Since most of the rest of the small community that is US eventing is weighing in on the Winter Training Lists, I think I should too.
Back when Cam was running Advanced I thought we had a real chance to do big things. He was running so well I was convinced that we would have been to the 2011 Rolex. Alas, as we all know it wasn't meant to be. Horses are heartbreakers, they give us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I was also convinced since he and I had run so many Advanced Horse trials that we might be able to get on the Developing Rider List. That is what we all want isn't it? We want to be noticed. We want someone to say, hey good job, look how far you and your partner have come.
The truth of the matter is, those lists are as cliquey as any high school prep group. Its more about who you know and who knows you than what you have done or how promising you know your horse is. Some really good riders got overlooked because they are like Cam and I. They aren't known by the greater eventing community and they don't have the money and the sponsors to run with the big dogs. Its the truth and its tough, but thats life. We all wish eventing wasn't as political as a lot of other sports, but it is.
I think those riders should know that no matter what those lists say it doesn't mean that they can't be the best. It doesn't mean that they don't have a shot at getting to the top of the sport. It just means that when they do get there it will mean that much more in the end. There is nothing better than being able to show all the doubters and nonbelievers that they are wrong. I truly feel it makes the achievement mean that much more.
So good luck to those of you who didn't make the lists. Stick with it. You will get your day :)
Cam (Chatt Hills Adv)
Then and Now.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
rain and
Alright Chelsea, just for you I am blogging. I don't have much accept a couple of different short stories. This is what happens inside my head when I am bored. I can guarantee that none of these stories have ANY relevance to eachother, this is just whats coming to mind. Random thoughts....
At the show this weekend I was reminded how much I like announcing. I had a lot of fun. However, when you get tired you do get tongue-tied. When trying to announce 3rd place at one point it came out "thirty place" and another time what was supposed to be someone's name came out as a sneeze...
Then later I told my sister I think I want to go be a radio DJ and she actually laughed at me. I was serious. I like announcing and I feel like Im pretty decent at it. It requires me to enunciate...and when forced I really can avoid mumbling....
Since its rainy I'm thinking about summer and mowing lawns. This past summer was the first time in ten years I have had to mow a lawn- my lawn- and I really don't mind. Well, one day I made the mistake of offering to help Julie mow the laneways between the paddocks. I was supposed to be using the "zero turn" riding lawnmower. Julie's instructions were " if you panic, it panics with you because its so sensitive." She should have said, "go slowly dumbass because if you try to turn too fast you will hit the fence." I started out fine. I was boppin along mowing and then I had to go around a cross country fence, well I got to close to the four plank fence and when I tried to turn around I pulled too hard on the right toggle and spun the damn thing around and got trapped between the jump and the fence. I wasn't sure what to do, but every time I even slightly moved the whole thing moved. After about 40 minutes of desperatly trying to gently work my way out of there without taking out fence or the mower and being so fried that to this day I don't think I will ever be able to mow with a riding mower again...
And finally all I can think about because of this weather is the fact the our awesome Tough Mudder team now has 5 whole members! We still need a better team name though so if anyone thinks of anything please let me know... and yesterday at lunch I got to tell about my awesome skydiving adventure again which is always fun. The whole staff here has labeled me as crazy which I think is about right. I like to jump large solid fences on a 1300lb animal running at 35mph, I get a rush jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, and now I am voluntarily signed up to run a military obstacle course that includes jumping into a dumpster filled with icewater- in March- in Indiana- so you know its gonna be cold.
Thats really all I got right now. Its raining, so my brain is foggy. I have nothing to do, and I can't write on demand Chelsea...so there.... However reading about Adelaide makes me miss eventing. I wish the weather was better so riding was easy, that and there was an event to go to that is close because then I would have a goal. Its a lot easier to ride when you have a goal.. I also still wish I could go to Florida for the winter....I miss that... A lot....
signing off~ Mandy
At the show this weekend I was reminded how much I like announcing. I had a lot of fun. However, when you get tired you do get tongue-tied. When trying to announce 3rd place at one point it came out "thirty place" and another time what was supposed to be someone's name came out as a sneeze...
Then later I told my sister I think I want to go be a radio DJ and she actually laughed at me. I was serious. I like announcing and I feel like Im pretty decent at it. It requires me to enunciate...and when forced I really can avoid mumbling....
Since its rainy I'm thinking about summer and mowing lawns. This past summer was the first time in ten years I have had to mow a lawn- my lawn- and I really don't mind. Well, one day I made the mistake of offering to help Julie mow the laneways between the paddocks. I was supposed to be using the "zero turn" riding lawnmower. Julie's instructions were " if you panic, it panics with you because its so sensitive." She should have said, "go slowly dumbass because if you try to turn too fast you will hit the fence." I started out fine. I was boppin along mowing and then I had to go around a cross country fence, well I got to close to the four plank fence and when I tried to turn around I pulled too hard on the right toggle and spun the damn thing around and got trapped between the jump and the fence. I wasn't sure what to do, but every time I even slightly moved the whole thing moved. After about 40 minutes of desperatly trying to gently work my way out of there without taking out fence or the mower and being so fried that to this day I don't think I will ever be able to mow with a riding mower again...
And finally all I can think about because of this weather is the fact the our awesome Tough Mudder team now has 5 whole members! We still need a better team name though so if anyone thinks of anything please let me know... and yesterday at lunch I got to tell about my awesome skydiving adventure again which is always fun. The whole staff here has labeled me as crazy which I think is about right. I like to jump large solid fences on a 1300lb animal running at 35mph, I get a rush jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, and now I am voluntarily signed up to run a military obstacle course that includes jumping into a dumpster filled with icewater- in March- in Indiana- so you know its gonna be cold.
Thats really all I got right now. Its raining, so my brain is foggy. I have nothing to do, and I can't write on demand Chelsea...so there.... However reading about Adelaide makes me miss eventing. I wish the weather was better so riding was easy, that and there was an event to go to that is close because then I would have a goal. Its a lot easier to ride when you have a goal.. I also still wish I could go to Florida for the winter....I miss that... A lot....
signing off~ Mandy
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Respect the Show Organizers
Its amazing the things we do that teach us respect for other peoples jobs. I define myself as a Professional Equestrian. I know what I need to do to enter horse shows, get my horses ready, and work out all of the small details that go into getting myself, my students and my horses ready for shows. I have been a volunteer and know what its like to be an outrider, a jump judge, ring crew, and a scribe. And I have been a spectator, watching all of the goings on at horse shows. Until this fall I have never been on the organizing/secretary side of things and what I have learned has given me a new-found respect for the people who take on the daunting task of making these horse shows possible.
As some of you know part of my job is secretarial in nature. I never knew how hard, yet also rewarding this could be. It requires a lot of remedial tasks such as copying, re-typing, and organizing but it also requires me to know how to answer all kinds of questions at the drop of a hat. For those of you who know me (now becoming a favorite phrase of mine) this can be a total nightmare. I am a stresser/worrywort by nature (see earlier posts) so I try to get these things done in a timely manner and sometimes they take over my life. This particular time its getting the program ready for the upcoming IHSA show at the College. DO YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS!!!!
Here's whats involved. Begging all of the coaches to get their entries in on time. Organizing how many classes you will have, how many people in each class, who goes in what class, changing classes, answering questions, finding extra horses, sending the program to my laptop from my desktop so I can work on this ugly thing at home, making sure all the riders back numbers are correct, biting all of my finger and toenails off <---eeeewww not, as if I could reach my toenails...ugh, find clipart to fill in the blank spots on pages, make sure all of the advertisements are where they are supposed to be, changing people in classes again, changing class order so the horses arent overworked, answering emails, pulling my hair out (much easier than getting a haircut- cheaper too), sending copies to the College's coach so she can make sure everything is correct, arranging for printing of the program, making last minute changes, getting irritated at a Coach who forgot to put a rider in the program, and take a deep breath because for better or worse its printed and while it looks pretty on the outside just know that the inside is going to get written all over. And finally doing a happy dance beacuse I don't have to do this again until next fall.
So while everyone has anxiously awaited another story, this has been my life. Now all of you see why I am so neurotic. I come by it honestly.
At the show I will be responsible for collecting money ( I know- who in their right mind would let me do that?) handing out packets, announcing (ba hahahaha), and helping with program changes and points. I do love this. I really do. Having done this though I think I could be a show secretary. I have even more respect now than I used to for them. I used to wonder why everyone had to be so snarky or in a bad mood or why they had to make it so hard for me or my students to switch horses/levels/riders/days etc. If you could see the mountain of paperwork involved in organizing a show you would understand too.
My advice is this. If you ever have to deal with a show secretary in any capacity say Thank You. They deserve it. Be gracious and polite when making crazy requests and if they can't be filled, don't bite the secretary's head off. They are just following the rules or guidlines they have been given with the organization their show falls under. If they do their best to help you out and bend over backwards so you can show 6 horses in 10 different classes all running within one day take a second to be grateful they are out there to do their job, because if they weren't I cannot imagine how we could all compete these animals we love.
As some of you know part of my job is secretarial in nature. I never knew how hard, yet also rewarding this could be. It requires a lot of remedial tasks such as copying, re-typing, and organizing but it also requires me to know how to answer all kinds of questions at the drop of a hat. For those of you who know me (now becoming a favorite phrase of mine) this can be a total nightmare. I am a stresser/worrywort by nature (see earlier posts) so I try to get these things done in a timely manner and sometimes they take over my life. This particular time its getting the program ready for the upcoming IHSA show at the College. DO YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS!!!!
Here's whats involved. Begging all of the coaches to get their entries in on time. Organizing how many classes you will have, how many people in each class, who goes in what class, changing classes, answering questions, finding extra horses, sending the program to my laptop from my desktop so I can work on this ugly thing at home, making sure all the riders back numbers are correct, biting all of my finger and toenails off <---eeeewww not, as if I could reach my toenails...ugh, find clipart to fill in the blank spots on pages, make sure all of the advertisements are where they are supposed to be, changing people in classes again, changing class order so the horses arent overworked, answering emails, pulling my hair out (much easier than getting a haircut- cheaper too), sending copies to the College's coach so she can make sure everything is correct, arranging for printing of the program, making last minute changes, getting irritated at a Coach who forgot to put a rider in the program, and take a deep breath because for better or worse its printed and while it looks pretty on the outside just know that the inside is going to get written all over. And finally doing a happy dance beacuse I don't have to do this again until next fall.
So while everyone has anxiously awaited another story, this has been my life. Now all of you see why I am so neurotic. I come by it honestly.
At the show I will be responsible for collecting money ( I know- who in their right mind would let me do that?) handing out packets, announcing (ba hahahaha), and helping with program changes and points. I do love this. I really do. Having done this though I think I could be a show secretary. I have even more respect now than I used to for them. I used to wonder why everyone had to be so snarky or in a bad mood or why they had to make it so hard for me or my students to switch horses/levels/riders/days etc. If you could see the mountain of paperwork involved in organizing a show you would understand too.
My advice is this. If you ever have to deal with a show secretary in any capacity say Thank You. They deserve it. Be gracious and polite when making crazy requests and if they can't be filled, don't bite the secretary's head off. They are just following the rules or guidlines they have been given with the organization their show falls under. If they do their best to help you out and bend over backwards so you can show 6 horses in 10 different classes all running within one day take a second to be grateful they are out there to do their job, because if they weren't I cannot imagine how we could all compete these animals we love.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Intercollegiate Dressage Blunders
So this weekend as most of you know, we went to our first Intercollegiate Dressage Competition. I must say it was a ton of fun and the Team did well despite my nerves, their nerves, a shady truck, monkeys, cumberbunds, and hotel pools with TONS of children swimming. I shouldn't forget brand new tall boots in the sauna, and fun dinner conversations. The following is an account of the weekend happenings and an explanation of what the hell IDA is....
The good news is on the way up there the trip was uneventful. We got our hotel rooms and proceeded to go to dinner at Texas Roadhouse where Jenn found an alien peanut and dinner was pretty good. We found out when we went back to the hotel that there was an indoor pool, sauna, and hot tub...all of which were explained in great detail by a 7yr old whose parents let him ride on the elevator alone ( and naturally I was the one trapped on said elevator with the chattering 7yr old).
Alien Peanut
Saturday proved a good first day for us. We drew four pretty cool horses and the judge was "R" rated (for you non horsey people an "R" judge is a high rated judge which is good). Our Training Level 1 rider even finished 1st in her division which was awesome. The best part of the day though was when my Upper Training rider was gettting ready. I told her I would help her with her hair and her stock tie (why is it no one knows how to tie those? If Jenn hadn't taught me years ago I'd be clueless too!) as soon as she was ready. I was watching a rider in a test in the arena (Otterbein has BEAUTIFUL brand new facilities) when Kellie said, "ok I'm ready!" I turned around to her holding up a white cumberbund. I said, "why do you have a white cumberbund?" although I had an idea of the answer. She said,"it's my stock tie." I told her no it isn't its a cumberbund...aaannd a bowtie that fell on the floor, amongst much laughing. I asked her why she had those, they are for men's tuxedo's. She told me she had bought it from a pile of "stock ties" that were on a table at the CKRH tack sale the other week. I asked her if she had ever even looked? She swore they told her it was one. Amongst much mirth that followed including her asking how to wear said cumberbund we finally got her dressed and she finished 3rd for the day. Our team finished a technical 5th for the day out of 9 teams but only Findlay and Otterbein beat us- just with two teams each...so to me we finished 3rd.
The only other thing that happened was when my winning rider was getting dressed she was bragging to the team about how her boots were brand new- so new we found out that she couldn't bend her legs... For those of you that know me, I was a little peeved that she hadn't warned me prior to the show so she could break them in, so in my irritation I told her she had to go to the sauna Sat night and sit in there with them for 20min to break them in. She took me literally. I went to check on her to make sure she wasn't dying and she was holding her boots in the sauna....oh well...what can ya do... ( I ended up making her put them on and it helped a little)
I was proud of myself for actually running saturday night after the show. Tough Mudder be damned I will finish my training.
Sunday was not a great day. We drew cute horses, but they were difficult and the judge was unrated. I had one rider error (nerves) and one get crucified unjustly. Courtney finished 2nd (it was the boots in the sauna) and my walk/trotter got hosed (she is insanely tall and both days drew small quarter horses) and she is a true walk/trotter where some of the schools obviously used kids that were not such.
The ride home was mostly uneventful other than one of the girls looking over and seeing a monkey in a car next to us. We proceeded to speed up to stare at the monkey and when the owner (who was on the phone) saw us she sped off.
Overall it was a great learning experience. I have a good team. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we look forward to going to our next show. Hopefully the luck of the draw will be on our side and my team will kick butt.
Thats all for now, though here are some pics of the team...
The first is our Upper training Rider and I in warmup, the second is Courtney winning her class...with her stiff boots
and finally, my walk/trot rider at her first show ever. She's 6'2"...he's barely 15hh....
signing off~ Mandy
The good news is on the way up there the trip was uneventful. We got our hotel rooms and proceeded to go to dinner at Texas Roadhouse where Jenn found an alien peanut and dinner was pretty good. We found out when we went back to the hotel that there was an indoor pool, sauna, and hot tub...all of which were explained in great detail by a 7yr old whose parents let him ride on the elevator alone ( and naturally I was the one trapped on said elevator with the chattering 7yr old).
Saturday proved a good first day for us. We drew four pretty cool horses and the judge was "R" rated (for you non horsey people an "R" judge is a high rated judge which is good). Our Training Level 1 rider even finished 1st in her division which was awesome. The best part of the day though was when my Upper Training rider was gettting ready. I told her I would help her with her hair and her stock tie (why is it no one knows how to tie those? If Jenn hadn't taught me years ago I'd be clueless too!) as soon as she was ready. I was watching a rider in a test in the arena (Otterbein has BEAUTIFUL brand new facilities) when Kellie said, "ok I'm ready!" I turned around to her holding up a white cumberbund. I said, "why do you have a white cumberbund?" although I had an idea of the answer. She said,"it's my stock tie." I told her no it isn't its a cumberbund...aaannd a bowtie that fell on the floor, amongst much laughing. I asked her why she had those, they are for men's tuxedo's. She told me she had bought it from a pile of "stock ties" that were on a table at the CKRH tack sale the other week. I asked her if she had ever even looked? She swore they told her it was one. Amongst much mirth that followed including her asking how to wear said cumberbund we finally got her dressed and she finished 3rd for the day. Our team finished a technical 5th for the day out of 9 teams but only Findlay and Otterbein beat us- just with two teams each...so to me we finished 3rd.
The only other thing that happened was when my winning rider was getting dressed she was bragging to the team about how her boots were brand new- so new we found out that she couldn't bend her legs... For those of you that know me, I was a little peeved that she hadn't warned me prior to the show so she could break them in, so in my irritation I told her she had to go to the sauna Sat night and sit in there with them for 20min to break them in. She took me literally. I went to check on her to make sure she wasn't dying and she was holding her boots in the sauna....oh well...what can ya do... ( I ended up making her put them on and it helped a little)
I was proud of myself for actually running saturday night after the show. Tough Mudder be damned I will finish my training.
Sunday was not a great day. We drew cute horses, but they were difficult and the judge was unrated. I had one rider error (nerves) and one get crucified unjustly. Courtney finished 2nd (it was the boots in the sauna) and my walk/trotter got hosed (she is insanely tall and both days drew small quarter horses) and she is a true walk/trotter where some of the schools obviously used kids that were not such.
The ride home was mostly uneventful other than one of the girls looking over and seeing a monkey in a car next to us. We proceeded to speed up to stare at the monkey and when the owner (who was on the phone) saw us she sped off.
Overall it was a great learning experience. I have a good team. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we look forward to going to our next show. Hopefully the luck of the draw will be on our side and my team will kick butt.
Thats all for now, though here are some pics of the team...
signing off~ Mandy
Friday, November 4, 2011
So I sit here stressing, because that's what I do, stress, a lot. Those of you who know me, know that about me. It's a part of me and I can't help it. I was thinking about what I would share with the world today. I talked to my boss this morning about a scary runaway horse from WEG....I could share that, or the fact that I am hopeful that I can get Mira to a CCI 1* next spring (wishful thinking) and that I hope that allows me to get her to Intermediate in the fall (even farther fetched). Even better I can share the conundrum that is this trip this weekend. I think that might be best to share right now. It'll allow me to get some thoughts on "paper" and talk myself out of this stress. Although, talking about my hopes for my horse would make me feel better- I am feeling a bit selfish right now (It comes from looking at the Galway coverage on Eventing Nation).
Ok, so first I am messy, but I have an organization to my chaos, and no matter where I put things I usually find them. That being said, I like lists. I blame my good friend Liz for this. She makes lists about EVERYTHING. For horse shows, I do a horse list (things they will need) and a people list (clothing I will need). Well, for this Intercollegiate Dressage Show I made a list for my team, so that none of them would forget anything. Apparently this was a source of much laughter because on the list I put, "underthings." I was trying to be politically correct people. Somehow I thought someone (mostly someone higher on the foodchain) would take offense to my putting, "bras, underwear, and socks" on a travel list. I know its far fetched, but sometimes politics can eat you alive so being careful is best. If anyone knows of some better descriptor than, "underthings" please let me know, I'll be happy to oblige, but insofar my team hasn't been able to come up with anything better.
Now, for the vehicle we will be taking this weekend. November 5/6, 2011 is a HUGE weekend for the college. I wasn't aware of this until about three weeks ago when trying to get a fleet vehicle for us to drive to the show. Lets see...Soccer and track have tournaments, basketball has away games, Tri-Beta has a seminar, the IHSA Hunts Seat team has a show, professors have lectures to go to, and hmm I think softball has a game....I'm sure there's someone I missed. For a college who usually checks out one van a weekend, this is massive. So, since my team is new (and small) we are low on the totem pole for fleet requests. We get to take the College's dual wheel, extended cab, Chevrolet 3500 truck. About this truck....I've known this truck since my time as a student. Its khaki colored, so we got it as a deal because the person who ordered it didn't like the color. It has no tailgate because someone (NOT ME) pulled away from the tongue of the gooseneck one time and ripped it off, and now it only has one fender because one of the other coaches was driving it recently and it blew a tire-taking the fender with it. Its an older diesel so it needs to be plugged in when the temperature outside reaches 65 degrees and below and apparently won't start if it gets too cold. So, yesterday I called the hotel we are staying at to see if they have any outside outlets...and the woman argued with me that no car should need to be plugged in (when I explained about diesel vehicles she told me I didn't know what I was talking about) so if we actually get TO the show tomorrow and Sunday it'll be a miracle... btw said woman was not of American accent...so diesels may have been foreign to her? And now come to think of it what about all those new hybrid electric cars...shouldn't they have plugs for those too?
And to top everything off, I've never been to Otterbein. We have to compete against some grandaddy programs such as Findlay, Otterbein, and Miami who are all solid when it comes to attracting high level riders. I am SO nervous, but I know my team will do their best. They have been working REALLY hard.
Now I just need to remember to go get a Fleet Card so we can get gas, stop by A/P and get a tax exempt form so we can pay for our hotel, see the Director of our program to get meal and hotel money for the team, find bungees and tarps for the luggage to go in the bed of the truck (because only one fender on a khaki colored truck isn't redneck enough), do one more lesson for two of the girls on the team, pack said truck and make sure we aren't going to lose anything, and get on the road.
So, if you see a one fendered-dual wheel-khaki colored truck driving down the interstate with a bunch of people crammed in it you will know its us. My only words to the girls during the drive will be at the beginning of the trip, "no fighting, screaming, biting, kicking, yelling, snoring, pushing, whining, singing (because I can't either), posting annoying/vulgar things on the windows to other drivers, and in general snottiness towards eachother. And keep your hands to yourself or I WILL turn this thing around." The good news is that my team all gets along pretty well together...we will see if that rings true after 4 hours cramped in the truck...
Wish us luck and interesting stories to follow on Monday...
Signing off~Mandy
Ok, so first I am messy, but I have an organization to my chaos, and no matter where I put things I usually find them. That being said, I like lists. I blame my good friend Liz for this. She makes lists about EVERYTHING. For horse shows, I do a horse list (things they will need) and a people list (clothing I will need). Well, for this Intercollegiate Dressage Show I made a list for my team, so that none of them would forget anything. Apparently this was a source of much laughter because on the list I put, "underthings." I was trying to be politically correct people. Somehow I thought someone (mostly someone higher on the foodchain) would take offense to my putting, "bras, underwear, and socks" on a travel list. I know its far fetched, but sometimes politics can eat you alive so being careful is best. If anyone knows of some better descriptor than, "underthings" please let me know, I'll be happy to oblige, but insofar my team hasn't been able to come up with anything better.
Now, for the vehicle we will be taking this weekend. November 5/6, 2011 is a HUGE weekend for the college. I wasn't aware of this until about three weeks ago when trying to get a fleet vehicle for us to drive to the show. Lets see...Soccer and track have tournaments, basketball has away games, Tri-Beta has a seminar, the IHSA Hunts Seat team has a show, professors have lectures to go to, and hmm I think softball has a game....I'm sure there's someone I missed. For a college who usually checks out one van a weekend, this is massive. So, since my team is new (and small) we are low on the totem pole for fleet requests. We get to take the College's dual wheel, extended cab, Chevrolet 3500 truck. About this truck....I've known this truck since my time as a student. Its khaki colored, so we got it as a deal because the person who ordered it didn't like the color. It has no tailgate because someone (NOT ME) pulled away from the tongue of the gooseneck one time and ripped it off, and now it only has one fender because one of the other coaches was driving it recently and it blew a tire-taking the fender with it. Its an older diesel so it needs to be plugged in when the temperature outside reaches 65 degrees and below and apparently won't start if it gets too cold. So, yesterday I called the hotel we are staying at to see if they have any outside outlets...and the woman argued with me that no car should need to be plugged in (when I explained about diesel vehicles she told me I didn't know what I was talking about) so if we actually get TO the show tomorrow and Sunday it'll be a miracle... btw said woman was not of American accent...so diesels may have been foreign to her? And now come to think of it what about all those new hybrid electric cars...shouldn't they have plugs for those too?
And to top everything off, I've never been to Otterbein. We have to compete against some grandaddy programs such as Findlay, Otterbein, and Miami who are all solid when it comes to attracting high level riders. I am SO nervous, but I know my team will do their best. They have been working REALLY hard.
Now I just need to remember to go get a Fleet Card so we can get gas, stop by A/P and get a tax exempt form so we can pay for our hotel, see the Director of our program to get meal and hotel money for the team, find bungees and tarps for the luggage to go in the bed of the truck (because only one fender on a khaki colored truck isn't redneck enough), do one more lesson for two of the girls on the team, pack said truck and make sure we aren't going to lose anything, and get on the road.
So, if you see a one fendered-dual wheel-khaki colored truck driving down the interstate with a bunch of people crammed in it you will know its us. My only words to the girls during the drive will be at the beginning of the trip, "no fighting, screaming, biting, kicking, yelling, snoring, pushing, whining, singing (because I can't either), posting annoying/vulgar things on the windows to other drivers, and in general snottiness towards eachother. And keep your hands to yourself or I WILL turn this thing around." The good news is that my team all gets along pretty well together...we will see if that rings true after 4 hours cramped in the truck...
Wish us luck and interesting stories to follow on Monday...
Signing off~Mandy
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Mandy Van Can
Now since I have to take my team to their first Intercollegiate Dressage Show this weekend I thought I’d share a story from when I worked at Midway back in 2006/2007. At the time I was helping the then hunt seat coach to coach the IHSA Hunt Seat Team. It meant that I was required to go to all of the shows and drive a van. At the time we had about 28 girls on the team and because we were in a Region with Miami University and Morehead State we did a LOT of driving.
Now some of you have either ridden in or driven a 15 passenger van. If you haven’t you are missing out on a real treat. Try cold plastic seats with seatbelts from the 1940’s, a sketchy air conditioning/heat system, doors that don’t shut well so that you can hear the road rushing by, shocks that only do enough to keep the tires from exploding (not from bouncing over potholes and making you and passengers slam your head into the ceiling), and a radio that at the best of times got all country and at the worst got some sort of gospel or sermon. Add 12-15 chattering women or early in the morning snoring women and you have yourself a top-heavy death trap. But hey, we had wheels so we did travel…or so the saying says…
This particular trip we were headed to Morehead State University, it was February and apparently some weathergod had decided Kentucky needed to be reminded we were a midwestern state and if said weathergod felt like it, we would have a blizzard worthy of the mountains in Montana. We had to leave at 5AM and I am such a morning glory. So now we have 13 women, plus me and my cranky self in a death trap, whose interior temperature is maybe -40 degrees and its snowing. (did I mention that we had to read a booklet/watch a video to be able to drive these vans because they are top heavy and they sway in the wind) so now I have drive this van over an hour to a horse show with sleeping students in the back and the wind blowing us all over the interstate.
Now I also need to mention that the head coach thought is was funny to get both of us lost and/or late to shows and there is nothing more that I dislike than being late (and being lost-ask Catherine about our trip to Gemwood Horse Trials this summer). Well this time I was golden. I had been to Morehead, so I didn’t need directions and the girls who rode on my van knew I was crazy about being late so they were loaded and ready to go. We left early. About twenty minutes into our trip its snowing so hard we can’t see the road, meaning no lines, and thankfully very few other cars…because most people are smart and would have cancelled this trip…but not Morehead….no cancelling shows when you have a heated indoor arena (must be nice). At some point I must have been being appropriately cautious because while the other coach was notoriously late she somehow not only caught up to me, but began to pass (and yet here's where I look back and should have had some concern at how fast she was going at the time).
Aside here – I am EXTREMELY competitive, and I HATE being made fun of….both attributes the other coach liked to exploit in me.
Now my van riders, not to be outdone egged me on and said it wasn’t fair that the other van always got there first. So, me being me, I decide that since the road is mostly clear of other traffic we can drive right down the middle, make our own lane and beat the other van. My van cheered when we passed the other and despite the bad weather we beat them to Morehead, however we didn't expect to be blown left and right all over the road like a ship in a rough sea. Our streak ended when approaching the driveway to the MSU Equestrian Center I went to ease on the breaks for the stupid, ugly, good for nothing van and it slid like this graceful ice skater ever so slowly just past the entrance. It went just far enough that the other van eeked in behind us to beat us there (with me bellowing at the %^$&^% thing to stop). To make matters worse…It took us ten minutes to find a place to turn around because no matter how hard I tried to back up, traffic wouldn’t let me and I had a van full of seasick riders who I was praying to the weathergod wouldn't puke in the van.
Naturally, much laughter ensued and at the year end awards banquet the team decided to not only dub one of the vans, “The Mandy Van” but they also created a song, which was put to the "Candy Man Can” song from Willy Wonka. It was quite hilarious and one of these days when I can find the lyrics to said song I will be happy to post them on here.
SO, wish the IDA team luck this weekend and hope that this time since we have to take Midway’s Dually Truck to Columbus, Ohio that the weekend will not only go smoothly travel-wise but that we will bring home many blue ribbons.
signing off~ Mandy
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