Maclay Regionals 2014 here we come.. sick or not...but most likely sick...

Can I just tell you... I am that mom who will keep her child home from school because she is sick. But by golly, when it's time to leave for Lexington, Kentucky for Maclay Regionals... we will be in the car, driving our 5 hours and not even blinking an eye.  Yep, that's me... my hand is raised. 

Anyone who knows what it's like at this level understands the madness of a mom during Indoors. Sure, we are all smiling and being polite to each other but inside.... the words "I hope my child beats your child" are on repeat. Honestly. On repeat. I'm not going to lie.  I've been doing this Equitation thing since 2003. I could write a book... or a blog.  

As I'm currently sitting at my kitchen table, leaving for Kentucky tomorrow, not even packed, with a sick girl upstairs, who has been running a 101+ fever since yesterday.  We have a new friend called the EV D-68, this wonderful virus that is hitting so many and has decided it likes Lizzie.  It actually decided to become friends with her over a week ago.  I guess it was a bit jealous that she wasn't paying quite enough attention to it so it decided to add a bonus of fever and oh, let's throw in some coughing up of the lungs while we are at it!  

We've made not one, but two visits to the doctor. This last one went like this: Dr: "ok so my initial reaction is to wait 24 hours but is there a competition coming up" Me: "yep, we leave on Wednesday" Dr: "ok then, we are starting you on antibiotics just in case" 

As if the doctor visit wasn't enough, I've added my own ingredients to the mix with some help from friends who've done these different things that have worked.  So I'm of the theory that if one would work, what the hell, let's go for them all! So I'm hitting Lizzie from all angles and by golly, excluding the wine, which is for me.... she will be on her horses and competing on Thursday!  

So here's what we've got:

Ok, I have to be honest, while Lizzie was home running a fever, I had to get my hair done.... a mom has to present herself well and trust me, no one wants to see my gray hair poking out at the roots.  And let's be honest, it's not how well Lizzie does at Regionals, it's how well the mom's look..... ok I'm kidding. Sort of :)

Dr: "So when is the next competition? Alrighty, antibiotics for you then"

Stopped by Whole Foods to get Lizzie some Chicken Noodle Soup.  Walked out with an Essential Oil diffuser.  Yep, I could've bought it on Amazon for a fraction of the cost but guess what? We don't have that kind of time.  Desperate measures call for desperate purchases... and quite honestly, I feel like a million bucks walking into her room with this magic pot of gold going!!!  And yes, I'll be bringing it to Kentucky... my ammunition... :)

Ok so this is for me.  Currently having a moment of "You cannot be sick for Regionals!!!!!!!!!!" So this is my medication.  Don't judge....

My current mix of "We are throwing the shit at you and you will feel better by Thursday!!" Compliments of Joy.... 

So here we are.  It's 8pm at night and I should probably go pack but my "medication" is kicking in so maybe I'll wait until tomorrow morning!

But in all seriousness, this is the time of the year that these riders have worked hard for.  While they are out there riding for their place, we the parents will be in the stands cheering them on.  Trying not to puke and squeezing the hand of whichever friend is sitting next to us.  Our hearts will be pounding and we will be jumping every jump with them.  

Best of luck to every rider, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'd like all the luck to go to Lizzie! Sorry, it's a mom thing!

USET Finals 2012

It's been several years since we've been to USET finals.  Sarah qualified for the first time and I was thrilled because it is by far, my favorite finals to attend.  It is held at the USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ and where the US Olympic team practiced for many years.  Such history at this place.  

I know I'm being biased when I say this, but Aaron has the best guys that work for him.  Trey and Abel drove I believe 18 hours, leaving Thurs afternoon and arriving at 5am Fri morning to drop Lizzie's horse off at a layover farm and then on to USET.  We arrived Friday afternoon and had a warm up class.  We went to dinner, headed to the hotel and they were up and gone by 5am the next morning!  Abel takes care of our horses and the pride he has is off the charts.  He said some of the other guys were asking him what he does to get the horses so clean and shiny!

Abel and Gregor

 Both Trey and Abel were there to do whatever needed to be done!

Trey and Abel

 Going over some last minute details before heading into the ring.

Aaron Vale and Sarah

 Working on the flat.  Judges Karen Healy and Robert Ridland in the background.

Sarah and Gregor

Sarah and Gregor

 The jumping section.  Sarah started out strong, and her first seven jumps were unbelievable!  Then they headed to the open water.  Going strong with much determination, they got right to the open water and Gregor planted his feet.  It was a dirty stop which is unusual for him.  He had just jumped the open water on Friday but on Sunday, he wasn't having it.  Obviously a sad moment but as we sometimes say, "that's horse showing for you."  You can be on top of the world one minute, and on the bottom the next!  It's a very humbling sport!  As the mom, obviously the wins are better than the defeats.  I hate to see my girls sad, upset, frustrated, etc but I also realize that these are all life's lessons.   Life doesn't promise us things won't go terribly bad.  It does promise us, however, there will be another chance.  We are heading to Harrisburg for Medal finals and then Maclay finals!  Life is good.

Equestrian Mom 101

I got the pleasure of going to Ocala this past week with Sarah and Lizzie and watched them show.  To say that I'm proud of them is an understatement.  My heart jumps out of my chest when I watch them show.  They've been doing this for years and honestly, it never gets old.  You would think by now that I'd be cool as a cucumber when they enter the ring.  Wrong.  I'm still looking for the person next to me to grab.  I think my best asset is mentally helping them over the jumps!  Sitting in the stands and your body goes up as they go over the jumps!  The best is standing and watching them!  You kick one leg back just a bit as they go over the jump!  I always feel it helps them, at least that's what I'll keep telling myself so I don't feel so dumb!  Although it helps when I'm taking pictures because I have to focus on the picture so I don't move around as much!

Sarah and Lizzie have held their own in Ocala.  The classes are huge, anywhere from 30-50 in each class and they've placed in the top 10, even getting 2nd places in some of the Equitation classes!

I zip from ring to ring in the golf cart, sometimes getting the phone call of "can you go back to the barn and get...." so off I rush, retrieving whatever item was left at the barn.

Just this past weekend, after dashing to a Porta Potty, this thought ran through my head, "You know are a horse show mom when the Porta Potty's no longer bother you!"  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

Sunday it was raining and it was cold and at one point I looked around while at a particular ring and just smiled.  I smiled not because it was rainy and cold, but because I wasn't the only parent all bundled up, hair matted, makeup smeared and muddy waiting for my children to get their two minutes in the show ring!  And once again, so proud of them because while I was cold and wet, they were also cold, wet AND maneuvering a horse around a ring and over jumps!

I'm still trying to get the stains out of their white breeches!

Sarah and Rocky Carr

Lizzie and Ashton

Aaron talking to the girls after the USET

Sarah and Gregor

Lizzie and Onno Z

The Equestrian Mom 101

Being the mom of Equestrian daughters has always been near and dear to my heart.  I tell people that I'm the equivalent to the mom's who have their daughters in beauty pagents at young ages and live vicariously through them!  I love horses, I think they are magnificent animals and the closest I've ever been to competing is being on a trail ride and getting close to the barn and your horse wants to get there first!  Although I'm the one bouncing up and down, shoulders hunched in, holding onto the pommel, praying I stay on!!

People automatically assume since we have three daughters that compete Nationally, either Eric or myself rode growing up.  This couldn't be farther from the truth!  Horses actually scare me.  Yes, they really do.  I go into full panic mode if one of the girls asks me to hold their horse while they walk the course.  I make sure they know that if for any reason the horse starts doing anything crazy, I'm immediately letting them go... run away!!  The typical reaction from them is (after rolling their eyes of course) "Mom, look at him, he's just standing there, does he look like he's going anywhere?"  What I don't tell them is that in my mind, bad things start happening and the next thing you know they are rearing, etc.   For the record, I've learned to not be anywhere close when it's time to walk the course.  I go directly to the stands and plant myself in a chair, preferably next to a friend that I can squeeze their arm or leg while each girl is on course.  I should follow up with, I've never had anything bad happen while holding their horse, the dramatic effects make for good stories though!

 Emily, who is a Sophomore at the University of Georgia and rides on the Equestrian team there started riding when she was 6.  I was the mom who stood on the side and listened to what the trainer was saying and when Emily would trot by the side I was standing, I'd tell her again, what the trainer had said.  You know, reinforce it because I was certain she wasn't listening.... "keep your heels down", "shoulders back", etc.  Then I decided to take a few lessons..... oh dear.  Let me just say right now that I NEVER said another word to Emily after that (until she got older, but that's another story)!  Helen, the one-eyed horse I was on was fabulous but when she coughed, I just knew she was going to rear.  When she shook, I knew she was going to rear.  Basically, I spent the entire time assuming she was going to rear.  Did I mention Helen was old and had one eye?  Helen wasn't going anywhere, and the trainer was guiding me with a lead rope.  I think I took three lessons and realized I was better off on the ground, writing the checks!

Sarah (a junior in high school) and Lizzie (a freshman in high school) hopped on their first ponies when they were probably 3 and 4 years old!  This was, of course because they were at the barn when Emily was taking her lessons so it was a natural thing to have happen.  Although we did have them do other sports because we didn't want them to get older and say, "I never really liked it but because EMILY was riding, we felt like we HAD to!"  This is too much time, energy and money to have that happen!  By golly Sarah and Lizzie needed to be in love with horses!!

And they are!

I often times feel like I'm their personal assistant.  I make sure their memberships are renewed each year.  I keep track of points for different classes to assure they can make the cut for finals.  And then there is knowing when the cutoff is for each Equitation class because of course, they are all different!  Making sure to secure hotel reservations a year in advance for Finals, making sure entries are in by the deadline because those are all different, etc!  It's a full time job!

I haven't even begun to talk about the number of pictures I take each season.  Don't even get me started on that!!  Yes, I am the mom that pulls out the camera with the huge, white lens.  This year I'm digitally scrapbooking and my goal is to keep it up each month.  I'm going to be more organized with my photos and my personal goal when I take 500 pictures at a show is to ask myself if I really need 20 shots of the same jump.  I mean, they are all good but I think 20 might be overkill.  It's my goal, I'm not saying it's going to happen... one step at a time!!