DOING THE NEXT RIGHT THING!

"I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggone it, people like me." Stuart Smalley

I'm chanting.  Hear me chanting!  Listen to the language of a doer, a completer and yes, a winner!  I am good enough!  I am smaht!  And, doggone it, da Boys and my own precious lil' "home-schooled-autistic-child-forever-suprised-to-find-herself-outside" do like me.  And that should be "good enough, special enough and gosh darn it, just what I need."

Our record has been a bit sketchy this season... well, I guess more than just a bit sketchy - four Horse Trials and just two completions.  Just batting 500 which, I am sure you will agree, is not really good, given the dangerous nature of a sport where one rides a 1500+ pound horse over hill and dale jumping (or not) solid obstacles in your way.

Hanging out at home!

Honesty makes me say that it is easy to write this post because I see myself reading it again next year and laughing and reminiscing about the time, way back when, when I was struggling to come back.  Because, I can only see the future as bright - when dreams come true...

And humbly, I took the advice of my Bestest Eventing Buddy and Dressage Trainer and decided that it would be best for Sugar and I to have our Eventing Trainer ride her at the Virginia Horse Trials.  And my Ego screams out, "But I can do it!  I know I can do it!  We had a great ride at GMHA and Course Brook was only  blip, a bad show but that was it. I can do it!"

Winning form... 2009
Stephie Baer riding

This is not the end of our pursuit but a change in our approach.  There are naysayers about and they whisper their doubts in my ear.  "Sugar doesn't want to event, she wants to run through the woods following a pack of hounds who are being followed by a pack of riders."  "You should sell her and get something easier!"   "Sugar just doesn't give you a break!  She should've jumped!"

So, my Eventing Trainer is tactful, confident and a beautifully accurate, rhythmic rider.  She will evaluate Sugar and hopefully come up with a plan to make this marriage work.  Sugar is not for sale.  Sugar is an event horse and,now its time, once again, to let my Eventing Trainer kick both of our butts forward.

You see, 2013 is right around the corner... and I am good enough!  Certainly special enough!  And gosh durn it, da boys luf me!