Your Turn: Stuart Horse Trials, here we come!

Megan Kaiser has a goal: To compete at Beginner Novice at Stuart Horse Trials next month. For Megan, a working mom with a 21-y/o horse, it’s kind of a big deal. All we have to say is: Go Megan!

From Megan:

I’m dusting off the old man and we’re doing at least one Beginner Novice event this year.  Stuart here we come.

My guy is 21 so we’ve taken it easy on anything organized or anywhere near structured riding.  I did attempt one BN last year, but I wasn’t that into it.  I went off course in the stadium (brilliant on my part I know, but I think you have to do this every 20 years, feel the shame, and then you won’t do it again for good long time)–it was really hot and the ground was super-duper hard so it was the perfect excuse not to run XC (even though we thought they might allow me to if I asked nicely and promised to take down stadium all by myself).

…but then I heard Stuart was running a BN.  We did Novice at Stuart several years ago: It was well run and it’s fun for a complete amateur like me to ride on the same ground as people who really know what they are doing.  My sister lived in LA for about 10 years, we would see famous people there and I didn’t care one bit–but get me within 25 feet of any horse that has done anything and I’m a 5-year-old girl at a Fresh Beat Band concert.

It’s a fun event and it doesn’t hurt that it is 10 minutes from my house and my trainer just happened to have an almost trailer full and all of us would be in the same division.  So, I got the OK from all relevant parties:

The farrier: check (comfort shoes off, something with a bit more support/grip on)
Chiropractor: check (his not mine)
Trainer: check (lined up lessons and schoolings)
Days off of work (BN runs on Thursday/Friday): check (I may have to do a conference call or two from the tack room of the trailer but that’s OK)
Husband to pick-up/drop-off kids those days: check (he owes me from several golf overnights)
Mom: not so much, she’s not happy about the family reunion that I will be skipping and doesn’t love the idea of me showing–I guess you can’t win them all

I have dug out all the required clothing and gear.  I even have finally purchased white breeches–even though I doubt I’m responsible enough for them (I can’t get over the red Gatorade incident right before an equitation class so many years ago)–but I guess I do have to grow up at some point and they were on sale.

So, Horse Nation, this is our plan.  Next time I will tell you a bit about our previous outing at Stuart.

Megan competing at Stuart several years ago

Stuart's mascot, McWoody