It’s a new year full of new opportunities! In this vlog, I talk about some of my plans for 2017 including international travel with Simply Priceless (aka Johnny) and the continued development of my talented mustangs, Fledge, Rune, and Hwin.
Coming Home
Johnny’s feeling great after Burghley, and incredibly excited and happy to be back on American soil. As I unpacked some of my goodies from the event, I found something very special.
Thanks go to the Simply Priceless Syndicate (Susan Day, Vicki & Steve Sukup, and Kimberly & Larry Loveless) for making it possible to continue working with Johnny. For more information about the Simply Priceless Syndicate, visit https://wallaceeventing.com/horses/simply-priceless/
Next Stop: Badminton
Final jog and show jumping day at the 2016 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. The pressure was on as Johnny and I prepared for what would turn out to be a 14th place finish: top-ranked American rider, and top-ranked ‘Burghley Rookie.’
What’s next? Johnny will get some time off as I focus on my other horses (look forward to seeing updates in upcoming vlogs). If all goes according to plan, Simply Priceless and I will be back in England in the Spring to compete at the Badminton Horse Trials…another life-long dream.
P.S. Check out the cameo appearance by German Olympian Bettina Hoy, and learn how to load a massive tack trunk (SPOILER ALERT: we all need a winch)
Black Dragon
How do you tame a black dragon hours before dressage at the Burghley Horse Trials? A LOT of ground work. On the day of dressage, it took more than an hour to coax the dragon out of Johnny (I knew he was in there), and then to settle him down so that we could perform at our best in the dressage arena. And that’s exactly what we did. With a score of 46.8, Johnny and I earned a personal best!
A huge shout out to Anna Johnson, our physiotherapist for the weekend, who made sure that Johnny felt good and recovered quickly going into each phase of competition.
Welcome to Burghley
Off to the Burghley Horse Trials, and tricking my brain into thinking that it’s no big deal. “It’s not Burghley. It’s ‘Bergley.’ I’ll do Burghley next year” 😉
A course walk with David O’Connor, Phillip Dutton, and Holly Payne. A successful jog. And a late-night ‘flasher.’
Burghley Wishing Tree
Without access to internet, I was unable to upload any vlogs while I was in England competing at Burghley. I have a lot of catching up to do.
In this episode, I visit the mysterious rocks of Avebury and make a wish at a wishing tree. Fellow eventer Katherine Coleman tells the story of her mutant French Bulldog ‘Buddy.’ Katherine’s groom, Caz Hewer, demonstrates how to create beautiful quarter marks.
Bring on Burghley
I’ve been in England for a while now, and Johnny is settling in really well. Enjoying my time with fellow eventer Katherine Coleman, her groom Caz, and her dog Buddy. I was recently joined by my husband Timothy and my groom Loreen Kay. We’re having lots of fun at the same time as I focus on making sure Johnny is fit and well-prepared for Burghley later this week.
In this episode, in addition to offering a glimpse into my journey, I also talk a little bit about how I am caring or Johnny’s legs, through laser therapy and poultice (pro tip: auto shop towels are amazing).
Pretty much mostly ready for Burghley
Want to see what packing for a competition overseas looks like? After taming the ‘black dragon’ (aka Johnny aka Simply Priceless) at Millbrook, it’s back home where I face a tack explosion and get organized in preparation to leave for the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.
Preparing for Burghley
This short vlog is from High Acre Farm in The Plains, Virginia where I trained with Johnny last week before Millbrook and in preparation for Burghley in a few weeks. Support for my trip has been amazing! Thank you to all my fans and supporters for giving generously of what you have in order to share in my dream.
