Accomplishments

I’d like to start collecting links and summaries of our shows and accomplishments here, to remind myself of how far we’ve come and what we’ve accomplished. It’s all in the name of self-esteem!

2012:

• Robbye came home! She was well-behaved from the start, especially “under saddle”.
• We went to our first schooling CT where she competed in “Greener than Grass” and was absolutely incredible. This was about six weeks under saddle.
• At our second show, an SPHOOH show, Robbye showed her nerves but worked through them to put on some amazing performances in baby classes. She even earned a second place in a huge ground poles class.
• Robbye trail rode, went on driving outings as the lone riding horse, got harnessed, and worked on her ground manners.

2013:

• We moved to Nickle and Dime stables! With this move, our lives changed. We could now really buckle down, and as a four year old I felt Robbye was ready for it.
• Robbye debuts over fences in a spectacular way: earning first place in her first o/f class ever.
• Robbye and I attend our second CT at Twin Towers and earn an amazing third. This is one of my very favorite memories of all time.
• We jumped 3′!

2014:

• We continue taking lessons and we make particular progress in dressage. I feel that her bucking is finally under control, though not gone.
• I spend the summer learning about what I need to change about myself in order to show.
• We made huge dressage progress in the fall and early winter. Time to buckle down and make it stick!

 2015:

• Started lessoning with a new trainer and immediately started progressing in leaps and bounds. Even when the progress slowed down, the fact that there was progress at all was incredible.
• At our first outing of the year, achieved the same sort of work I expect at home, working through a ton of anxiety (on both of our parts!) to get there.
• I broke down and put Robbye in training. It turned out to be the best possible thing for out relationship and for my sanity. Robbye comes home a changed mare…and I learned so much.
• We went to our first show since our overhaul and absolutely stomped. We earned a 70% in T1 for 2nd place out of 8 competitors and a 68.8% in T2 for 1st place out of 10 competitors.

2016:

• Robbye is moved onto full board and we both get much happier. Though we don’t show, our dressage improves in leaps and bounds now that contact and obedience are consistent. We learn lateral movements, walk pirouettes, counter-canter, and other first and second level movements!