I like how a couple weeks ago I was like “ok, show season is winding down, just one more show” and now I’m all like “j/k, enter everything, bye money!”. I feel like there are two ways I can spin this:

OR

You choose.

Originally my season was going to end after this weekend at Holly Hill. Mostly because the only recognized left after that is Texas Rose, and we’ve already run Training there multiple times. I mean, the course changes a little every time, so it’s not boring, but we’ve seen a lot of the same stuff enough times by now that I wasn’t feeling inspired to spend $400 to see it again.

And then Texas Rose added a PT division. For non-eventers, PT is basically part Training and part Prelim. You do the Prelim dressage test and showjumping, and the Training XC. Before the Modified division was born, this was kind of meant to be the stepping stone between levels. Of course, we have no venues within a 16+ hour drive that offer Modified, so PT is still our only available in-between.

I had no idea that Texas Rose had added this division until Trainer tagged me in a post about it and said I should do it. To which my first reaction was:

I mean, sure, we’ve done a few schooling show Prelim CT’s and several jumper classes at that height now. Theoretically, this should be fine. But my first reaction to her was like “you is dumb, you is high, you is concussed, and you is crazy”.

And then I thought about it for like 10 minutes and was like “ok, why not”. Because if you give me enough time I can talk myself into anything. Also I cave easily to peer pressure and everyone was saying to do it. But mostly because if Trainer thinks we can do it, I believe her. See yesterday’s post about why it’s so important to me to trust my trainer.

Although when I responded to her and said I’d enter but joked that if I died she’d have to take Henry, she was AWFULLY DAMN QUICK TO VOLUNTEER.

All joking aside, I know we can do it, barring any huge mistakes on my part. That’s always the qualifier though isn’t it? Mistakes are always possible. Texas Rose wouldn’t generally be my first choice of places to try this for the first time – their stadium courses are always technical and definitely set to height and the atmosphere is “grander”. It’s a little intimidating. If we jump all the jumps in the right order and I stay on my horse, I’ll be thrilled. But I also know that if I sit up and ride like I know how to, we are actually capable of doing a decent job of it, so mostly I just have to figure out how to get my headspace right between now and then.

At this point, I am equal parts nervous and excited, which I hope is a good sign? Who knows.

Also, after volunteering last weekend, I now find myself with a metric crapton of credits that I either need to use or lose. I still have some left over from all the winter shows I volunteered at last year too, and they expire soon. At this point I think I have enough to cover the entry fees for a couple of the off season Pine Hill schooling shows. The first one of which is December 2nd, which I think I definitely want to do, before winter gets too firm of a hold. I have no off season plan yet though, so CT vs HT and level are all up in the air. I need to get with Trainer and see what she thinks would be most beneficial to us. I guess it depends on how these next couple shows go. At this point I’m leaving the ball completely 100% in her court.

So first we have to focus on Holly Hill this weekend, and then we’ll come home and start thinking about those Prelim parts of Texas Rose. The thing I said I’d never freaking do. Perfect example of why you should never listen to me.