Aspirational Events

The Gray Wonder

I don’t do goals. It’s too easy to flounder in disappointment [This Is Why I Don’t Set Goals]. Since it is good to have a plan, I do consider optional aspirational events that I regard in an off-hand fashion as I work toward them in a calm and sedate fashion, accepting the vicissitudes of life as they transpire. Do you buy that?

Spring show season is over. I did 7 shows: 2 saddle seat, 5 with Milton. Milton did one dressage show, three dressage & “jumping” shows and one hunter Academy show. Pretty good for the first half of the year.

The big ASB summer shows are too far away to be worth messing with, either 4 hours for 2 classes, or 7 hours for 3. Milton may do the two summer fun shows that are nearby. We’ll see where we are when August rolls around.

Local hunter rules are strict. I had wanted to go for a day and do a handful of flat classes, regardless of division. However, that would disqualify me from Hopeful Hunter, which I hope to do with my hunter some day soon. That means if I went for just flat classes, I could only do one class. That’s out.

That leaves …

… drumroll …

Aspirational Event 1 – Jumpers at Falcon Hill Farm
In July, FHF has a jumper show with fences starting at 2′. Jumpers means no braiding, no lead changes, even a trot fence if we must. Needless to say, I am not planning to run for time. This is strictly schooling over low fences.

This is doable. Milton knows the ring. Milton has liked showing in the ring [Winning The Warm-Up, photos]. Two feet is tiny.

This is a big ask. We’ve got six weeks to learn to canter a course and actually jump things, as in leave the ground with quantifiable – albeit small – hang time. I could technically trot the entire course, but if we are not ready to canter the course, we are not ready to show.

Aspirational Event 2 – Full Circle Horse Park #4
The next FCHP show is in August. If we successfully jump 2′ in July, I’d like to do the 18″ jumping class here. The ring has a small but distinct slope on which they enjoy placing downhill jumps.

The real aspiration event for the August FCHP is to be ready to ride in the open and school the littlest fences [Looking Forward].

The final FCHP show is in November. It is possible that there is an unspoken aspirational event that involves showing over the tiny XC jumps … shhh …. don’t think about it … don’t think about it ….

Even writing this post feels like too much of a commitment. We will work toward these shows in a joyous and accepting manner. If they happen, they happen. Man plans; God laughs.

That’s the sunny version. Tomorrow I release my inner Eeyore.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott