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!!