Nationals I Have Known, List of Links

Blogging About Blogging

Adventures in Saddle Seat

The invitation has been sent to qualified students. Boot camp season has begun. It’s that time of year. Nationals is in the air.

National Academy Championship Horse Show

Before my first trip to Murfreesboro back in 2013, another student opined this bit of wisdom, “You will hate everyone by the end of the weekend.” Yes. Regardless of how well or badly you do. It’s a long, hot/cold weekend full of ups and downs.

One issue with Nationals is that it takes place over three days, and the classes within each day are separated by several hours. Throughout the rest of the year, Academy is two classes, wait for the Championship, done. It’s not even all-day showing. A handful of classes in a few hours can be survived on stress and adrenaline. For six classes over three days, one needs to have developed coping mechanics for stress and food and sleep.

[All The Thoughts 2018]

Also, Coach Courtney’s voice will play on repeat in your brain for daaaays after.

This got me to wondering what else I would tell new people about Nationals. As it turns out, I’ve spilled a lot of electrons on the subject over the years.

Everyone’s favorite photo of me from Nationals 2018. I, naturally, prefer the one below where I am looking all classy and victorious.

2012
Upon first hearing about a National Finals show for Academy students. “Immediately, every dormant competitive instinct sat up & said ‘We’re not dead yet.’”
[Showtime]

2013
Before
[Boot Camp Begins]
[Boot Camp Moment]
[Boot Camp Bucks]
[Boot Camp Moment II]
[Boot Camp Battle]
[Newest Toy]
During
[National Academy Day 1: Managing Expectations]
[National Academy Day 2: Up or Out]
[National Academy Day 3: Bright Lights, Big Horse Show]
After
[National Academy Day 3+1: Horse of the Year Nomination]
[National Academy Day 3+2: I Owe It All To Rodney]
[National Academy Day 3+3: Still Napping]
[Show Report: NACHS, Part I]
[Show Report: NACHS, Part II]
[Show Report: NACHS, Part III]
[Foto Friday: Ribbon Details]
[A Horse Show In 86 Tweets
[Text Art: Happy Words]
“Then one day I walked into my office. Once again, I admired my large, fluffy, spectacular, tasseled Reserve National Grand Champion ribbon. And I thought … hmm … It’s not blue.”
[That Moment When …]

2014
Before
[To Go or Not To Go]
[Happy Halloween]
During
[Show Today: NACHS 2014]
[Text Art: Llama Font]
After
“For two years, they have been telling me to be ladylike. That occurred with intermittent success. Now they are telling me to be loud. This I can do.”
[Show Report: Important Questions from NACHS 2014, Part 1]
[Show Report: Important Questions from NACHS 2014, Part 2]
[A Horse Show In 80 Tweets]
[Lessons from Nationals: Dreaming of Blue]
[Lessons From Nationals: Going For the Win]
[Lessons From Nationals: The Value of a Coach]
[Promo: Hastings House]
[Show Photos]
[Annotated Camp Tweets]
[And Now For Something Completely Different]
[Text Art: Nationals]

2015
Before
[Let the Tune-Up Begin]
[Boot Camp 2015, Progress Report 1]
[Boot Camp 2015, Progress Report 2]
[Boot Camp 2015, Third & Final Progress Report]
During
[Looking Back]
[Looking Forward]
[National Academy Championship Horse Show 2015, Day 1]
[National Academy Championship Horse Show 2015, Day 2]
[National Academy Championship Horse Show 2015, Day 3]
After
[NACHS Recovery Day 1]
[NACHS Recovery Day 2]
“Saturday morning, I collapsed in a sobbing heap on my coach’s shoulder.”
[Show Report, of a sort, NACHS 2015]
[Show Tweets NACHS 2015]
[Perspective … Or Not]
[SSF Christmas Party 2015]
[Show Photos, NACHS 2015]

2016
Before
[Summer Plan]
[Let the Madness Begin, Again]
[Short Show Report: SSF Home Show 2016]
After
“I am tired of Academy. I am finished with Nationals. If I never see Tennessee Miller Coliseum again, it will be too soon. Over. Done. Not happening. The curtain is down and has been nailed to the floor.”
[Show Report, NACHS 2016]
[Show Tweets, NACHS 2016]
[Show Photos, NACHS 2016]

2017
Before
[Countdowns 2016 post for 2017 show]
[And We’re Back]
After
[Show Report: NACHS17 Sneak Peek]
[Show Tweets: NACHS17, A Horse Show in 6 Tweets]
[Show Photos: NACHS17]
[Pre-Show: A Change in Attitude]
“All I’ve ever wanted to do is to ride well. On Sunday, I finally did.”
[Show Report: NACHS 2017, Riding]
[Show Reports: NACHS 2017 & Winter Tournament 2017-18 #1, Driving]
[Foto Friday: Red Queen]
[The Weirdness That Is National Academy, A Blogger Non-Meetup]
[La Prima Rules, Nationals 2017 2018]

2018
During
[And I’m Off, Once More]
After
[Update From My Phone]
[That Elusive Sunday Blue, Show Report, National Academy Championship Horse Show, 2018]
[There & Back Again, Show Tweets, National Academy Championship Horse Show, 2018]
[All The Thoughts]
[The Face of Surprise and Delight, Nationals 2018]
[More Thoughts, More Loot, Nationals 2018]
[Sandra Hall Captures The Moment, Show Photos, Nationals 2018]
[Banquet with a Bonus, ASHAA Awards for 2018, The Last Echo of National Academy]

2019
???

Update
You would think the above would be enough? But no. Finally found it. This was the quote I had wanted to use to represent that particular year.
“I was not upset by the purple and green parade at Nationals. I really wasn’t. I did what I came to do. I did so on the horse of my choice.”
[On the 5th Day of Christmas: Five Fluffy Foofs] 2014

Update II
[Where I Am Not] 2019
[Nationals I Have Known, As Seen From A Cart] looking back
[When the Stirrup Swings] 2014

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Reigning National Champion
Academy WTC Pleasure – Adult