Wow, it has certainly been a while since I have last posted a blog and I certainly have a vast amount of experiences and surprises in which to pass onto my audience. First and foremost, I want to wish all of you a happy new year. My new year started off great as Crow's Ear Farm was blessed with the arrival of "Calling All Comets," born on January 21, 2009. Although he is quite small and cuddly, Comet has an endless amount of energy and can be quite a handful for his "surrogate" parents, both mom and myself. Despite his haughty demeanor and lack of manners in the barnyard, I cant help but daydream about what this little colt will grow up to be. All I can do is think about the future that lay in store for him as he blazes around the fields with his beautiful mother, Paula's Accolades, alongside.
When the year began, my plans for Florida were a bit hazy as my finances were still in question. However, always looking on the bright side, I began to leg my boys up with slow (and sometimes tedious) trot sets, which occurred as frequently as the weather allowed. At the end of January, the funds were raised and the boys and I were poised to head down south to the sunshine state. In addition, a dear friend of my mother's and myself, Yvette Shrewsbury, decided that she would like for me to ride her mare, Little Sorrow (aka "Fancy") for the winter to see if she has a career in becoming an event horse. After a long day of packing with one of my best friend's and student, Jessica Bowen, and the rest of the Crow's Ear gang, both mom and I were set and eager to shove off to the warm weather. On February 6, we did just that. With mom heading up the caravan with three horses in tow, and me following closely behind in my car, we made great time in arriving to Buck Davidson Stables in just under fourteen hours. The horses were ecstatic to see solid ground and gleefully cantered around in their pastures and rolled in the sand to celebrate their arrival to their new winter home. Everyone settled in beautifully and within two days, jumping lessons were underway with my coach Buck, as my mom joyously clapped after each of my rounds. I can't tell you how great it feels to be back down here in Ocala, to be doing what I love most, and to be alongside the people I respect most and who share the my same passion for riding and horses.
Tomorrow is the first show of the season for me and boy is it a packed one for the Crow's Ear team. This weekend I will ride all three of the horses at the Ocala Horse Trials: Alex is doing prelim, Seajack is doing prelim, and Fancy is doing her first recognized show ever at the beginning novice level. I am quite excited and will be sure to update you guys as the weekend closes. Until then, heels down, shoulders back, and kick on!!!
