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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