Horses & Other Interests
National Academy Championship Horse Show 2017
Tennessee Miller Coliseum
Murfreesboro, TN USA
November 2-4, 2017
My fourth year of National Finals Reserve Champion. I joke about being the red queen and about moving to Canada (where red is first place), but I worked hard for these two and am quite proud of them.
After the fits I’ve had lately, I owe you more words than this. You will get them as soon as I sort myself out.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
We continued our escorted morning walks [Autumn Plans].
Some days were good. Some days were bad. After good days, I am a joy and delight to be around. After bad days, I doubt everything. Do I understand the concept of taking things too seriously? No. Why do you ask?
The rate-limiting factor on morning walks may not be light or motivation. It may be temperature. On cold days, the motor oil thickens and Rodney seizes up. If he is tight anywhere in his body, he is tight in his brain.
Sigh.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Aunts Aren’t Gentleman
P.G. Wodehouse
Barrie & Jenkins 1974, Penquin 1987
Although horse racing is integral to the plot, horses do not appear in the story. Less a horse book; more an excuse to read Wodehouse.
Found in Horse Stories: An Annotated Bibliography of Books for All Ages by Terri A. Wear [Scarecrow 1987]. Bought from Powell’s Books.
W Authors on RS
Waldo My Next Reading Assignment
Walker Guest Post: Art Imitates Life by Jennifer Walker
Wofford Cross-Fertilization
~~~
This Year
[V is for von Tempski]
[U is for USDA]
[T is for Tewson]
[S is for Severin]
[R is for Rubin]
[Q is for Queen]
[P is for Pace]
[O is for O’Connor]
[N is for Newsum]
[M is for McKinley]
[L is for Lewis]
[K is for Krementz]
[J is for Journal]
[I is for Ipcar]
[H is for Hatch]
[G is for Gray]
[F is for Francis]
[E is for Endicott]
[D is for Doty]
[C is for Cooper]
[B is for Brown]
[A is for Anderson]
Past Years
[2016 Alphabet] [2015 Alphabet]
Project explanation [AlphaBooks 2017]. Open to recommendations for the remaining letters. Which books would you choose?
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Yes, I am at Nationals.
No, I don’t want to talk about it.
Partly, everything I could say, I’ve said in previous years. [2013, 2014, 2015, 2016]
Partly, I could post positive perkiness …
If you are on a horse, you’ve already won.
Courtesy of Tonya Johnston on Facebook [USDF Interview]
… but it wouldn’t be real. I’m still fretting, as I did all spring and summer. No closer to understanding the cause. Not closer to finding a solution.
Partly, in the past, yapping has not kept me from being a hot mess. I’m trying not yapping.
Logistics
As I understand the rules, my only cut-off was on Friday for both riding classes. Fourteen adults went down to 10. Then, those 10 ride Saturday & Sunday. If I were benevolent dictator, I’d go from 14->12, then 12->10. More drama, more entry fees. Or stick with all 14 through Sunday. Be more like the kids, who have to ride in 16-horse finals. (Post written before I left. Will try to include Friday results before this goes live.)
There are not usually enough drivers to require a cut-off. Classes Friday & Saturday. No driving final on Sunday.
In the past, there has been livestream on Sunday. Link here.
I may Tweet. I may not. In the event that I do, I have added Twitter to the sidebar for your convenience.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
October Instagram from @rodneyssaga.
Previous September 2017
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Video version of Milton pulling the the four-wheel carriage for the first time [Show Report Driving & Lessons]. Posted here for entertainment and archival purposes. I like to imagine looking back at this when he’s going big time.
In hindsight, I think the spook (3:06) was at Greg’s jacket beside the cone. He gave it the hairy eyeball when we went past it later.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 