Another year has come and gone... and so with that I wanted to take a look at my 2009 list and think about what happened and what I can look forword to next year!

So this is last years list:

1) finished my first year of my BA with a 91 average. (now my total average is 89.58 think they will round up?) Hard to belive that I took 3 years to finish a 2 year program 6 years ago...

I ended up with a 90.5 :) not too shabby I should go back and finish my full degree but I needed a break.

2)I still have a lump on my thyroid. They dont think its cancerous. I go for another scan in Jan. Hopefully its either stayed the same or srunk. Otherwise surgery here I come. I did radiation for it (one time thing) but still managed to get though security into the US :)

The lump is smaller, but stabalized. I no longer take thyroid meds and they are continueing to check the blood tests but think I should be ok :)

3) Showed for the first time as an Open competitor, without another trainer backing me up. And didnt fall on my face. One of the greatest moments was walking up to the owner who gave me a chance and telling him that his mare just won Grand Champion. And then watching him almost fall over. (and then managing to do that two more times, as well as a reserve) Rumor is the Incentive fund cheque will be over $500. Just for the points I put on that doesnt count the owners or his son's points.

Had another great year. The mare finished her open superior, and should be close on both her amature and youth as well :)

4) We ended up the year Champion yearling mare, yearling trail, reserve lungline, champ amature mare, and reserve youth mare in NB. We also got reserve in NS in some of the same classes even though we didnt attend many shows there.

Well we had 3 national top tens, as well as reserve national champion it was a good year. She did really well in NB and NS points too :)

5) Making the top 10 national list. Although I dont know my placings yet, compared to other years we will be in for yearling mares, lungline and trail. WOW never thought that would happen I was hoping for one top ten placing!

6) Having a fantastic summer showing, having my best friend help me and getting to know my current boyfriend before either of us would admit to likeing eachother.

Yeah scratch that boyfriend out!!!!

7) Going out with my boyfriend Trevor. He loves horses as much as me (maybe more because he owns alot!) understands my need to show, and has suported my efforts to improve myself and my education (both horse related and not) I hope he would say the same about me! Im really looking forword to 2009 to see where this is going...

And it ended!

8) Finishing school in 2009... and maybe starting again to finish getting my degree in another year or two.

9) Dealing with my RA. Which has always been a chalange. However I think I ok with it more now that I can show and train, and have a life, even though I still have it.

10) Great horses to show next year. The comming 2yo, and my friends new horse that I have loved for several years. His owners gave her a chance to purchase him and shes giving me the chance to show him next year in halter. I also have the oppertunity to show an AQHA mare in the Open and halter with 'pony kid' :) should be a fun summer!

11) AND I got to go to Congress :)

And for next year;

1) To a great show season with Lucas :) I hope I can continue to ride for a few more years but when that time comes, he should be able to learn how to drive so that we can show in harness.

2) To good friends, and fun at all the shows.

3) I hope that my job continues to go well, and that I might get a raise soon ;)

4) to good National lists for the Apps :)

umm yeah so thats it! All I can say is that I hope the new decade turns out alot better health wise for me than the last one. And now Im off to the barn, to ride the year out in style :)

Christmass

Well my best friend came out a few days ago and put Lu though his paces. He did not like her at all! He tried to buck her off several times, and reared as well. He hasnt done that with me. She was asking alot of him, stuff he knows how to do but hasnt been asked to do in several years. Truthfully its about time! Her horse HATES me, as I broke her, and every time she sees me shes going to a show or a clinic where she's going to have to work hard. Its about time that my horses doesnt like her :)

Ive been treating him with kid gloves, yes I will admit it. However I have 6 months to get him in show shape, and everyone who has seen him has been impressed with his progress. He's gained weight, and some muscle, his coat is finaly looking healthy and he has settled into the barn.

My friend agreed that its the fitness of his body and mine that will be our hardest issue. As well as keeping his brain happy. As soon as we get some snow (to cover up the rocky hard mud mounds that are in the field now...) hes going out with 2 young geldings. Hes bord getting turnout by himself, so the 2 youngsters will keep him active and happy.

Im sore hes wild :)

Well we had a drastic drop in temps this week went from around 4C to -19C+ windchill. Yuck! Anyways the tempature changes have caused me to be more sore than usual, so I havnt riden in the past few days. Ive gotten to the barn, brushed Lu, and lunged him but thats about it.

Meanwhile, Lu seems to be setteling in much better at the barn, I lunged him on Thursday night, and on Friday when the owners of the farm turned him out he ran for 1/2 an hour bucking, playing, snorting at everything, and then wouldnt get caught! They said he was much better today, just had a walk around for a bit and a roll, but after I lunged him I thought I would give him some free time so he could roll if he wanted to (and he kinda had a look in his eye...). WELL! he ran and he bucked and he spun! I think hes enjoying his new life, he is very well behaved on the lunge and under saddle, but hes just like a mechevious little kid... 'Im being very good, BUT I really really really want to go play!'

Good ride

Had a good ride last night. The weather has been causing problems with me getting to the barn as often as I would like. But its a good time for it to happen. Neither one of us is fit enough to go every night, so its alowing us to start working together without pushing either of us past our fitness point.

Had a really good ride, love his canter, could ride it all night. :) Not that his trot is bad but it is a real trot not the usual wp jog I'm used to!

Good ride

Had a good ride tonight, Lu needs his feet done so hes stumbling a bit. We lunged for a bit just long troting geting his back freed up and some extra steem off. He still is having some problems picking up his left lead on the lunge line but I think that may be due to his feet starting to need to be done.

He was triping a bit at the trot, so we worked on transitions and bending, and chainging directions while bending. He tryed to pull off a 'if I stop here, maybe she'll get off' halts. I got him going again with some spur, but no big deal untill he tried it again, complete with a head toss and a stomp. Well! My 'training' kicked in, he got a boot and was spinning around on his hock so fast he didnt know what was happening. All of a sudden he was a very well behaved boy. I love geldings!

I think the weirdist thing was how quick I responded. I had him moving again before I had time to go 'oh shit he stoped again' Guess riding all thouse babys fianly paid off in more than just bumps and bruses!

AHHHH!!!!

Sorry I havn't been posting in a while. I ended up really starting the search for a new horse 2 weeks ago. It was over in 3 days. I ended up looking at a few horses on Rememberance day, and my friend made a phone call to one of her friends that deals in AQHA horses whom she thought would know more about what was available. Anyways he had a 9yo in his barn, that the owner lost intrest in and that she had decided to finaly sell for whatever she could get for him. So I went over and tried him out, and he was perfect!! Easy to ride, quiet and more than enough quality for what I need! Sooo what did I end up buying??

A 16.1 hh HUS gelding, named 'Love The Luke'. Hes a full brother to 'Stonecold Luke' (Congress Champion), and he also has a full 4yo brother that Tena Kaven is showing. Lucas has two Top Ten placings from Congress, and has shown all over the US and Canada. He needs a little pampering, and special care but even if he can keep me on horse back for another year or two he will be well worth the money. Not exactly the WP horse I was looking for, but my boots are more at home in an english saddle!

The funny thing is that while some people are very happy for me, some others are more than a little dissapointed that I will be returning to the AQHA show ring, with a quality horse. Oh well they just better step up the game!

I got him home on Friday rode him yesterday, where I stayed on his back while my sturip broke, and the skill saw and hammer were making room for more horses. I lunged him this morning more to get him loosned up than for anything else. He needed some weight on, and he needs to get into a good program but he should be more than ready for the show season by this spring.

:)

Lessons on the weekends

Well I start lessons next week with my former boss, its the closest place with good lesson horses, and I can put some pressure on him to find me somthing to lease for next year. It will be nice to ride again. The knee has gotten better