Watch out Toronto!

I leave tomorrow morning (well...to be fair, I think I am actually getting up in the middle of the night in order to make a 6am international flight!).

I will do my best to post updates on my Facebook page.

See you in a week!!

Pulling together the threads...

Hello Friends,

I often find myself wishing I had more time...but I guess today I had the realization that yes, indeed, time is a relative concept.  Things progress in exactly the way they are meant to.

I leave for Toronto in about a week and a half.  I am trying to get all the details tucked away, particularly with the knowledge that we'll get back and have a pretty quick 17 days before Dylan hits the road for Chicago and Selection Trials.

It is a bit strange to plan for a competition on a borrowed horse.  I am not all that nervous about the riding part, more about wanting to show Peter's horse well, represent the US and my sponsors well, and perhaps try to stay out of the fray.  I will have to be reclassified, which I am not super-excited about...more because I just don't really enjoy being shown the nature and extent of my disability - there's no dancing around it, it is a stressful and tiring process.

Meanwhile, Dylan is peaking at exactly the right time.  He has been working very hard since January, and is really solid in his 3rd level work, and is schooling 4th level work with Jenny.  I can't believe how far my stubborn 1st level horse has come!!  

I am working with a very patient PT who is going to help me get on a good strength maintenance program, and she is trying to talk me into maybe looking at some mobility aids.

If things go well in Chicago, I hope to organize a silent auction & dinner as a fundraiser - let me know if you interested in helping organize, or in attending!!

Take care everyone!  Ride strong! 

10 years/5 months

Hello Friends,

I've had a lot to keep me busy, and a lot to ruminate over the past few weeks.

I am very excited to report that 10 US Riders will be competing at the CPEDI in Toronto, and from what I understand from the show organizers, there will be 8 nations and close to 40 riders competing.  It should be a stellar competition.  

I have an incredible opportunity in Toronto - I will be competing on none other than Olympian Peter Gray's Grand Prix horse, Collo 5.  From all reports, Collo is a wonderful, kind, and stunning animal (who also happens to be 18 hands!!).  I feel SO blessed to have this opportunity.  I am so thankful to Peter for being so generous with his horse, to team coach Missy Ransehousen, and to my coach Jenny Nell for getting this organized.

Needless to say, I am pretty dang excited about this show for so many reasons!!

On the home front, Dylan has been firing on all cylinders as well.  We are ready to take him out for his first shows of the season, but not exactly sure when that will be, as the early shows were cancelled this year up here.  I'm not too worried about getting him into the show ring as getting a chance to run the new tests in a 40m ring.  We are going to re-work his freestyle as well, as his gaits have changed significantly since last year.

In slightly less horse-related news, I saw a new neurologist this week.  I realized before my appointment that it has now been 10 years since my disability onset.  What a strange anniversary.  In the earlier years, doctors told me that there was a chance of the symptoms just resolving as mysteriously as they showed up.  When I first started seeing the neurologists, they were very aggressive in looking for a diagnosis.  Now, I seem to be at a very different stage.  There isn't much talk of improvement or spontaneous recovery, but talk of rehab, and maintenance, ADLs, quality of life.  I had a good appointment with the new doctor, but after nearly two and half years of "doctor break", and not having gone through a rigorous physical exam, it was a bit disheartening to see how much function I had in fact lost.  I did commit to rehab & PT, for real this time.  If nothing else, it might help my riding!!

5 months until WEG...do you have your tickets?!?  Want to help plan a fundraiser?  Do you have ideas on how to get the word out about Para Equestrian? There is much to be done, and it takes a COMMUNITY!!

Drinks for a Cause!

Hey gang -

As usual, big things in the works, but can't divulge too much until the details are shored up.

Looks like it will be a GREAT show in Toronto!

In order to make it MAGNIFICENT...I will need to do a little extra fundraising (again...as usual).  I received a generous grant from Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center & the Margo Memorial Fund...but don't want to blow it all on this one competition when I also have a very important competition at Selection Trials in June & potentially the travel to Kentucky to consider.

I'm thinking of putting together a low-key dinner/drinks type fundraiser....$20 towards the cause, but otherwise just a chance for folks to get together & hang out.

Let me know if you'd be into that kind of thing!!  Or if you have other fundraising ideas...bake sale anyone?!

Hopefully I will be able to post soon with more details on the fundraiser & the CPEDI3* in Canada.

Drop a line anytime!  Email or Facebook, or leave a comment here.

Thanks friends!

 

Fastest Update Ever!

1. New Sponsor...ANTARES.  I will be sporting a beautiful Antares helmet in competition.  Please take a moment and check 'em out.  Helmets are all the rage, and Antares makes absolutely stunning helmets.  Better than a top hat.

2. Toronto.  Looks like it's a go.  Funding is not quite shored up, but my USEF paperwork is underway, and I have a horse tenatively lined up....so...things are moving in the right direction!  I'm excited - I am so ready to get out and SHOW!

3. Conrad.  I have been invited to ride with the man.  Conrad Schumacher.  EEP!  He does not invite a lot of amateur, let alone para riders to clinic with him.  I'm a bit concerned as Dylan is just now in a good steady place, and I hate to rock the boat with 3 days of clinic...plus again, I will need to find funding.  It's an amazing opportunity, and would be great exposure for Para Equestrian...so we'll see.  I may look into borrowing a horse for the clinic (how does Dylan keep getting out of things?!)

4. Thats all for now!  

Spring is in the Air!!

Hi Friends,

So, I have been less than faithful in keeping this blog updated the past few weeks.

It's been a bit kind of a rough go the past couple of weeks.  I have unfortunately had some health problems that have not exactly resolved.  I'm not sure if they are related to the mysterious undiagnosed disability, or just too much stress, but one thing is for sure, it's getting old.  I have been living off of rice and bananas, and man, a steak has never sounded so good.

Meanwhile, Dylan has continued to have his downs and ups.  He seems to be pulling his head out of his rear-end, thanks in large part to the hard work of my trainer Jenny Nell, and barn trainer and friend Roxanne Christenson.  To the best of our figuring, getting him into this next phase of collected work caused his unique form of non-violent protest.  Anyway...now that he seems slightly more convinced that he can actually do it, his trot has truly developed into an FEI frame, and his canter continues to be lovely.

With my health issues, we decided not to go to Del Mar.  It was kind of a bummer, but probably was the best choice in order to give Dylan some time to get back on track.  It sounds like it was a great show, and wish I could have gone to cheer on my friends & teammates!

I found out however that I will need to have my classification reviewed prior to WEG, as all athletes with neuromuscular conditions must be reviewed before major competitions.  The good news here is that my diagnosis should not have to be reviewed at this time, only my bench test numbers (the physical exam of strength & coordination).

So, I am planning on competing at a CPEDI in Toronto, Canada in May.  We will not take Dylan, as that is obviously a very long road trip in advance of US Team Selection Trials in June.

My plan is to find a horse to borrow to compete on.  

If you know anyone with a petite PSG horse (needs to have a passport), that might be available for loan, let me know. 

In the meantime, Dylan and I are hoping to get out to some schooling shows, and basically just keep on keepin' on!!  

Thanks for all your continued support!

Time Flies...

Holy Cow, has it already been a month?!

In my defense - there were final exams, the holidays, and I also took an "internet holiday" for a couple weeks.

So...the quick & dirty.  Dylan is going through a "phase".  We've explored, expounded, hypothesized on the reasons why, but to some extent, a horse is a horse.  Basically he has just become a bit of a stubborn bugger.  Every question we ask, he comes back with "why?  do i have to?".  After a couple of weeks of us just repeating our "questions" and waiting for him to answer with "oh, ok, I can do that", we seem to be making progress.  It has been a less than exciting couple of weeks, however, in terms of riding.  Pyschological riding, I guess.

I do love our new barn, and the new folks and their super-cute horses.

We have a CDI/CPDEI scheduled in March, as well as Conrad Schumacher, so we'll just keep ticking along for now, with a half an eye towards those events.  Trying to keep the pressure low, even as I am super-excited for all the years events!!

I will post more soon :) Happy riding!