Adventures in Saddle Seat
Between the ears at Stepping Stone Farm. Sam wants to know why we are standing about rather than getting a move on. The boards with holes are for cornholing. I know, right?! Down here, cornholing is a beanbag toss game played by everyone from kids, as here, to professionals, complete with an association and a championship that appeared on ESPN. I am constantly startled to hear people use this term in polite company.
Anyway.
Finally had another saddle seat lesson. First once since the end of November [Second Day]. Because we have one vehicle, I have to wait for the other driver to be home before I can go to SSF, at which point we take Milton over. We’ve tried Milton and Saddlebred in the same visit, but the schedules don’t work out.
Which leads to the current situation:
1) I squeeze in a lesson when a show is imminent.
2) In general, Sam and I have a good record together.
3) In specific, I am leading or tied in all of my divisions for this year’s Winter Tournament. This is mainly due to advanced riders not showing at one or both of the shows so far. Still, a lead is a lead.
Which means it’s hard not to think about winning, both the classes at the next show and Winter Tournament as a whole. Enthusiasm is good. A focus on results is not. I can’t control who shows up. I can’t control which Sam shows up. All I can do is ride well, or try. So that’s what I focused on in my lesson and will attempt to remind myself of as the show approaches.
Meanwhile, my inner competitor ignores this blather. She is marching up and down, beating her fists in the air, chanting rib-bons! rib-bons!
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 