Canberra was the big qualifier for the CCI** at Adelaide so there was quite some pressure on. But I managed to come out with a 6th place ribbon, which I was very happy with as it’s my first high place in a 2* event. Unfortunately though, my mum stood a bit too close to my dressage arena and might have noticed that I can only sit trot for a max 2 minutes without getting very puffed out. So you could say I’m a little unfit ever since they cut out any form of sport in Year 11. As a part time couch potato and choc-o-holic I decided that maybe being able to ride a dressage test and run the trot up might help me in my campaign!
So with mum on my back about getting fit, which was the motivation I needed, and my best friend Cassie giving me a free trial week at her gym I was determined to get a little fitter. Thursday afternoon Cassie dragged me to the gym, with her being a competitive soccer player you could say she is a bit (lot) fitter than me. We hit the bikes for ten minutes, the treadmill for another ten, and some step thingy that killed my thighs. It doesn’t stop there; Cassie made me all these ab workouts and basically acted like my personal trainer telling me to ‘get back up’ if I fell or gave up. Another great idea that came from my mother, yet again, to confiscate my stirrups to force me to sit trot for 15 minutes (don’t tell her I walked as soon as she turned her back). Enough about me getting fit, my amazing horse King needs to be able to run longer than 6 minutes as well, as it’s an 8 or 9 minute course at Adelaide. Of course it’s hard to take my horse out galloping when I’m in school all day, so many thanks to Hannah and Aude for galloping my horse on Thursday and Monday. It certainly helps that dad was taking his 4 star horses galloping too. I have my touch football grand final tomorrow, wish me luck, hopefully we remain undefeated :)
Jaymee and King are off to Adelaide! Photo: Gemma Tinney
