Monday, December 30, 2019

Decade in Review

So uh I've been blogging a really long time and even though I wrote less posts this year than I used to write in a month, blogging still brought some of the greatest people into my life. Because of those people, I present: the decade in review, sprinklerbandits edition.

Here goes:
2010 this looks... way more pleasant than it was
In 2010, I was newly back into riding as an adult amateur. I was fresh out of college and took on a (black 6 year old) spoiled warmblood mare as a project. The goal was eventing, so we did a little of everything.

2011 yeaaaaaah i was completely terrified in this picture
2011 brought lessons and a major wreck and broken bones and moving in with a trainer and learning that my horse was all wrong for me and then meeting the horse that was so, so right for me.

2012 with this stud
In 2012, everything came together for a few glorious moments. I was in love with a giant red horse and we showed and lessoned and trail rode and played and I'll always remember that time as one of the best ever. <3
2013 this photo always makes me laugh
2013 brought an opportunity to work on the racetrack and meet new (bay) faces. Of course one of those faces came home with me.
2014 this one time we looked competent haha
It's weird to me that 2014 was five years ago. I quit my job at the barn (s), started being an adult with a career, lost my beloved Cunafish, and had some high highs and low lows with Courage.
2015 because Alyssa is the actual best
In 2015, I was determined to make showing happen. We went to every. single. show. at the lowest level available and I won this giant ribbon that I'm still proud of, haha. Good friends and fun adventures and yeaaaaah apparently you can get eliminated by refusals in a ground poles class. Now you know.
2016 football and dressage 
By 2016, I finally figured out that I should quit jumping C. Then I quit a lot more things. This picture is probably his best dressage moment ever and he looks so damn sexy and he so wasn't happy and I wasn't happy and things were about to fall apart real hard.
2017 a steampunk princess
Basically the only thing that went right in 2017 was getting a baby percheron mare that wasn't even started under saddle. Courage found an incredible new home, I made career changes, and Alyssa took some of my favorite photos of all time.

2018 when one photo is your whole year
2018 accelerated the changes that had been rumbling. My personal life fell apart while my professional life took off and my constant was my curvy baby mare. I took about 4 lessons and never went to a horse show.

2019 a whole new perspective
I spent most of 2019 getting on my feet and my beloved ZB had to take a back seat while I sorted things out.

I'm rolling in to 2020 with a black 6 year old mare and a whole new perspective on life, the universe, and everything, haha. I still have a someday goal of a bronze medal, a shorter-term goal of organizing a horse-soccer team at my barn, and an every-day goal of becoming a better human and horseman in whatever direction we go.

I wouldn't hold your breath for horse show domination this year, but maybe we'll take some lessons and get back on the bus.

10 comments:

  1. What a decade. I love how you took care of yourself.

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  2. That means I've been reading your blog for a decade, and writing my own for a decade. So glad I stuck it out all those years ago when I almost stopped reading this because I couldn't bear to read your Izzy posts anymore. 2020 is going to be a great year for you!

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  3. Beginning and ending with a black mare! I hope the next decade is amazing for you.

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  4. girl i feel like you deserve a most improved ribbon. you're killing it.

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  5. You've definitely gone through a lot these last ten years. But I'm just so happy you and Zoe found each other!

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  6. Horse soccer! Can't wait for that :). It's been fun keeping up with your journey this decade.

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  7. I have loved following your journey, and seeing so much of it in one place is awesome!

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  8. Good on you for keeping up with the blogging! Wish I could have stayed the course. It’s lovely to see how many people I remember from the “good old days” (Dom, JenJ, BadEventer, yourself, and several others!) have kept posting, even if it’s sporadic. Makes me happy/nostalgic all at the same time. Keep writing ladies! Xx
    -Kate (former author of RidingFromTheGroundUp)

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