2018: The Year That Left Me Breathless

2018 has been quite the year, it has been an emotional rollercoaster and absolute blessing at the same time. This will forever be the year when I decided to hang up my fake tail and fitted hunter pad for the time being, and at the same time it will forever be the year I got to follow my heart into the jumper ring. I have met so many amazing people this year and have been left starstruck and in absolute awe more times than I can count. Though there were defiantly tears along the way, 2018 was a blessing.

In January I had my heart set on junior hunters and big eq. But by February 19th I took a trip that changed everything. Karen Goodell, Dominic Gibbs, My mother, and I departed from DIA on a trip to Wellington, FL. To say that that trip was amazing would be an understatement, I got to see friends who had been distant for quite some time, ride an amazing horse who knew a lot more than me, and train with trainer's who's expertise was unsurpassed. It was during this week that I was partnered with Ucelo de Kergane, who I now not only call mine but also affectionately call Nerd. Yes I had wanted a jumper for years but it had never quite come to be, this all changed because of my week in Welly World. March 16th rolled around and once again we were on the road this time our destination set as Katy Texas. These two weeks were filled with celebrations, tears, and taquitos. I knew that this would probably be the last time I went into the ring aboard Ralph (After Hours) and that made each trip a little bit bitter sweet. Jackson was a star winning the Junior Hunter Classic week 1 and Ralph was a saint giving each round his all. We went back to Colorado for a while to regroup; Ralph was sold and Ucelo joined the herd. In May I took Jackson and Ucelo to the Colorado Horse Park and wore white breeches in a show ring for the first time. In June I was back at CHP for one last show before I left for the east coast.

July 13th was the day I finally got to take my first road trip, the destination was Stockton New Jersey. When we arrived at our apartment for the duration of our stay we were greeted by domestic geese and goats owned by the tenants below us. There was only one "grocery store" in the town but that term is applied loosely. The Stockton Market was open from 3 on Friday to 5 on Sunday. For the first time In my life I was living in a small town. While based out of NJ with Chris Kappler INC I had so many new experiences. I stood in the center of times square and got coffee next to the Princeton campus, I went shopping in the Hamptons and on a lower note, got my first black eye. In august the team headed down to Halifax Boston to show and I came into contact with the amazing charity Just World, and lets not forget "Piggy" the pig. At this show I competed on grass for the first time and got to show in the 1.15m class. The next week we headed to the Hampton Classic. Ucelo was PERFECT even though the temperature had a heat index of 105. By the 6th of September I had come to a rather difficult decision, I decided that I would, for the time being, no longer compete in the equitation or hunters and Train full time with CBK. Jackson Headed back to Colorado with me only a month behind. I went to Princeton one last time with Ucelo and headed home.

September 28th we pulled into our driveway in Colorado. The next morning come 4 am I was up and at it again, IEA season had begun. I began my second year of 2'6" with two first places and high school Champion, the rest of the team begun the season with the realization that I was extremely OCD. Ucelo was on vacation in New Jersey in October when we got the call that he wasn't himself. The amazing team at CBK caught it extremely early and handled everything amazingly. After a few days at the farm with no improvement he was transported to the ICU in NJ while I was in CO helping get ready for our farms annual Halloween schooling show. After a few days in the ICU Ucelo was all good and the knot in my stomach subsided. October 20th Jackson and I entered the ring together one last time. My saint of a horse let me put a superman sleazy on him for the Hunt Teams(It was worth it we won) and dress him up as Peter Burke from the show "White Collar". He swept our division taking home 4 blues overall and a champion ribbon. October 27th we had our second IEA show at Helicon and I got to ride the amazing Puppy. At this show I tied for high school High point rider with Kyann Wentz by earning two blue ribbons. November finally came and I ecstatically took my stirrups off. On November 10th I headed out to FVS for one last IEA show. I placed first on the flat and second over fences qualifying me for regionals.

November 12th I headed out to Wellington for a week and rode Zelda and Nerd. We returned to Colorado for a little bit and thanksgiving morning we took another road trip. After a quick stop in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving dinner with family, we arrived in Wellington on the 24th. We unpacked and settled in while the horses and I underwent some serious bootcamp. I turned 16 December 16th and celebrated in a place I had been dreaming of living in since Reed Smithers told me about it when I was 9 years old. Christmas rolled around and we were back in Tulsa for a quick visit to play dirty Santa (our version of white elephant) and eat mama's chocolate pie. As tradition had it, we flew on Christmas day, but for the first time I can remember, I wasn't headed for Colorado. Even though I lived it, this year still feels like a dream, a dream come true.

Yes I did have to give up a lot of my dreams this year, but I got a glimpse at so many others that hadn't even crossed my mind before. This year I learned so much and cant even find the words to express my gratitude for everyone who's gotten me to where I am today. If you would have asked me on January first of 2018 where I thought this year was going to take me, my answer wouldn't have even come close to reality.