Official AEC Countdown: 3 DAYS!

To achieve great things, two things are needed:
A plan, and not quite enough time.

~ Leonard Bernstein

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Suddenly I've just realized that I am leaving tomorrow on the first leg of the journey to the AECs. Tomorrow. We've planned, we've worked impossibly hard all year, we've overcome troubles and triumphed where we only could have dreamed we might. And yet, it never feels like enough time before the Championships. Are our transitions all really up to snuff? Why didn't I get to school XC one last time? I wish I had gotten to jump another full stadium course, I wish I had gotten to school water, can we really actually maintain left bend through an entire test without one lapse, was it a good idea to drop the last gallop from this week's workout session? All these things in my head, wishing I had had just a little more time.

But that's the fun part of it all. You can't make yourself perfect. You work and you work and there is still always something to make a little better. Time goes at its own speed, and all you can do is try to keep up with it. And you never can in the way you want to, but half the fun is trying.

The AECs are upon us, and all our heavy workouts are over. I dropped the gallop from yesterday's schedule because I had worked her very hard for seven days in a row (she usually gets every sixth day off), and I realized that there was no need for it, no need to potentially exhaust her at the end of the week if she's already been working that hard. I will hack her today, she'll have tomorrow and Wednesday off to travel, and I will either hack her around Lamplight on Thursday or lunge her instead. And then, at 10:18am on Friday, I will be turning down the centerline for the culmination of an entire year's worth of work.

It's finally time.




August Goals:

1) XC school our brains out, and successfully!!! And make sure our gallop fitness is to a T! AND make sure my jumping equitation improves!
Well all of these things DID happen, for the most part! We didn't get to school her BRAINS out per se, but we did get to go twice in the past month, which is more than I'd been able to do in a chunk all summer. Once she was finally feeling right as rain, the schooling at Red Rock was AWESOME. And she was just AWESOME at Huntington. Given that she is a horse with a very sharp memory, it is my hope that because we didn't get to school this week, she will remember these past two sessions and go onto XC feeling as confident as she has been. They had XC fences in the warmup at the AECs last year, so hopefully they will again this year - it was VERY helpful.
As for her gallop fitness? SHE IS TOO FIT. And my equitation? It DID improve, but hopefully it will continue to do so at a fast pace than it has been!

2) Successfully complete the Huntington Farm H.T. WITHOUT XC PENALTIES!
SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

3) Make sure every possible issue with Gogo is addressed: treat Lyme, check eyes, and hopefully not but maybe if we have to, inject her hocks... please let's hope not!
Yep, everything got addressed, hocks included. She was treated for Lyme (Doxy has been done for a week or two now), her eyes are fine, her stomach got addressed with the aloe juice, and her hocks were done. And suddenly, once everything was all squared away, she was her old amazing self again. Thank god for small miracles.

4) Finesse our Novice testwork, continue finessing First Level work and continue to work more Second Level movements inActually, I really feel like we've made a small breakthrough in this past week. She's been absolutely outstanding - OUTSTANDING! - so let's hope we can really put our game face on in dressage and give them hell!!

5) At the end of this month, be fully ready, prepared physically and mentally, and excited for the AECs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah. Like I said, there is never, ever enough time, and there never will be before this show or any other show, but we are ready.

And 6) Make sure we've having fun doing it all :D
Ohhhhhhh yea :D



September Goals:
1) Successfully complete the AECs on our competitive dressage score, and have a total blast doing it.

I still want to be top 10.




(2008 AEC Picture of the Day: Mad excited for XC!!)