06/18/2024
I don't think that I possess the vocabulary to appropriately articulate the emotions I felt last week during Region13. It is not lost on me the blessing it is to be able to do what I do and the people I get to work alongside to do it with. One emotion that obviously bubbles to the surface is gratitude-- always gratitude to God for allowing me to live this life and use my gift with horses to bring people to Him.
Speaking of people...mine are the absolute BEST. It is also not lost on me how lucky I am to have clients who not only believe in me, but believe in my program. They believe in their horses and they are patient, compassionate and they put their horses before the sport.
Anna Sacco and Kayla Mayersky came to me at different times, but they both came for the same reason: they wanted something more substantial in their relationships with their horses than just winning. They both knew their journeys would take time and that they had gaps to fill in some of their training. They were willing to work backwards, take time off, skip shows, or even lose if it meant doing right by their horses. They both took the long route to putting their horses' mental health first, then conditioning them physically in way that encourages relaxation instead of tension. This week, that long haul paid off and they not only saw their horses the most relaxed and willing they have ever been at a show, but they won in every possible way.
We often joked that W***y is built like an old English upside down lima bean, with 17 years of muscle memory built from outdated training techniques. Knowing better, Anna committed to doing better. She made relaxation her signature move and W***y has, over the last several years, done a complete 180 in his physical and mental abilities. He competed in Second Level and Show Hack for the first time. They walked away with Top 5s in almost everything they went into. Anna carried on that mentality into her training King, her newest equine partner, who won the massive Arab SHIH Dressage Type ATR with 19 horses. He also took a Top 5 in a respectable 12 horse field in the SHUS Dressage Type AATR AND a Top 5 in Training Level AATR. Most importantly, he was very brave and willing the entire week, taking himself very seriously!
Kayla had a similar journey in taking the long way, wanting to be equipped with the right tools to do her own training herself. She took a very sensitive Bachi, working on his terms and his timeline to help him to carry himself while maintaining relaxation. They accomplished a LOT last season in the show ring, overcoming stress and anxiety. I always say that good training sticks and Bachi proved it this weekend. He came away with a Top 5 in SHIH Dressage Type ATR and was Reserve Champ in the Training Level AATR!! He was all business, no drama and had a fantastic work ethic all weekend-- so much so that Kayla was able to go straight from the stall to the arena and right into showing with absolutely NO prep (much to my anxiety at times, but, hey, the girl knows her horse!!)
I can't say enough about these gals and the hard work they put in week in and week out. It's one thing to win, but it's quite another to win when you've done the hard work yourself, all while considering the mental and physical health and wellbeing of your equine partner. They are class acts and the epitome of horsewomen through and through. To say I'm proud would be a massive understatement.
