This is my first ever foray into blogging and I am not sure it will be interesting, but here’s hoping! The look on my face above was at SIEC when Alison asked me to blog ... only joking.
Many thanks to Main Event Photography for the great photo.
Somehow I’ve earned the title of supermum (that’s if you believe everything you see on Facebook). This is something that makes me laugh a little. If only you could see me at 8.30am trying to get the kids out the door to school! I usually get up at 5.30am to ride and get home hopefully in time to have a quick breakfast, dress three of them and make sure they’ve eaten their breakfast (Laura I have to spoon feed, but given she’s 13 months old, I guess that’s fair enough). I draw the line at walking to school in my riding clothes, but sometimes it’s a close call. If only I had a cape and super powers to magically make everything happen without me feeling totally out of control! I guess I think a supermum is someone who has wonderfully behaved children, a clean house, clean tack, and a perfectly groomed horse. This doesn’t describe me at all. But if it means someone who gets out there are gives it a jolly good go and has fun along the way, then maybe it’s a label I can handle.
So far this year, I’ve been to Wallaby Hill (wow what a location) – pity my performance didn’t match the superb surroundings. Last after dressage – and I got two 3s I could not believe it! I had a super end to the season last year placing in three of the last five events and I thought – gee I’m pretty good at this prelim business, about time I tried pre novice. I read all the time how horses are a great leveller, but it’s not until it happens to you do you really understand (and let’s face it – those dressage judges must have an agenda!). So back to prelim I went. SIEC was my next event and I had to take all three children. I don’t recommend this to anyone unless they have an endless supply of patience and air-conditioning, or wish to send themselves to an early grave, or to go grey rather earlier than planned. Those cabins at SIEC with four people in them are rather unbearable. We survived, but I’m not sure how. Performance wise it was an improvement as I didn’t finish last or get eliminated like I had at Wallaby Hill, so things were looking up!
Those wash bays at SIEC are great for horses and children!
John (the owner of the horses I ride) and myself (I would not entertain thoughts of going to an event without John) then packed up the float and drove up to Scone with Bek Thompson. Travelling all that way with Laura was not as bad as I feared, but the Eventer magazine was sacrificed as a form of entertainment. It’s hard enough to organise a horse, but trying to remember all you need to take for a baby and making sure you’ve left things at home in such a way so that my absence isn’t too annoying is “mission whythehellIamIdoingthis”?
It took us about 8 hours including stops, which is testament to our devotion to the sport (which sometimes I think is a bit misguided). I confirmed the theory that lack of sleep can potentially cause a few problems. Firstly, I learnt the wrong test (AGAIN) This was the second time in four events that I’ve done that and then I got the minimum and optimum time muddled up. Luckily I came in exactly on the optimum time. So at last I finished on my dressage score - sadly that particular score was not what I would have wished for. Laura coped really well being away, but that was partly due to the wonderful times that Tina Stafford arranged for us. There we were at our B&B enjoying a lovely breakfast, looking out at our horses grazing in their paddock at 9.30am on Sunday morning. Just the way eventing should be!
Astro had a weeks holiday after Scone and I hoped to have a few sleep ins, but NOOOOOO, Mack (my husband) was crewing for the Canberra Balloon festival. He was getting up at 5.30am and it seems he’s a deep sleeper than I am and slept through his alarm each morning, which meant I had to gently remind him to get out of bed – actually I wasn’t that gentle about it all really. This should come as no surprise to me as most mornings he has no idea how many times I’ve had to get up to the kids, or is a tad confused when he wakes up to find Abby in bed with us!
Meetings of the committee for NCHTA are becoming more regular now that the Canberra event is getting closer. Each year I think, ‘oh, it’s not that hard to organise!’ and that’s true, the event on it’s own is not that bad, but having to juggle family life and riding does make me wonder sometimes. Having kids asking if they can have some tiny teddies when you are explaining something to a first time entrant can be a little distracting at times, so if you ring and I sound a little vague, bear with me!
So, in summary, life as usual has been busy. My next event is Albury, which I have not ridden at before, which makes it all the more exciting.
If you’ve read this far, (you’re probably my mother or sister) and you’re not family - thanks for doing so! I hope the next instalment of glimpses into my life can continue to entertain.
