The Project
The National Academy Championship Horse Show begins in two months. In 2013, I attended Saturday boot camp [Boot Camp Begins]. In 2014, I did a two-week intensive [Annotated Camp Tweets]. This year, I will be taking daily lessons, starting today. Sorta. I will be having lessons every day that student and instructor are both available.
The barn is closed Sunday and Monday. My weekends are for the home team. That leaves Tuesday through Friday. Plus, there will be weeks and half weeks when the horses are at shows during the week while I wait to join them on Saturday for Academy. Plus plus, there will be rain delays, farrier days, and doctors appointments. Some weeks will be lessons all four days; other weeks, one or none. Some days could be double sessions, if Coach is feeling diabolical.
I’m excited. Of course the point is to do well in Tennessee, but I’m also excited about the exercise for its own sake. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden this often. Furthermore, the last time I had this much intensive instruction was back when I was a working student in the mumble-mumbles.
Why two months? Why not? The beginning of September carries a back-to-school, back-to-work, attack-new-projects vibe. Onwards!
The Home Team
We will continue to work the boys as we have been [Meanwhile]. However, I’m unlikely to take major steps with either horse until November. Any time I do the smallest hunter/jumper/eventing/dressage maneuver – or what I think is a HJED maneuver [Correction] – all of my my saddle seat goes immediately out the window [Muddled].
The Blog
Two weeks of boot camp last year was tough. Two months will kick the stuffing out of me. OTOH, I want the blog to be around when I resurface. Therefore, I have stockpiled ideas for easy posts, guest posts, and so on.
If it seems as if I am phoning it in on a given day, I am. When you see one of these filler posts, I hope that a) you will still be amused & b) you will spare a moment of sympathy imagining me prostrate across a piece of furniture asking myself, “Why did I sign up for this?”
See you in November!
Thanks to The Ticker Factory for the countdown graphic.
Virtual Brush Box 
Sounds good, learn lots!
Thank you. After one day, I can say that it’s going to be a great opportunity. Now I need to rise to it!
Good Luck! If i can find my camera, i will be taking my first tentative steps into the waters of model horse showing.
Good luck back at you. LOTS of examples & advice online. This one seems like a good place to start: http://braymere.blogspot.com/2012/01/jaime-bakers-gudie-to-model-photography.html
Thanks. I’m having trouble with life so i’m not sure how things will go from day to day. I did find my camera.
Yay. Wouldn’t get far without that.
hi !! I am going to try to make it to Murfreesboro to the championships if we are in town! I’d love to be there to see you ride! Elizabeth
Awesome. Just realize that the show me is a different beast than the non-show me. Probably not surprising news.