Just Dilly Dallying Around

Windy and I at the Sandhills CTR in Kansas in April

 I keep trying to find a way to define this year and can’t quite put my finger on it.  Changes?  Not really.  We had a lot of family stuff going on (planned & unplanned) and work has been incredibly busy.  Those two variables play a big part into what is left for my horse life.  I’ll probably finish out the year with about 700 ride miles give or take which is under my norm. 

Riding Fancy in the Spring

A planned graduation, an unplanned wedding and regrettably a couple funerals really limited my spring riding.  I only competed once between April and September.  Late nights at work kept me from joining my Platte River Riders on Wednesday nights. The Friday Before Mother’s Day ride was canceled due to bad weather and I never even rode my Oak Creek Trail until a few weeks ago.  

John and I at Lake Solitude - Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming

Last winter, we planned to join friends at the Big Horns Mountains in Wyoming.  Years ago we made plans to go and it wasn’t meant to be.  This year, there was no stopping us.  A paragraph today does not do justice to the wonderful week we spent in the mountains.  I’ll save that post for another snowy day.  

Juanita completing on Windy at the PonyXpress CTR in August

My friend, Mary, and I volunteered to manage the PonyXpress CTR at Rock Creek Station at the end of August.  There has not been a CTR there for about a dozen years.  We spend many (hot) weekends there clearing trail, mapping the route, marking the trail and all that it takes for a comeback ride.  And then come September, I was finally able to compete again and managed to compete five times this fall.  

Cowgirl Week leading up to Cowgirl Weekend was changed to the “lite” version this year.  Our host and my friend, Kathy, unexpectedly had heart surgery which kept her out of the saddle during this time.  Luckily we all still got together and had the best time but didn’t do the riding that we normally do.

I lost Pip in September.  RIP sweet Sister.  

I haven’t spent much time going through pictures and getting better ones developed.  That is on my winter list, too, and I hope to share some of the better ones with you.  I also have to get the darn poodle puppy house trained!  But most of all, I want to take advantage of a friend’s offer to help me with Windy.  We are heading into a more competitive class next year and I want to be a real contender.  

I’m continuing to lighten the load for next year.  I am not planning to host the Friday Before Mother’s Day Ride.  After 15 years, I’m ready to free up that time.  To do what?  Who knows.  But riding weekends in the spring are few enough; this will give me one more.  

Wow, posted two days in a row.  I’m on a roll…..