My car is still in the shop and the first estimate is for about $4000 worth of damage. Haven't heard if that has changed. In the meantime, the other guy's insurance is paying for a rental car for me and so I'll be able to do all the things I'd planned including scribe training at the IHA show on the 13th and being a volunteer at the NEDA Fall Festival on the 19th in Saugerties, NY. Yesterday Nathan and I had a particularly good lesson. There's no dressage ring and it's really a jumper property and so we improvised. Yesterday it was change of bend loops, cavalettis, transitions up and down, and at the end, a pattern combining all of these. We did well since we had to work around someone else jumping. Ciao
Finished my last stint as a scribe trainee on sunday and did well with Intro, Training & First levels but started to lose it at Second, etc. At lunch break I spoke with the scribe about me doing the easy ones instead of her as well as the set up of the table next year. She was late arriving sunday and for a while I thought I was going to do the opening classes. Now I need to prepare for my trip to Saugerties and the NEDA Fall Festival both as a volunteer and a spectator. I downloaded most of the instructions and maps yesterday. Took down my small suitcase and will probably start packing tonight. I'm assigned to the Awards tent which should be easy enough. Several years ago I was in charge of the Awards tent for our small recognized shows. Oh yes, I do have my car back now. I looks pretty good for now. I'm anticipating that soon it will acquire a few dings and begin to look beat up.
I'm back from the NEDA Fall Festival and I have to say that the venue is quite large but not as large as the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. This was a dressage show and I worked in the awards unit. And what wards! there were USDF jackets, dressage pads, medals, trays, gift certificates and of course, ribbons. Keeping up with which awards matched up with which category of tests was a problem and so I decided to let one of the seasoned volunteers tell me what to get out for each winner. My reward was an insulated shopping bag and a free lunch. Then I watched some free style tests and second level tests as well as some horses behaving badly during the test. One rider was excused in the middle of her free style after her horse reared twice. The weather was really nice and warm. I hadn't been in that area since before my mother died 11 years ago and there has been little changed with the exception of the addition of that venue.
Sounds like a great trip, Carol!
I admire that you're so good at delegating tasks, especially when you recognize that you need a little help. That's a wonderful, and increasingly rare, talent. At the college where my Draughn was the VP of Academic Affairs, the VP of Student Services TOTALLY screwed several hundred students, and the school, when the department got bogged down with student aid changes and he didn't ask for help, or even indicate that there was a problem. Needless to say, he lost his job, but the damage to the kids and to the school's reputation lingered on.
It's nice that the awards you were handing out were so usable, and I'm sure the recipients enjoyed them. That must have made the job more fun.
I'm glad the weather was lovely--just perfect for being a spectator. I used to love walking from ring to ring between classes! And it sounds as though there were some pretty entertaining antics--although not for the rider who was feeling that high score and those prizes slip away. :>)
By the way, SO glad you have your car back and that all seems to be well.
BTW yesterday I received an e-card from the NEDA organizers thanking me for my service. I love those cards! This one was a floral arrangement with a ladybug activating it.
OMG! As good a horsewoman as the queen is, she should still be wearing a helmet! Pretty steed!
Apropos the season, I rode Pumpkin on lesson today. He's a red chestnut with 2 white stockings and possibly a bit under 16 hands. In fact although my dressage saddle fit him (even though the girth was a tad large), I had to pull up my stirrups one hole as my feet were under his barrel. Flies made him a bit fussy with his head but he is very stiff on both sides and if you try to bend him he moves his whole body. Coffee is almost ready to return to action: it might be a few more weeks.
Hooooooray for Coffee! I bet you can't wait to ride him again.
Since the summer ended, I've still not been re-united with Coffee although I have heard that he is doing a few lessons. If the weather and the footing is good, then Nathan and I practice some tests. Last week we did training 3 and I was surprised that we did as well as we did with it. Today I rode Killian who has yet to lose the fat he gained over the summer and his back is now so broad that my hips hurt after only 10 minutes in the saddle. It was almost like the time I rode that elephant in NJ.
Hahaha! I know the feeling! Ouch!
I'd occasionally ride a broad-as-a-barn Thoroughbred/Belgian cross whose barn name was Briar. She was humongous! 17 hands high and 17 across--lol--it was like riding an aircraft carrier. Amazingly, she was very athletic and supple and competed at FEI level.
I've been offline a lot recently. If I don't get back here before Thanksgiving, have a GREAT one, Carol!
Thank you. On yesterday's lesson while Nathan and I were only doing ground poles at the trot and canter with some loops thrown in after he began to anticipate the transitions, I was so pleased with our work that I mentioned to my trainer that if I didn't think Nathan was maybe too old for competition, I'd consider showing him next season. After all our combined ages equal 100 years. I really enjoyed that lesson and it was a sunny cool day too although the footing was soggy from rain the previous day.
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