nothing like an old shoe

Today was absolutely perfect. The alarm was late, or atelast my ears were quiet enough to not hear it. The air was thin, and everything seemed in place. Everything moved as it should have and i felt as though things would go the way i planned.

I couldn't ask for better horses. Every day i realize what great friends my equine lovers have become. I feel as though i am making significant progress with my young horse, Gavin aka "Smarty Pants". We've been busily preparing for Gavin's big upgrade to Intermediate this weekend at Wits End Horse Trials and i'm pleased to announce that the butterflies are back and are keeping me from getting a solid nights rest! There's something about competition. A competitive thirst runs through my veins like a heroin addict. A few months back i came to a fork in the road where i was questioning myself, my abilities, and my main goals in life. For a small moment in time i thought of what it would be like to try something completely different than anything in the horse world. And for a short while, i almost convinced myself that maybe i should give it a try. Thankfully, i never went through with my minds glitched plan and stuck to what i know best and what i've wanted for so long, which is competing at the highest level of Eventing. This second guess came in to play shortly after my Advanced horse "Minstral" who's better known around the barn as "Danny" (or Danimal as i like to call him ... he really is a raging animal on xc!) injured himself after the Fair Hill International CCI*** three day event in the fall of last year. As any horse person, athelete, competitor can relate, i felt lost, defeated, hurt, minimalized and depressed. I felt i had done everything i could to prepare for this event, and i knew we could be fierce competitors in a tough feild of horses and riders. But as all horsemen know, things never go as planned, and you have to take the good with the bad, even if the bad leaves you in the mud (fellow Fair Hill competitors will understand!). But after a long winter in Ocala enduing the early stages of recovery i realized that this is truely what i want to do. During the endless hours and miles of walking down the road with Danny, I thought and spoke and listened to him, and i swear he told me he was in this for the long haul as long as i was. Call me crazy, but i actually spoke to a "spiritual elder" back in November and asked him about Danny. He told me he had something to prove and he wasn't going to give up until we reached our goals and dreams. So, i'm going to listen to this spiritual guy, because he's had the best outcome of the years to come yet!
Anyways, things with Danny are looking great. The injury is healing beyond belief which makes me cry with happiness on a daily basis. You've got to know that i LOVE this horse to absolute pieces. There's nothing in this world i wouldn't do for him. I would lay on a road and take a bullet, and climb super steep hills BOTH ways just to say hello to him. He is my world, and without him i would not have gained any of my education, knowledge, bravery, skill or heart. It is to him i owe my small, but exponetially growing, mighty eventing career. I've learned absolutely everything from this horse, and i can't wait untill we get back to competion next year, with our sights set high on competing at Rolex in 2011.

Well, i think i've poured my heart out for tonight. Don't worry, there will be a lot more oogling over my horses in days to come. I just love them so, and i feel the need to spoil them rotten and share to the world just how great they are.

Take care for now, I'll be back.

Be known for your smile.

Kelly