Repost, BTE 3 of 9: The AEC, a Realization in Five Phases

Continuing to post the entries from my previous monthly blogs Back To Eventing and Back To Riding. This was originally posted on the USEA website Tue, 2010-10-26, archived here.

Back To Eventing: Installment 3 – The AEC, a Realization in Five Phases
by Katherine Walcott
(The author chronicles her return to eventing after 20 years as a jumper rider)

“Have a wonderful time, and let the games begin!” Carl M. Bouckaert
Event Program, 2010 Land Rover USEA American Eventing Championships and Festival of Eventing

[For those only familiar with the short format, eventing used to have 4 phases: A – Roads & Tracks, B – Steeplechase, C – Roads & Tracks, D – Cross Country, plus until 1967, E – Run In.]

Like stout Cortez, silent, upon a peak in Darien, the author contemplates a Training level fence at the AEC. Photo by Kathie Mautner.
Like stout Cortez, silent, upon a peak in Darien, the author contemplates a Training level fence at the AEC. Photo by Kathie Mautner.

A – Roadtrip & Temptation
Since my publicly stated goal is to win the Training AEC, I went over to Georgia to scope out my future. So what did I learn?

I learned that Chattahoochee Hills is huge: six dressage rings, a stall assignment list that ran to 12 pages, and a parking lot that doubled as a horse trailer trade show. Yet, it felt neither squashed nor sprawled. The cross-country warm-up contained three stadium jumps, four permanent jumps and eight horses zooming about with plenty of room.

I learned that I am greedy. The USDF offers three medals covering First to Grand Prix. The USEA awards three medals for each level. A USDF medal represents years of work. A USEA medal could represent one good season. I believed this watered down the impact of a USEA medal, until I saw one on a friend’s lapel. I want one. I want them all.

B – Sidebar
Pause for rant.

During cross-country, it is your horse’s job to perform to the best of his ability. After cross-country, it is your turn. I do not care if it is a long walk back to the barn. He is a tired athlete, not a shuttle service to cart your sorry ass to the stable area. Get off, remove the saddle, and sponge him down, if possible. Now would be a good time to take off your helmet and vest, but I’m less concerned about you. If you don’t have helpers to carry your saddle back, carry it yourself. If you are not fit enough to do a proper job as a rider, go home and come back when you are.

Rant ends.

C – Reflection & Trepidation
I learned that competitions can be disheartening. On my last ride before leaving for Georgia, New Horse didn’t pay me the slightest attention. He only slowed down because he overshot a turn and objected to wading through tall grass. When I tried him, I had an outstanding ride that was indoors, flat, and supervised. My ring is none of the above. Intellectually, I saw daylight. Emotionally, I saw a vast distance between the cross-country in front of me and the amount of control I currently possessed.

D – Course Comments
I learned that fences have changed. Gone are the hay bales, old tires, and slender tree limbs we jumped in my youth. Today’s fences look better than my furniture. I also need to master narrow and angled fences. WEG was all about holding your line.

I learned that courses now run back and forth over open areas, which is easy to watch but hard to ride. Even with ropes, the paths crossed and riders would zip down the wrong galloping lane. Another lower level event had the same format, albeit unroped. Does compact and manageable mean we lose scenic? Doesn’t anyone canter through the woods on shady trails anymore?

E – Reaffirm Intent
Finally, I learned competitions can be invigorating. I stand by my goal of winning this sucker. As for specifying which year, I have no comment.

~~~
Rodney’s Saga Repost locations
BTE 1 of 9: How I Won the Training Level AEC
BTE 2 of 9: The Cast Assembles

Sine Die … Or Not

I almost quit, took a break, stomped off. Again. [Where Do We Go From Here?]. I had the post written & scheduled.

Undoubtedly there was an element of snit. I have a bad habit of surrendering to despair [Hiatus]. Mostly, it was a problem of content. After a brief flurry of positive activity, I am back to pointless head scratching. I have nothing to say that you haven’t heard a dozen times with Rodney. I’m was bored just thinking about writing it.

(Aside. Why do I insist on daily or nothing? Monthly worked for Back to Eventing when someone was paying me. On my own, I’ve tried monthly with Back To Riding and weekly with Off Topic. Meh. Once I lose the rigidity of daily posting, the whole operation slides into a slimy heap of good intentions. End aside.)

Then I started talking to myself.

I don’t want to write about my lack of progress with Milton.
Then don’t.
But I can’t ignore the subject and just put up amusing photos and cat pictures.
Why not?
Because people won’t like it.
How do you know what people will like?
…um…
Are pictures of cats suddenly unpopular on the Internet?
…um… people might not like MY funny photos and cat pics.
So what?
…um… I’ll have to watch the numbers fall.
The numbers were gonna fall anyway. A new horse is a red circle event, i.e. of interest to distant acquaintances, you are back in blue, green, and gold territory, i.e. of interest to you, your mom, and friends. [For an explanation of circles, see Wait But Why: 7 Ways To Be Insufferable On Facebook 3) The Literal Status Update.]
I’ll have to watch the numbers fall.
And this will effect your position in the universe how?
I’ll have to watch the numbers fall.
Poor you.

Do you really want to quit this close to 1000 posts?
No.
After your last hissy fit, what did you decide?
My blog has a purpose – to keep me from going batshit crazy. [Baaack]
Will posting amusing photos do that?
…yes…
Do you have another goal?
…no…
Is anyone paying you?
…no…
Have you promised anything to anyone in any way?
…no…
So why are you creating imaginary constraints?
…um…
Well then.

If I don’t hit it out of the park every day, I will fail to become the next Whatever/Everywhereist/insert name of your favorite blogger.
Yeah, like that was happening.
You can be a bitch sometimes.
One of us has to be.

Myself had a point. I will continue. Look for diverting photos and cute cats. If I have anything substantive to say about the horses, I certainly shall.

Update: “Adjournment sine die is a Latin phrase which means ‘without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing.’ ” http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/adjournment-sine-die/

By which I meant that I was planning to run away without saying when I would be back.

Show Tweets UPHA Chapter 8 in 2014

To show early -> 3 nonshowing days -> lots of tweets.
[Show Report]

Day 1

“It takes a lot of control and practice to command a chisel with confidence without aggressively destroying a stone or passively letting the stone control the chisel”
Artist & artisan by Adam Paul Heller LAR 28:3
Just like horses.

Horses.

Day 2

OTOH, if amateurs didn’t have mood swings, trainers wouldn’t have jobs.

As I said during an earlier show, given my inability to feed myself, my eating habits are of interest to those who have to live with me when I get home.

Day 3 – Show Day!

Day 4

Show Report UPHA Chapter 8 in 2014

Last year, different show, same place.
Last year, different show, same place.

UPHA Chapter 8 Horse Show
September 12-13, 2014
Tri-State Exhibition Center, McDonald, TN.
Academy WTC (all comers) with Bingo
Thank you to Courtney Huguley for sharing her horse.

This is the first Saddlebred show I have done from soup to nuts. I started Thursday loading at the barn, went through each day, and finished Sunday on the return trip. I wasn’t responsible for the horses, but rode in the truck of the person who was. Therefore, I was there for feeding in the am and there when the lights went off in the pm. Back in the day, this is how I did horse shows and events. It’s either the way I’m used to, or the way I prefer it. Or both. I miss it.

Although, during the insane number of increasingly heavy cranks required to unhitch the SSF gooseneck, I will confess to wondering, ‘What is so bad about princessing in right before my class … ?’

Academy Equitation WTC, 4th out of 6
Academy Showmanship WTC, 3rd out of 6

Line-up. Photo by Lela Seagle
Line-up. Photo by Lela Seagle

Bingo was in a mood. Perhaps for reasons of his own. Perhaps because I was annoying him. The upshot was that he was not meeting me halfway. This is unusual for an ASB. In my experience, the youngsters say ‘Wheeeee! I’m at a show!’ The veterans say, ‘I know how this game is played. Hang on back there!’ Bingo said, ‘I know my job. I will do it. However. Don’t expect me to waltz on rainbows just because you dragged my ass into a show ring.’

Therefore, the show did not go as well as I had hoped/expected based on my recent lessons. Years ago, a BNR told us, ‘First you get it at home. Then you get it in warm-up. Then you get it in the show ring.’ He didn’t mention how frustrating it was in process, when you have one but not yet the other.

For example, at home we have been getting flawless canter-to-walk transitions: soft canter, breath, walk. Nailed it. At the show, I was achieving intermediate trot steps before wrestling him down to a walk. It’s hard to be elegant when one is thinking, ‘Whoa, dammit.’

At least I didn’t come in last.

Sandra Hall Photography
2014 UPHA Chapter 8 14 > Saturday Academy > 047 – AC Equit WTC & 048 – AC Showmanship WT > chestnut horse, black helmet. Under counsel from my photo advisor, I ordered UH14-047-008 from the first class. BTW, that’s Trump winning the first class with his owner.

For a giggle, check out Saturday Academy > 046 – AC Pleasure Driving > UH14-046-003. Big knows that driving horses have handlers during line-up. His was late.

Last year Show Report & my Show Photos
~~~ 
Gratuitous Dog Pix

From start …

Day 1. Marshall's first horse show.
Day 1. Marshall’s first horse show.

… to finish
Day 4: Driving home. Done horse showing.
Day 4: Driving home. Done horse showing.

Nepali Pack Ponies, A Guest Post

More armchair equine travel from Ellen Broadhurst, author of The Chronicles of the $700 Pony [Half Halt 2006] & The Further Adventures of the $700 Pony [Half Halt 2008]. Welcome Ellen:

EB Nepal black

Horses and donkeys were all over the hills as they made deliveries of food and fuel.

EB Nepal gas
Everything in the upper areas has to be brought in by horses, donkeys or people. Which made us feel really great when we were refilling our water bottles and not using plastic. Despite the iodine taste. Yick.

EB Nepal chicken 1

EB Nepal chicken 2

The pack animals were amazingly hardy, clomping up and down the steps and hills without a misstep. Generally they were in a train, and generally, one or all of them wore bells, so that trekkers could hear them coming and get out of the way. They didn’t really suffer fools, these working equines, so it was a good idea to step aside when they were coming through.

EB Nepal chicken 3

EB Nepal chicken 4

Up the steps and around the corner, not a problem.

Ellen on Rodney’s Saga
Living Digitally: Fundraising Viennese Style, a Guest Post
X-ray
Guest Post: Malealea Lodge & Malealea Development Trust
Guest Blogger: Keeping Secrets

(Last photo enlarged because Oh. My. Goodness.)

Text Art: Initial

text art m circle grey 2nd

IMHO having a gray named Milton is presumptuous. I was overruled. So, Milton it is. However, chez nous the initial M will always stand for Mathilda. Therefore, Milton is M2.

BTW, changing a horse’s name is supposed to be bad luck. I’ve kept names. I’ve changed names. I’ve never noticed a karmic equivalence.