit exhausting. OK, more than a tad. This morning I was feeling the weight of that responsibility and then some.
So when I walked into the barn this morning to get ready for my jumping lesson, and one of the first things I hear is that it's supposed to rain for the AEC's, well...First of all, we're still a week out. Newsflash people! The weather forecast can and probably WILL change!!! Secondly, I just get so tired of "Gloom and Doom, gloom and doom!" I am NOT trying to beat on the folks at my barn talking about the rain. I'm just trying to take this one day and one step at a time. If I'm about to ride and it's pouring, well, I'll deal with it then! Today I just needed to have a good ride and stay focused on the task at hand.
As you might expect I was a little annoyed and yes, still prickly, when I finally got on my horse. Syd, sensing my mood, decided it was a good day to go to battle with me. He rarely picks a fight, but today he must have been feeling a little "on the wrong side of the bed-ish" himself. He did NOT want to go where I wanted him to go. But today, anger was on my side in a good way. I had just enough gumption to say, "NO! I'm the boss!" That was that! And I never had to even touch my whip. I just wasn't in the mood to put up with any shenanigans and told Syd so! As a result, we ended up having one of the best cross country lessons I've had in awhile. We went up the bank; we went down the bank; we went up and down the bank; we went up the bank, down the bank five strides to a vertical; we went up the pimple and down the pimple; we went up and over the pimple one stride to a vertical and then reversed it. Needless to say, it was just the cross country lesson I needed. I finished the lesson, dare I say it, feeling (gasp!) ready for the AEC's. FINALLY!
So sometimes good really does come out of bad...And the road to the AEC's is rapidly shrinking! One week from right now, I will have already ridden dressage!!!
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