Since I'm not riding much (I hate winter) I've been doing a lot of planning, catching up on bookwork, computer stuff etc. etc. Fortunately, it's supposed to be REALLY WARM this weekend, so I'll hopefully be teaching my brains out, even if it means hauling everyone to Triune to ride. We'll be SO GLAD to be on horseback!
So, I've been debating posting my goals for the year, because something I read or listened to early this year said something about not setting goals that are "unreachable." Not in the sense of totally out of the realm of possibility, you know like "Ari and I will run ROLEX this year!" but things that will be disappointing if you don't reach them for some reason.
Anyway, what fun is that? Here goes.
My first goal for the season is to take Brandy training at MayDaze. She will do the Area 3 championship at Poplar, a tough novice, and then move up. After that, the focus on Brandy will be selling her (if she doesn't sell before that, of course), but if she is around for another HT, I will probably take her out again.
My next goal is to train with at least 3 big name riders. Walnut Trace is bringing in Jennifer Wooten Dafoe in March, so assuming it is cost effective, I would love to ride with her. Stacy and Amy, in conjunction with MSEDA are planning a Hilda Donahue clinic in May, so there is 2 and as many of you have heard me prattle on about, I'd really like to ride with Becky Holder this year, as well. Indiana Eventing Association is hosting her in Aug, so that is on my schedule, if not a trip to GA, where she is living.
My goal of training with Amy every two weeks this winter has been a bust, but I'm hoping to stick with that going into nicer weather.
My last goal is to be training Ari to get ready for him to go training. My very, very, very, very tentative goal is to try to bring him out at Jump Start in Sept. He will probably only have 4 or 5 novice runs at that point, and possibly a schooling show or two, so it will just depend on how he's developing through the summer. If Jump Start isn't the right one for him to move up at, he'll get a couple more N runs through the fall and I'll move him up at MayDaze next spring. He does things on his own timetable, so I have no reason to rush it. I want his first go at training to be with the utmost confidence from both of us.
Some other points of interest in 2011:
Hopefully, at least two of the students I'm training will be doing their first recognized horse trial at Maydaze! Anna will do her first horse trial there on Smurf, and hopefully, that will be Jessica's first BN with Gracie, as well. I'm hoping that Olivia will also get to take Major and I will have 3!
I am also hoping to take my students in training to two "away" shows this year! I'm looking at Leg Up Horse Trial at Hoosier Horse Park as one, this would be July 2, and would be instead of the schooling show at Poplar. The fear of the unknown may win out, though, and we may go back to Poplar. I don't want to haul 5 hours without knowing everyone is going to have an AWESOME weekend.
The other "away" show we'll go to, hopefully, is Octoberfest at Kentucky Horse Park. Can't beat the KHP as far as atmosphere and as long as everyone is still gung-ho about riding after a long summer, it would be a GREAT weekend.
ANNNNND... add one more goal to my checklist. Lee Ann from Indiana just announced the addition of a long format Novice 3 day to the IEA HT. My goal was to do a T3D with Ari in 2010, put way off by the whole "losing an eye" thing, so I won't have my qualifying rides in to do a long format this year, but I WILL next year- be it a late season T3D with Ari or an early season N3D with Ari, I will be training to run a long format in 2012!
So, what are your goals for 2011?
My goal at this point is to just have a sound horse : /
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