I take back all the bad things I said about you Winter!

It is so H-O-T ( And I've been really bad about writing...oooops!). I hope that everyone is surviving this, because I am definitely struggling!!! AH! I almost want winter back, and I'm so exciting about fall I can't even stand it. It's sad when a season is what you are looking forward too, not because you are doing fun events, but because you can actually breathe and not swim in sweat (attractive image don't you think!?).

I do apologize for not writing sooner. It has been very crazy attempting to settle into a work routine, house routine, riding routine, cleaning routine, eating routine, and sleeping routine! But I think I have down now!!!! (To bed by 10, up at 5:30, please who are you kidding you know you wish you had the social life I do, ooooh wait, I don't have one of those, in fact I might even need to catch up on the definition!). Everything is starting to slowly come together here, I'm getting used to the 12-14 hour days at the barn and having no cable or internet at home....ha, I'm currently sitting at the Starbucks 10 minutes from my house drinking something that is so sweet I'm pretty sure I need to make a dentist appointment for tomorrow morning!

I really do love my new job. I learn things everyday, I'm riding tons and tons, usually between 4 and 8 horses everyday, mostly young ones. I love the babies, so it suits me just fine.

My horses, however, are not very happy about this new situation. They are finally coming around and as of yesterday Tess has finally caved, she gave up her strike about living accommodations and is now starting to enjoy herself. She had a quick jump today and jumped me out of the tack several times, she's turning into a little ball of fire to jump; point, shoot, hold on. Her flatwork is coming along well also, she has lovely gaits, we just have to be able to relax to get them (I'm fairly sure Tess should qualify for medicinal marijuana)! I for one am very glad she is happy again because she bit the absolute snot out of me the other day, my bruise was not only black but also purple, yellow and blue.

Clif is loving the atmosphere of everything, he thinks it is great fun to watch and take it all in, I love to watch him watch everything...poor guy, he didn't know he had a stalker. He has been really super on the flat and really quite good jumping, he's just too rideable now! Geeeeeez Clif, get with the program, I can't ride a horse that listens to every single thing my pinkie finger does! In all seriousness though, he is good, very happy and healthy. He has done two events since I have been here. His first was a preliminary run, he was really good on the flat but the judge happened to have the nerve to disagree with me! Can you believe it?! Clif didn't, he assigned himself a score of 27, yes he told me that, I agreed. He skipped around the courses like the little maniac that he is to finish 3rd in the big ol' professional group, good pony! His next event was an intermediate. His dressage was decent, we are capable of more so that's annoying! But, he was tied for 3rd after dressage beyond two 4star horses, and the horse he was tied with was a 4star horse, so I guess you really can't complain when the only horses that beat you are on the short list for the WEG! He had an absolutely lovely show jumping round, clean thank god, I'm sick of making that poor horse have rails! His clean SJ put him into 2nd place. He was good on XC....I had an epic blonde moment /stess moment and missed my 9th jump. However....I actually was focused on the task at hand and didn't notice the people trying to stop me until the 14th jump....woooooooooops :). I was absolutely furious at myself, I mean really I was riding 1 horse in 1 division...not that hard to remember you course! Oh well, my horse was good and that is really all I can ask for ....besides come ADD medication.

Everyone take care, stay cool (both literally and figuratively of course!)
Hillary-

If Eventing were only Twilight...We'd All Be Rich!

Ah, I'm a bad blogger! Updates, Hillary, updates!
Everything here is going well! There is the update. Just kidding.

The past few weeks have been very busy, sprinkled with a week vacation at the beach...no, I did not get to sleep, the 2 year old slept in my room. It was a very fun vacation, the whole family...17 people in all were at the beach....in one house. It is fun, it's a once-a-year tradition...same house, same people, same lack of beach towels for the past 17 or so years.

The horses are also well. Clif is great, he's so much stronger now, he's really fun to ride because he knows all the tricks now (well, we are still working on those changes!). Tess is great; she is going better than ever, jumping like a wild woman, and she also did her first gallop back today....I need a nap. Tuc is also good, she is starting relax and figure out life...she went on her fist solo hack around the farm today and had to stop and eat grass, it was so exausting!!!!!! Irish is happy and good as well, she has started to be really fun to ride, she got shoes and now she can actually move!

Next week is the big move! Clif, Tess, the Sabb and I will head up to VA. Clif will also be doing Loch Moy I horse trials at preliminary and Loch Moy II horse trials the next weekend at Intermediate. He thinks that you should be allowed atleast one mistake for each corner on the course, nice Clif....reallllllll nice. Tess is going to be ANGRY when that trailer leaves for the show on Saturday morning without her...I'm glad I get to go with it!

I will update everyone when the 4 of us are all settled in to our new house! Clif loves the atmosphere of big barns, so I'm fairly sure he'll think it's great that the entire place is there just for him! Tess on the other hand is not going to be happy when people pass by her without cookies, hugs, time to itch and general admoration for her. I think the Sabb will have the easiest transition personally, but hey, that's just me.

Hillary