Wow! It's great to be back on again. Moving to the new stable took a long time and organization but now we can settle down. It's too bad because just as soon as you feel like you can settle down, it's time to leave soon!
I am so excited to be here at Hof Kasselmann with my new guy. It is so nice to train here! The grounds are beautiful, the people are lovely, and there is so much to see! Last week I was able to watch the production of the PSI young horse auction videos! It was so cool. So professional too. They had a professional camera crew come in with tons of cameras and lights! It was amazing how good the horses were going past the cameras and stuff! The crew was really patient with them though so they felt comfortable. I love sitting in the arena watching all of the riders! I like to study how they ride corners, collection, and getting their horses onto the outside rein and inside leg. The riders are so good here! I am learning so much. With my new horse I have been riding under Miriam Henschke. She is such a good rider and trainer. It's really nice to train under her because she is so level in her teaching. Very calm and patient and understanding. It's very comforting. Especially when you are just learning the ropes of the small tour. She has taught me a lot of good things. She told me to breathe before every exercise you ride. That's really important for me because sometimes I tend to hold my breath. She also told me that if you don't have your horse on the outside rein, then you don't have your horse on the hindleg. That is really important. The most important thing she told me though is to relax and breathe. She is really good at getting you to focus and breathe because of her teaching method and patience. I love the feeling you have when you are so relaxed and concentrated on your work! It's a great feeling!
Tomorrow I am so excited to go and watch more riders! You can sit in the indoor for hours on end and learn so much! I love doing that! Corners are the most important thing that I watch. They are your best friends! I am having so much fun here and learning so much! It's so great and exciting! I can't wait to watch tomorrow!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Concentrating on Position
These past couple days have been all about position...how to achieve it, how to maintain it, and how to use it. This has become such an important part of my lessons. Having the right position in the movements really does get you the extra points. Not just because it looks nice, but also because when the rider is balanced and riding from the core, the horse is balanced and can maintain collection and swing. In the half passes today, I really focused on sitting in the middle of the saddle, and simply turning my head and shoulders in the direction of the half pass. This way, I am balanced in the saddle but my shoulders are following the motion of the half pass. There was a lot more swing, collection, and balance in the half pass this way, and it really helps for horses who like to fall into the half pass with the inside shoulder.
Things have been really nice here. The weather is a little cold and rainy now, but it's nice to have a break from the heat. The horses have been loving the cool weather. The only bad part is that Guffy rolled in the mud the other day out in the field, and it's too cold to give him a bath! Even though I brushed him for an hour, he is still dirty! Of course he had to roll directly in the pit of mud, right!? Oh well, that's Guffy!
Off to night check now. The boys will want their hay!
Things have been really nice here. The weather is a little cold and rainy now, but it's nice to have a break from the heat. The horses have been loving the cool weather. The only bad part is that Guffy rolled in the mud the other day out in the field, and it's too cold to give him a bath! Even though I brushed him for an hour, he is still dirty! Of course he had to roll directly in the pit of mud, right!? Oh well, that's Guffy!
Off to night check now. The boys will want their hay!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Aachen
This past weekend I went to the German Youth Championships in Aachen. The showgrounds is absolutely gorgeous....and of course the big stadiums. I walked into the big jumping stadium to watch the warm up, and I could only imagine what it must feel like to ride in a place like that. Talk about atmosphere! Saturday, we watched the pony dressage, the young rider dressage, and the junior and young rider jumping classes. For the dressage, everyone was extremely accurate in their test riding. It was amazing! The rider positions were ok. We saw a lot of riders with either slouched upper bodies or really loose and wobbly backs. However, every single rider had excellent leg positions. The jumping was great too. I watched the jumper warm up for a while and saw one rider do the most perfect walk and canter pirouettes before beginning with jumping to get his horse on the hind leg. It was really cool to see.
We went back on Sunday to watch the junior and young rider kurs, and the final jumping competition for the jumpers. There were some that were really nice. My overall impression was that the choreography was very well put together and flowed for all the riders, but the choice of music and ability to interpret it in the ring was not good for all the riders. Most of the riders were off of their music by a lot, and their choice of music was a little boring....kind of like background music. The points were won because of the great technical accuracy in the movements, definitely not artistically. It was really awesome to see rides with perfectly executed movements and no mistakes, even if the music was a little off. It rained so hard on Sunday, but the footing on the dressage rings stayed really nice. However, it was very slippery for the jumpers who had to jump on the grass in the pouring rain! There were a lot of wipeouts due to loss of balance on the wet grass. Plus, the jumps were HUGE! It was really incredible how much skill and technique there was to see there. The riders in the top placings were really good to watch because they had to keep their horses balanced between the fast turns and jumps only with their core strength. If they used their hands too much, then the horse would lose the rhythm or get behind the leg, and would end up either wiping out, refusing, or getting a rail. I learned a lot from watching that.
Overall it was a great, inspiring weekend. I can't wait until I can show there myself one day!
We went back on Sunday to watch the junior and young rider kurs, and the final jumping competition for the jumpers. There were some that were really nice. My overall impression was that the choreography was very well put together and flowed for all the riders, but the choice of music and ability to interpret it in the ring was not good for all the riders. Most of the riders were off of their music by a lot, and their choice of music was a little boring....kind of like background music. The points were won because of the great technical accuracy in the movements, definitely not artistically. It was really awesome to see rides with perfectly executed movements and no mistakes, even if the music was a little off. It rained so hard on Sunday, but the footing on the dressage rings stayed really nice. However, it was very slippery for the jumpers who had to jump on the grass in the pouring rain! There were a lot of wipeouts due to loss of balance on the wet grass. Plus, the jumps were HUGE! It was really incredible how much skill and technique there was to see there. The riders in the top placings were really good to watch because they had to keep their horses balanced between the fast turns and jumps only with their core strength. If they used their hands too much, then the horse would lose the rhythm or get behind the leg, and would end up either wiping out, refusing, or getting a rail. I learned a lot from watching that.
Overall it was a great, inspiring weekend. I can't wait until I can show there myself one day!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Personal Discovery and Exciting Weekend Plans!
Today I made the most amazing personal discovery ever. This means step aside Sir Isaac Newton! Sometimes for me, I have trouble balancing my position. Sometimes when I focus to hard on having a really straight and solid position, I lose ability to sit with the rhythm because my seat becomes hard. Or sometimes, when I think of being loose and going with the rhythm, I am not straight enough and I am not sitting up. When you don't sit up, you lose your entire core strength, and you go right to your hands to find the collection. It's all about finding the happy medium, and today I found it. It really helped me to feel like I was pushing the hind lengs down and under in the collection with my shoulders. This means that not only did I push my shoulders back, but I pushed them down too. This makes you arch your back kind of where your shoulder blades meet...or kind of like where your two wings would meet if you had them. When you arch your back here, "where your wings meet" then your shoulders are back, your neck is tucked in, your core muscles automatically go to work, and your seat becomes not hard on the back but "softly solid" so that you can still allow the back to come up. When I did this today, I had no tension in the collection, my horse was through the back and engaged behind, and I had the most straight but soft position. I have found that when your seat is too hard and forced, the back of the horse remains concave, making it impossible for the hind end to engage and for proper collection to come. When I think of pushing the hind legs down with my shoulders, and arching my back where your wings would meet, then it just comes. It is amazing how easy it was after I just did that. It was like a chain of events after I did that....my seat was quiet but solid, my hands were quiet, my legs had a soft but solid connection with the sides of my horse, and a quiet, active, and loose collection was found. Once you have this kind of collection, anything can be done. I worked canter pirouettes, half steps in trot, everything! It was really cool to have discovered that....so cool that I spent the entire day around with my back arched where my wings would meet, hoping that if I did it for long enough it would freeze that way! It's important though not to confuse this with arching your lower back. When you arch your lower back, you automatically lose your seat. It's all in the shoulders I found. The upper back. Where your wings meet! I am so excited!
Now for the exciting weekend plans! This weekend I am going to Aachen to watch the German National Championships!!! I am so stoked. I am going to watch both jumping and dressage, because there is so much to learn from everything. The best of the best Germans will be there, and it's at gorgeous Aachen! I will be sure to report back about the championships!
Tomorrow the horses are doing some cavaletti work to loosen up their backs to help with the collection and swing in their work. It's so great for them to do this work every once and a while!
Now for the exciting weekend plans! This weekend I am going to Aachen to watch the German National Championships!!! I am so stoked. I am going to watch both jumping and dressage, because there is so much to learn from everything. The best of the best Germans will be there, and it's at gorgeous Aachen! I will be sure to report back about the championships!
Tomorrow the horses are doing some cavaletti work to loosen up their backs to help with the collection and swing in their work. It's so great for them to do this work every once and a while!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
jumping, more jumping, and internet
Today the ponies got a nice jumping day while Frau Endres was away in Warendorf. Guffy jumped really well. He is really getting used to the exercises. We jump on a circle to engage the hind end and quicken his reflexes for collection, and then we jump regular verticals and crosses. He has so much fun doing these exercises....especially the bounce jumps where he has to be really fast and light on his feet. Dewey and I just worked some ground poles to loosen his back. When we go voer ground poles, he really starts to loosen in his back and swing more in his body, creating more cadence and relaxation. This is good for him because his personality is a little tense, which can carry over to the concept of cadence. When he is loose, then he really grows and swings in his gaits.
I hope I will be able to get into the farm tonight! There are gaits that lock the farm at night for the safety of the horses, and last night Herr Rosendahl forgot that I was out with my mother for dinner. I needed to come back for nightcheck and then bed, because I live at the farm. We came back and all of the gates were locked! Yikes! they were big gates too. It was really hilarious, because I was trying desperately to get up the big brick wall, and I think I failed 3 times before I finally dragged myself up there using branches. Then, after getting to the top of the brick wall, I realized that my task had not yet come to an end....I still had to get down!!! And this wall was high. So I just jumped. It was crazy, but so much fun! I hope the gates are not locked tinight, because as much fun as it was...I don't think I can be as coordinated as I was last night!
Oh, and mom got internet for me! Yessss! We had to go through the entire town of Dulmen to find a mobile interent stick that worked, but we did it! Go mom!
I hope I will be able to get into the farm tonight! There are gaits that lock the farm at night for the safety of the horses, and last night Herr Rosendahl forgot that I was out with my mother for dinner. I needed to come back for nightcheck and then bed, because I live at the farm. We came back and all of the gates were locked! Yikes! they were big gates too. It was really hilarious, because I was trying desperately to get up the big brick wall, and I think I failed 3 times before I finally dragged myself up there using branches. Then, after getting to the top of the brick wall, I realized that my task had not yet come to an end....I still had to get down!!! And this wall was high. So I just jumped. It was crazy, but so much fun! I hope the gates are not locked tinight, because as much fun as it was...I don't think I can be as coordinated as I was last night!
Oh, and mom got internet for me! Yessss! We had to go through the entire town of Dulmen to find a mobile interent stick that worked, but we did it! Go mom!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Hello Again!
It's so nice to be blogging again! The apartment that I have been living in does not have any internet access, and I couldn't blog from my phone!!! But now that mom is here again I can go to her hotel and use the internet there. Things have been amazing here! I was on my own taking care of and riding my two ponies here in Europe. I am really really tired now, but it was amazing! The ponies have been so great. Dewey and I have really found a clear, powerful, and cadenced rhythm in the trot work. Guffy has become so powerful and quick in his hind legs than ever before. Our walk pirouettes are so good now. I have also been able to do a little jumping with Guffy also which has been a fun release from the dressage work every once and a while.
Since today is Sunday, I didn't ride the two ponies, but I still spent the day with them and making sure that they were comfortable and clean. Tomorrow I will start riding again with Frau Endres. She was also away this weekend making training sessions before the German National Championships that start next week.
A lot of exciting things have happened in the FEI pony world. The European Championships for ponies just ended two weeks ago. The Germans for the first time in 20 years were silver in the team medals instead of gold. The Dutch were just a tick more consistent this year, and consistency is key! The ponies on the German team were the same ones I competed with in Hagen, and they pretty much move like mini Totilas! They are so athletic and gorgeous. The German nationals next week will be exciting though. Will keep you posted on how those go too.
I am so happy to have internet right now because I can watch our USA selection trials and I 1 champs online from Gladstone. Definitely a place I hope to be in the future!
So, I am off to go get some dinner now before I go back to the barn for nightcheck and then to bed in my apartment. Now that I can go to my mom's hotel for a little bit, I will blog pretty much everyday! It feels so great to get back to blogging again and I can't wait to share more about my training here in Europe with all of you guys again!
-Isabelle :)
Since today is Sunday, I didn't ride the two ponies, but I still spent the day with them and making sure that they were comfortable and clean. Tomorrow I will start riding again with Frau Endres. She was also away this weekend making training sessions before the German National Championships that start next week.
A lot of exciting things have happened in the FEI pony world. The European Championships for ponies just ended two weeks ago. The Germans for the first time in 20 years were silver in the team medals instead of gold. The Dutch were just a tick more consistent this year, and consistency is key! The ponies on the German team were the same ones I competed with in Hagen, and they pretty much move like mini Totilas! They are so athletic and gorgeous. The German nationals next week will be exciting though. Will keep you posted on how those go too.
I am so happy to have internet right now because I can watch our USA selection trials and I 1 champs online from Gladstone. Definitely a place I hope to be in the future!
So, I am off to go get some dinner now before I go back to the barn for nightcheck and then to bed in my apartment. Now that I can go to my mom's hotel for a little bit, I will blog pretty much everyday! It feels so great to get back to blogging again and I can't wait to share more about my training here in Europe with all of you guys again!
-Isabelle :)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Moving In
Wow. It has been a while. Unfortunately there is no internet access in my new apartment, so I am using another computer for now. Let's see...the new apartment is nice. I am roomates with 3 lovely girls from the Turkish Pony Team. They are here for training with Frau Endres before they go off to the Europeans. I have my own room which is nice, and a little kitchen which we all share, but we eat our meals with Frau Endres and her husband. The ponies have been great! Guffy is enjoying his program of jumping at least once a week, and Dewey and I continue to develop a better tempo in the trot. The jumping has made Guffy so nice though. He is much quicker on the hind leg and it feels like he is having more fun. I like doing all of the work on my own. Even though there is a lot to do and can be stressful at times, it is always nice at the end of the day to know that everything was done exactly the way it should be. I love that feeling of accomplishment. This is the least of my problems though. What might be a problem is when I have to do my laundry. I hope that one of the staff members will be around to help me because my German does not cover washing machine settings!
Hopefully I will be able to write more often. It's just a little hard because of the internet situation, but I will figure it out! I am loving it so much here! This is so amazing! Tomorrow we are expecting a really hot day! Above 90 degrees farentheit. Hot!
Hopefully I will be able to write more often. It's just a little hard because of the internet situation, but I will figure it out! I am loving it so much here! This is so amazing! Tomorrow we are expecting a really hot day! Above 90 degrees farentheit. Hot!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Settling Down
Now that the shows done for now, it is time to settle down and relax for the summer! Things have been going amazing! Ponies are going very well and I have been learning so much every day! The other day Frau Endres was out of town, so the girls and I decided that we would take all of the horses on the farm including mine, and jump them! It was so much fun to take the ponies over jumps. Poor Guffy was so confused, so we had to work on his striding. His signature move is to take little strides up until the jump, and to make the very last stride HUGE!!! So we had to fix that. Apparently he thought it was fun! He was adamant about doing it his way, but he was finally convinced to jump like a normal horse. It was really cool to do because Guffy is a pony that naturally moves a little slower behind, and the jumping made him really quick behind and attentive. His program is now jumping at least once a week! It will be fun!
It has been so hot here. It feels like Florida. A great excuse to go to the ice cream shops for some awesome German ice cream. I don't know what they put in it, but it's really good!!
These past couple lessons we have really been focusing on relaxation, flexion, and quick hindlegs in all collected movements. Frau Endres has been teaching me that the key is in using quicker, sharper aids and not to push for the collection for long periods of time to get the collection. This stresses the horse too much and shuts down the hindlegs because you prevent the movement from moving through the horse's back. Very interesting I thought.
Tomorrow we ride early in the morning to try to escape the heat of the day! Mornings in Germany are so beautiful.
PS. Germany plays again the the World Cup Soccer on Saturday. It is so crazy here with the soccer. I love it!
It has been so hot here. It feels like Florida. A great excuse to go to the ice cream shops for some awesome German ice cream. I don't know what they put in it, but it's really good!!
These past couple lessons we have really been focusing on relaxation, flexion, and quick hindlegs in all collected movements. Frau Endres has been teaching me that the key is in using quicker, sharper aids and not to push for the collection for long periods of time to get the collection. This stresses the horse too much and shuts down the hindlegs because you prevent the movement from moving through the horse's back. Very interesting I thought.
Tomorrow we ride early in the morning to try to escape the heat of the day! Mornings in Germany are so beautiful.
PS. Germany plays again the the World Cup Soccer on Saturday. It is so crazy here with the soccer. I love it!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Back from Hagen
Wow! What a weekend! I thought that I would have time to blog throughout....but the show turned out to have early mornings, long days, late nights, and SO MUCH FUN!!! This was definitely the most fun show I have ever been to. I still can't believe that I got to go.
So I will break this down day by day. The first day was the jog Thursday and that was certainly interesting! I rode both of the ponies before the jog so they could warm up (and be a little tired because they can sometimes be wild). They were both super and I was confident that we would have a normal, uneventful jog. WRONG! Dewey was a very good boy-behaving nicely and passing the jog. However, Guffy was very naughty! We were in the holding area which was right next to the jogging area in the big indoor, and I thought that it would be a good idea to practice once before I went in to jog. Well, as we were doing our practice jog, he kicked up, reared, and took me out with his hind legs! I was dragged through the dirt for a couple of seconds until the reins broke and he was loose!!! Luckily we were in an indoor and there was no where for him to go. Needless to say I was very dirty! But the horses were healthy and ready to compete which was all that mattered. It was funny though because after I was done taking care of the horses back in the CDI tents, I met my parents and all of my friends up at the party tent for the welcome party....and I walked in limping. It was so funny and we all had a good laugh!
The next day was the first day of competition. We rode the team test, so this was a nations cup competition. I got to ride both ponies in this class, but only Dewey's test was scored because Guffy was an entry that they called a "vorreiter." Those who had two ponies had the option of entering one in the actual class and the other as just a ride without score but with the judges and everything. After that, you had to chose your best horse from that day and take that one horse on to the next two days for individual competition. Guffy was very good in the warm up that day, but got very scared in the ring and felt like he climbed into the snail shell to hide. It was too bad because he felt so good in the warmup, but I had another chance with the horse that counted for a score. Dewey was very good. We put down a test with no mistakes, great collection, and good precision. However, we did run into the politics again because it was a big european selection trials, so they were not going to give the new american girl the score. It was so much fun though, and I had a lot of fun riding a really good test.
The next day, Saturday was the individual test which qualified you for the finale which was the kur. This test was not quite as good as the one before, but we still managed to make it into the kur. I was so excited, because that was all that I wanted to do....get into the kur. We were all so excited and we went to the big gala on saturday night for all of the riders and had so much fun. Dancing, talking, and having fun with all of the other riders, show jumpers and dressage was so much fun! We were out very late!
The next day was Sunday. Day of the finale. It was the freestyle so I was loose and confident. This was where I wanted to be, and I got there. A lot of people came to watch me that day. Supporters from the USA, really close friends, and people I had never met before came to watch my kur. It was so much fun! Dewey and I rose to the occasion and laid down a really nice kur. Dewey performed his grand prix half passes with ease and accuracy, and the highlight was definitely the canter work which was awesome! Unfortunately, the scores were still a a bit unfair, and our score was not where it was expected to be. Even Frau Endres said she had me much higher, and a lot of people that I met here that came to watch said that they had me in the low 70s! And they know their stuff!!!! It was so cool though! Seeing all of those great riders and knowing that I came here and competed with them and came to play ball. I now realize that for your first time in Europe, it's not all about the scores. This is what it is all about:
1. Having Fun
2. Riding well
3. Feeling confident
4. Making friends
5. Living the dream
This weekend was absolutely amazing. I learned so much from dressage and jumper riders. I made friends with people of both disciplines, and even reunited with some old european jumper friends that I had met in Florida last year! The scores and the "first time politics" are not important right now. Right now I am just so excited that I got to be there. That I got to live it and breath it all the ay through. Instead of breaking down, we stepped up and laid down our very best. I gained the respect of a lot of people, made new friends, and I am ready to continue my education as an up and coming dressage rider. Being here was the most amazing experience, and I don't think that I would have changed anything. I learned so much and most importantly had so much fun. Sometimes I think we get really caught up in the "oh my god I am showing in a big show and I am going to die." Being in a big show like this for the first time can be very stressful and intimidating at times, and it wasn't easy the first two days to warm up in a sea of german riders with quiet legs and soft hands. But after making new friends, going to the parties, and having fun with great people, I began to ride better. By just having fun and hanging out with your friends and relaxing, my legs did get quieter and my hands did get softer, and I laid down 3 clean tests. Of course focus and determination are very important, but sometimes you just gotta let go and have fun! Being with my friends and having fun with my ponies made me a better rider. You just gotta have fun, be confident, and RELAX! What a great weekend! Right now this show goes #1 on my list of most amazing weekends EVER!
So I will break this down day by day. The first day was the jog Thursday and that was certainly interesting! I rode both of the ponies before the jog so they could warm up (and be a little tired because they can sometimes be wild). They were both super and I was confident that we would have a normal, uneventful jog. WRONG! Dewey was a very good boy-behaving nicely and passing the jog. However, Guffy was very naughty! We were in the holding area which was right next to the jogging area in the big indoor, and I thought that it would be a good idea to practice once before I went in to jog. Well, as we were doing our practice jog, he kicked up, reared, and took me out with his hind legs! I was dragged through the dirt for a couple of seconds until the reins broke and he was loose!!! Luckily we were in an indoor and there was no where for him to go. Needless to say I was very dirty! But the horses were healthy and ready to compete which was all that mattered. It was funny though because after I was done taking care of the horses back in the CDI tents, I met my parents and all of my friends up at the party tent for the welcome party....and I walked in limping. It was so funny and we all had a good laugh!
The next day was the first day of competition. We rode the team test, so this was a nations cup competition. I got to ride both ponies in this class, but only Dewey's test was scored because Guffy was an entry that they called a "vorreiter." Those who had two ponies had the option of entering one in the actual class and the other as just a ride without score but with the judges and everything. After that, you had to chose your best horse from that day and take that one horse on to the next two days for individual competition. Guffy was very good in the warm up that day, but got very scared in the ring and felt like he climbed into the snail shell to hide. It was too bad because he felt so good in the warmup, but I had another chance with the horse that counted for a score. Dewey was very good. We put down a test with no mistakes, great collection, and good precision. However, we did run into the politics again because it was a big european selection trials, so they were not going to give the new american girl the score. It was so much fun though, and I had a lot of fun riding a really good test.
The next day, Saturday was the individual test which qualified you for the finale which was the kur. This test was not quite as good as the one before, but we still managed to make it into the kur. I was so excited, because that was all that I wanted to do....get into the kur. We were all so excited and we went to the big gala on saturday night for all of the riders and had so much fun. Dancing, talking, and having fun with all of the other riders, show jumpers and dressage was so much fun! We were out very late!
The next day was Sunday. Day of the finale. It was the freestyle so I was loose and confident. This was where I wanted to be, and I got there. A lot of people came to watch me that day. Supporters from the USA, really close friends, and people I had never met before came to watch my kur. It was so much fun! Dewey and I rose to the occasion and laid down a really nice kur. Dewey performed his grand prix half passes with ease and accuracy, and the highlight was definitely the canter work which was awesome! Unfortunately, the scores were still a a bit unfair, and our score was not where it was expected to be. Even Frau Endres said she had me much higher, and a lot of people that I met here that came to watch said that they had me in the low 70s! And they know their stuff!!!! It was so cool though! Seeing all of those great riders and knowing that I came here and competed with them and came to play ball. I now realize that for your first time in Europe, it's not all about the scores. This is what it is all about:
1. Having Fun
2. Riding well
3. Feeling confident
4. Making friends
5. Living the dream
This weekend was absolutely amazing. I learned so much from dressage and jumper riders. I made friends with people of both disciplines, and even reunited with some old european jumper friends that I had met in Florida last year! The scores and the "first time politics" are not important right now. Right now I am just so excited that I got to be there. That I got to live it and breath it all the ay through. Instead of breaking down, we stepped up and laid down our very best. I gained the respect of a lot of people, made new friends, and I am ready to continue my education as an up and coming dressage rider. Being here was the most amazing experience, and I don't think that I would have changed anything. I learned so much and most importantly had so much fun. Sometimes I think we get really caught up in the "oh my god I am showing in a big show and I am going to die." Being in a big show like this for the first time can be very stressful and intimidating at times, and it wasn't easy the first two days to warm up in a sea of german riders with quiet legs and soft hands. But after making new friends, going to the parties, and having fun with great people, I began to ride better. By just having fun and hanging out with your friends and relaxing, my legs did get quieter and my hands did get softer, and I laid down 3 clean tests. Of course focus and determination are very important, but sometimes you just gotta let go and have fun! Being with my friends and having fun with my ponies made me a better rider. You just gotta have fun, be confident, and RELAX! What a great weekend! Right now this show goes #1 on my list of most amazing weekends EVER!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Here at Hagen
Today we arrived at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen for the show. Farm Kasselmann is an absolutely gorgeous showgrounds with so much going on and beautiful places to show! It was really exciting to arrive here today. All of the riders, both show jumpers and dressage are in nice long, spacious tents. It is so cool because when you walk down the aisles of the tents, you see banners and flags for so many different countries and you hear a mix of so many different languages buuzzing through the air. It was so much fun to see so many young people all here for what is basically a Jr Olympics. I can't wait to meet some of them over the weekend!!
Tomorrow will be very busy. I think I start riding at around 1 or 2 pm, and we must braid for the vet check before we start riding. I am the last person to jog, as the jog runs in team order and the USA is last since I am the only one. After the jog we have a little party and then the competition begins Friday!
Hopefully I will be able to take some pictures of everything tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be very busy. I think I start riding at around 1 or 2 pm, and we must braid for the vet check before we start riding. I am the last person to jog, as the jog runs in team order and the USA is last since I am the only one. After the jog we have a little party and then the competition begins Friday!
Hopefully I will be able to take some pictures of everything tomorrow.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Duisburg, Computer stuff, and Preparation for Hagen
I heard from some readers that my original pictures never uploaded. They will be included at the end of the entry.
It's alive!! Computer has just come back to life, but my phone sadly has not. Duisburg was interesting this past Saturday. I had two good, steady rides with no mistakes on both of my ponies which was very good, but we did run into a little bit of politics! Because the show, the riders, and the judges were all local, the girl from the USA seemed very strange to them and maybe a little uncomfortable for them....this was to be expected. So girls with a lot of big mistakes got 5s and 6s on their big errors, I got 3s on my little errors. It was a little annoying, but that's the way of the game! It was a very good experience and a great warm up for Hagen. At least I know what my mistakes are, so I can prepare even more for Hagen. I am feeling confident, but honestly it did knock me down a little bit. I really want those straight 7s, and I really want to do well at Hagen. I have to focus this week before Hagen. I think that it's possible. I just have to work hard, focus, and stay relaxed at the same time. That's the hard part of preparing. You want to work so hard and really feel like your work is going to pay off, but sometimes you make yourself so crazy about it that maybe it's not worth it to think that way. Maybe the way to succeed is to not think of it as "work" but as an inch of "progress." This is what I am going to think about tomorrow, because today I made myself too intense and even though my work did get better...I wasn't satisfied in my head, and that's not good. I am really going to focus on being lose up until Hagen and putting myself into a zone of mental focus and relaxation. This is what will make things better. This is what will get me those straight 7s. I really thought that these feelings were important to share with all of you because we all know how hard it is to balance those feelings that you have while preparing for a show. The question is: "How do we take that winning/determined attitude and coat it with a little relaxation, focus, and fun?" How do we keep that winning drive, but take the edge off of the stress or the frustration? I think that every athlete must face this question many times in their life, as it is a very important question.
It's alive!! Computer has just come back to life, but my phone sadly has not. Duisburg was interesting this past Saturday. I had two good, steady rides with no mistakes on both of my ponies which was very good, but we did run into a little bit of politics! Because the show, the riders, and the judges were all local, the girl from the USA seemed very strange to them and maybe a little uncomfortable for them....this was to be expected. So girls with a lot of big mistakes got 5s and 6s on their big errors, I got 3s on my little errors. It was a little annoying, but that's the way of the game! It was a very good experience and a great warm up for Hagen. At least I know what my mistakes are, so I can prepare even more for Hagen. I am feeling confident, but honestly it did knock me down a little bit. I really want those straight 7s, and I really want to do well at Hagen. I have to focus this week before Hagen. I think that it's possible. I just have to work hard, focus, and stay relaxed at the same time. That's the hard part of preparing. You want to work so hard and really feel like your work is going to pay off, but sometimes you make yourself so crazy about it that maybe it's not worth it to think that way. Maybe the way to succeed is to not think of it as "work" but as an inch of "progress." This is what I am going to think about tomorrow, because today I made myself too intense and even though my work did get better...I wasn't satisfied in my head, and that's not good. I am really going to focus on being lose up until Hagen and putting myself into a zone of mental focus and relaxation. This is what will make things better. This is what will get me those straight 7s. I really thought that these feelings were important to share with all of you because we all know how hard it is to balance those feelings that you have while preparing for a show. The question is: "How do we take that winning/determined attitude and coat it with a little relaxation, focus, and fun?" How do we keep that winning drive, but take the edge off of the stress or the frustration? I think that every athlete must face this question many times in their life, as it is a very important question.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Day 10: Technologically Stranded
A few days ago my phone broke! And to top it off....my computer broke last night. So I am now writing from the hotel computer which is very different from the american computer.
So, today the horses were very good. The most exciting thing however, was that dad arrived! He got to see the horses in their lessons with Frau Endres so that was cool. My corners were better today...THANK GOD. And when the corners were good, the movements were good. I really have to remember that.
This weekend we show at Duisburg. We drive there Saturday morning at 10 am, ride the team test in the big indoor ring, and then the top 6 will go on to the freestyle under the lights outside at 9pm! So exciting. We better get our corners down so we make the top 6!!! Tomorrow we ride at 10, and then we organize all of our stuff for the Duisburg show. Should be exciting, espcially with Guffy since he is very spooky! It should be very very fun!!!
So, today the horses were very good. The most exciting thing however, was that dad arrived! He got to see the horses in their lessons with Frau Endres so that was cool. My corners were better today...THANK GOD. And when the corners were good, the movements were good. I really have to remember that.
This weekend we show at Duisburg. We drive there Saturday morning at 10 am, ride the team test in the big indoor ring, and then the top 6 will go on to the freestyle under the lights outside at 9pm! So exciting. We better get our corners down so we make the top 6!!! Tomorrow we ride at 10, and then we organize all of our stuff for the Duisburg show. Should be exciting, espcially with Guffy since he is very spooky! It should be very very fun!!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Day 7
It's already been a week! I can't believe it. It feels like I just got here! Yesterday the horses had a day of rest, so we went early in the morning to walk them and make sure that they were okay for us to leave for Lingen to see the big horse show! So off we went with our little navigation system. I don't really trust "her," but mom is always telling me to "trust the little Australian lady." Well, the little Australian lady brought us to the wrong address, leaving me to ask for directions with the little German that I know! It was very interesting, but we finally got there. We missed the Special, but we got to see the Prize Giving for the class, and man there were some nice horses! Nadine Capellmann's Elvis, Christoph Koschel's Domperrignon, and Isabell Werth's Satchmo just to name a few. We also got to see some of the Prix St Georges which was very cool also.
Today was a very nice day here in Germany. It was extremely hot all weekend! The horses were nice and fresh and ready to work! Frau Endres is making me even more precise in my test movements and I am starting to feel very confident in my tests. Tomorrow we start in the morning and hopefully the weather will stay cool so that the horses stay fresh! This week is a very exciting one. Dad is coming on Thursday morning and Saturday we have the Duisburg show! Should be fun!
Here are some pictures!
http://www.clubequestrian.com/images/550px/589.aspx
Today was a very nice day here in Germany. It was extremely hot all weekend! The horses were nice and fresh and ready to work! Frau Endres is making me even more precise in my test movements and I am starting to feel very confident in my tests. Tomorrow we start in the morning and hopefully the weather will stay cool so that the horses stay fresh! This week is a very exciting one. Dad is coming on Thursday morning and Saturday we have the Duisburg show! Should be fun!
Here are some pictures!
http://www.clubequestrian.com/images/550px/589.aspx
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Day 5
The first week has come to a close. The horses were very good yesterday and today, and now they have tomorrow to rest. Yesterday I got to see Bianca Nowag ride her pony Der Feine Lord. She was the European Champion and has been turning out consistent upper 70's scores. She is a very nice rider. Very quiet but effective. She rode some parts of the test for Frau Endres, and it was really good for me to see what winning test movements look like. I compete against he in Duisburg and at Hagen. It will be fun to rider against all of them! They are all so good here!
Today, I got to ride the Team Test with both of the ponies. Guffy's test was not so bad. With some more precision and balance it will be much better. Dewey's was very good too. He is a bit easier to ride than Guffy is, as he is a bit lighter. Frau Endres really helped me to make really precise and correct movements throughout the whole test. Especially with the voltes and half passes. Our rhythm was better today, especially in the trot work. I am really trying to improve and take all of the advice in. I hope that I am doing a good job!
Tomorrow we will got to the International show at Lingen, about an hour away. We will get to see some great riders show tomorrow....Laura Bescholsteimer, Christoph Koschel, Isabell Werth, etc. It should be awesome!
Today, I got to ride the Team Test with both of the ponies. Guffy's test was not so bad. With some more precision and balance it will be much better. Dewey's was very good too. He is a bit easier to ride than Guffy is, as he is a bit lighter. Frau Endres really helped me to make really precise and correct movements throughout the whole test. Especially with the voltes and half passes. Our rhythm was better today, especially in the trot work. I am really trying to improve and take all of the advice in. I hope that I am doing a good job!
Tomorrow we will got to the International show at Lingen, about an hour away. We will get to see some great riders show tomorrow....Laura Bescholsteimer, Christoph Koschel, Isabell Werth, etc. It should be awesome!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Day 3: German Sand
The Germans do have some delicious food here, but the sand tastes the same. I guess Guffy recovered from yesterday's fatigue, as he decided to throw me off in the outdoor. I knew he was fresh when I began grooming him, but I definitely was not expecting THAT! He is a funny horse. When he is feeling good, his eyes get very shiny and wide, he will try to snap at you a little bit, and he will do a HUGE cat stretch on the cross ties when you brush his withers. He's always been the wild one of the bunch, but he is very talented and smart.
When I got back on as soon as we caught him, he knew that what he did was unacceptable, but he still tried to be naughty. However, he was really hot and light on my aids after the whole incident, so our whole lesson ended up really well. After I finished with him, Frau Endres suggested that I put him in the sand paddock so that he could get some bucks out and relax his body. He certainly did that!
Next was Dewey, and he was very good. Frau Endres had me practice some trot work from the team test, and gave me some pointers on how to perfect it. We also worked on the straightness and fluidity of the canter walk transitions on the center line. And of course, we also worked on waiting for the rhythm and enjoying it when you get it instead of pushing for more.
After an eventful morning, the rest of the day was very quiet. We finished the work at the stable, went for dinner, and finally washed the sand out of my helmet from today. Everyone said that Guffy's buck was so big, that his hind feet were over my head. I annoying thing is that I wasn't coming off with that buck, but it was when he landed and did a complete 180 turn. Then, I came off. Oh well!
Tomorrow my lessons begin at 3 pm. Frau Endres has some people coming to see some ponies and they are making a sales video for the high flying Skippy in the morning, so things will be busy. Plus, Bianca Nowag, the European Pony Champion is coming at 2 pm for a lesson with Frau Endres to prepare for the International Youth Festival. I am really excited to watch her ride!
Tomorrow should be very fun!
When I got back on as soon as we caught him, he knew that what he did was unacceptable, but he still tried to be naughty. However, he was really hot and light on my aids after the whole incident, so our whole lesson ended up really well. After I finished with him, Frau Endres suggested that I put him in the sand paddock so that he could get some bucks out and relax his body. He certainly did that!
Next was Dewey, and he was very good. Frau Endres had me practice some trot work from the team test, and gave me some pointers on how to perfect it. We also worked on the straightness and fluidity of the canter walk transitions on the center line. And of course, we also worked on waiting for the rhythm and enjoying it when you get it instead of pushing for more.
After an eventful morning, the rest of the day was very quiet. We finished the work at the stable, went for dinner, and finally washed the sand out of my helmet from today. Everyone said that Guffy's buck was so big, that his hind feet were over my head. I annoying thing is that I wasn't coming off with that buck, but it was when he landed and did a complete 180 turn. Then, I came off. Oh well!
Tomorrow my lessons begin at 3 pm. Frau Endres has some people coming to see some ponies and they are making a sales video for the high flying Skippy in the morning, so things will be busy. Plus, Bianca Nowag, the European Pony Champion is coming at 2 pm for a lesson with Frau Endres to prepare for the International Youth Festival. I am really excited to watch her ride!
Tomorrow should be very fun!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Days 1 and 2
Day 1.
The first day of riding! After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we made our way over to the stables at about 11 am. I took the horses out for a handwalk...which proved to be not only a handwalk, but also a battle of strength between me and the wild beasts at the end of the line. They were crazy after over 24 hours of traveling...I can understand. After letting the horses cool off from their crazy handwalks, Guffy and I went to the Riding Hall for a short ride with Frau Endres. It was just a short ride, but he was a bit crazy! There was much rearing, bucking, and spinning going on...including a huge bronco leap right in front of Frau Endres! I guess he took stretching his legs to a new level. Dewey was good as well. A bit wild at times, but in a good way. When the riding was complete, I began the work back at the stable with the help of my mother and Rebecca, a working student who helps me out a bit back at the stables while I am riding. Grain is very different here. We are switching over very gradually so there are no problems with the horses' digestion. The hay is very good though. It's so cool because it comes right from the fields next door!
We finished our work at around 5:30, and then we went to search for a supermarket and some dinner in the town. We ended up going to a place called Das Real, which is so cool! It is like a bigger, better, german Target. We had fun in there. After that, we drove back to the hotel, and then took the 5 minute walk into the town. The town is so cute here! It's very small with cobblestone streets and a little town center with outdoor shops and restaurants. It is asparagus season here, so everything you order comes with an automatic side of asparagus, or auf deutsch: spargel.
Finally, after a full day we made it back to the hotel and passed out. However, not before we watched CSI in German and laughed about the uncoordination between the subtitles and the way the actor's mouths were moving from the english! It was a full and fun day!
Day 2:
Day 2 was very good here. It began with breakfast at the hotel as usual. Breakfast here in Germany is a very different experience than at home. At least for me! Usually, I am used to grabbing a quick bowl of hot cereal and a fruit drink and then out the door after 5 minutes. Here, however, it is quite different. It is very quiet, very laid back, and you are supposed to take your time before you start the day. I like it! We arrived at the barn at around 10 to sort things out and get ready for the day. Frau Endres was out with her dogs at the vet in the morning, so I had a lot of time on my hands after all my work was done. After hanging out for a bit with the horses, I went to go help Rebecca jump a pony for a sales video. We set up a small course of 4 jumps in the outdoor, and then went to go fetch the little stallion from the fields. Skippy really didn't want to work, so he kept running away from us around the field! Finally, we caught him, tacked him up, and went out to the ring so Rebecca could jump him. Skippy is quite small, but wow! That guy can jump! The oxers that we set up were HUGE! No problem for Skippy!
Finally, after a fun morning of spotting jumps, it was time for lessons with Frau Endres. Guffy was first to ride, and he was very tired. I think he blew himself out yesterday with all of his craziness, and perhaps the traveling has been harder on him than for Dewey. Dewey was very good today. Frau Endres really helped me find the rhythm of the trot by telling me to wait for his rhythm to come...and to stop trying to create it. That helped me to quiet my upper body and my lower legs, plus he really engaged behind and was swinging a lot. To help achieve this swing even more, we went on a 20 meter circle where we did transitions within the trot rhythm while maintaining a shoulder in position on the circle. This helped a lot, especially when Frau Endres told me to create the half steps by creating tension in your abdominal muscles....not with the hands. Another interesting thing that I learned had to do with the lower legs. Frau Endres said to me to let the lower leg "breath" after you add pressure for an aid, correction, etc. She said to let the leg "just be there." I learned a lot on my second day!
We had dinner in the town again, and now I am tuning up my German with some German TV. I have really surprised myself with my German. I thought that I would not understand a thing and be really nervous, but I am actually doing pretty well...plus I am learning a lot of German from Rebecca! It's really cool! Tomorrow my lessons begin at 11, and if the weather is as nice as it was today, then we will ride outside!
-Isabelle
The first day of riding! After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we made our way over to the stables at about 11 am. I took the horses out for a handwalk...which proved to be not only a handwalk, but also a battle of strength between me and the wild beasts at the end of the line. They were crazy after over 24 hours of traveling...I can understand. After letting the horses cool off from their crazy handwalks, Guffy and I went to the Riding Hall for a short ride with Frau Endres. It was just a short ride, but he was a bit crazy! There was much rearing, bucking, and spinning going on...including a huge bronco leap right in front of Frau Endres! I guess he took stretching his legs to a new level. Dewey was good as well. A bit wild at times, but in a good way. When the riding was complete, I began the work back at the stable with the help of my mother and Rebecca, a working student who helps me out a bit back at the stables while I am riding. Grain is very different here. We are switching over very gradually so there are no problems with the horses' digestion. The hay is very good though. It's so cool because it comes right from the fields next door!
We finished our work at around 5:30, and then we went to search for a supermarket and some dinner in the town. We ended up going to a place called Das Real, which is so cool! It is like a bigger, better, german Target. We had fun in there. After that, we drove back to the hotel, and then took the 5 minute walk into the town. The town is so cute here! It's very small with cobblestone streets and a little town center with outdoor shops and restaurants. It is asparagus season here, so everything you order comes with an automatic side of asparagus, or auf deutsch: spargel.
Finally, after a full day we made it back to the hotel and passed out. However, not before we watched CSI in German and laughed about the uncoordination between the subtitles and the way the actor's mouths were moving from the english! It was a full and fun day!
Day 2:
Day 2 was very good here. It began with breakfast at the hotel as usual. Breakfast here in Germany is a very different experience than at home. At least for me! Usually, I am used to grabbing a quick bowl of hot cereal and a fruit drink and then out the door after 5 minutes. Here, however, it is quite different. It is very quiet, very laid back, and you are supposed to take your time before you start the day. I like it! We arrived at the barn at around 10 to sort things out and get ready for the day. Frau Endres was out with her dogs at the vet in the morning, so I had a lot of time on my hands after all my work was done. After hanging out for a bit with the horses, I went to go help Rebecca jump a pony for a sales video. We set up a small course of 4 jumps in the outdoor, and then went to go fetch the little stallion from the fields. Skippy really didn't want to work, so he kept running away from us around the field! Finally, we caught him, tacked him up, and went out to the ring so Rebecca could jump him. Skippy is quite small, but wow! That guy can jump! The oxers that we set up were HUGE! No problem for Skippy!
Finally, after a fun morning of spotting jumps, it was time for lessons with Frau Endres. Guffy was first to ride, and he was very tired. I think he blew himself out yesterday with all of his craziness, and perhaps the traveling has been harder on him than for Dewey. Dewey was very good today. Frau Endres really helped me find the rhythm of the trot by telling me to wait for his rhythm to come...and to stop trying to create it. That helped me to quiet my upper body and my lower legs, plus he really engaged behind and was swinging a lot. To help achieve this swing even more, we went on a 20 meter circle where we did transitions within the trot rhythm while maintaining a shoulder in position on the circle. This helped a lot, especially when Frau Endres told me to create the half steps by creating tension in your abdominal muscles....not with the hands. Another interesting thing that I learned had to do with the lower legs. Frau Endres said to me to let the lower leg "breath" after you add pressure for an aid, correction, etc. She said to let the leg "just be there." I learned a lot on my second day!
We had dinner in the town again, and now I am tuning up my German with some German TV. I have really surprised myself with my German. I thought that I would not understand a thing and be really nervous, but I am actually doing pretty well...plus I am learning a lot of German from Rebecca! It's really cool! Tomorrow my lessons begin at 11, and if the weather is as nice as it was today, then we will ride outside!
-Isabelle
Monday, May 31, 2010
Getting Started.
Hello again. I am finally in Germany! Wow, what a fulll day of traveling! We flew overnight into Heathrow, and then we took a connection flight from Heathrow to Dusseldorf right after. The flight to Heathrow was fun. I am starting to wonder if the American Airlines business class seats were formed especially for dressage riders. Sitting in these seats for 8 1/2 hours gave me a lesson in perfect posture. Seriously, the seats were perfectly upright....no room for slouching! Good flight though, watched a lot of in flight movies, and scared myself to death by chosing to watch a horror movie. It was great though!
So I am now sitting in the computer lounge at my hotel in Dulmen. This is a great little hotel with awesome food! The horses will arive around 6 pm from Amsterdam. I heard that they had a good flight in, and that they were good boys. Hopefully when we go to meet them at the barn, it will be very uneventful and calm so we can all go to sleep and be ready for tomorrow! Not quite sure what we are doing tomorrow. It all depends on how the horses feel in the morning.
I am still getting used to all the time flip flops around here! Part of me wants to drop dead in the computer lounge and call it a night...however I don't think that the hotel guests would appreciate that. It is so much here though!! This is going to be such an adventure! Can't wait to see the boys when they get here! But I also can't wait to get a good sleep! After all of that strong English tea from Heathrow, I am crashing as if I gorged on chocalte bars! That stuff is strong!
I will start to take pictures and post them on here when I am unpacked. There are so many beautiful things to see around here!
Bis später!
So I am now sitting in the computer lounge at my hotel in Dulmen. This is a great little hotel with awesome food! The horses will arive around 6 pm from Amsterdam. I heard that they had a good flight in, and that they were good boys. Hopefully when we go to meet them at the barn, it will be very uneventful and calm so we can all go to sleep and be ready for tomorrow! Not quite sure what we are doing tomorrow. It all depends on how the horses feel in the morning.
I am still getting used to all the time flip flops around here! Part of me wants to drop dead in the computer lounge and call it a night...however I don't think that the hotel guests would appreciate that. It is so much here though!! This is going to be such an adventure! Can't wait to see the boys when they get here! But I also can't wait to get a good sleep! After all of that strong English tea from Heathrow, I am crashing as if I gorged on chocalte bars! That stuff is strong!
I will start to take pictures and post them on here when I am unpacked. There are so many beautiful things to see around here!
Bis später!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Adventures at the Airport
Well, we have gotten through the airport craziness! When we arrived at the airport at first and the stewards weighed our bags, we found out that one of them was overweight! Luckily, we had a very helpful person behind the counter who helped us with balancing the weight of our bags. It was a good thing that we were able to balance them out, considering that there was a pretty substantial charge for an overweight bag! However, it all worked out.
My flight is at 5 pm ET into Heathrow at 6 am London time. Then we have a connection from Heathrow to Dusseldorf which lands at around 10. From Dusseldorf we will drive to Dulmen where the barn is and finally see the horses again! Right now they are also at Miami Intl seating their plane. They were supposed to fly out at 2:30, but their plane got a little stuck in South America due to some nasty weather. We just found out that the plane will not be too late, so the horses will land only about an hour or so off schedule.
We board the plane in about 20 minutes, and I guess the next time I'll be able to write will be when I am in Germany! I am so excited. I hope I'll be able to sleep on the plane! If not, I'll just have to do what I do best: snack on chips
and watch movies!
- Isabelle
My flight is at 5 pm ET into Heathrow at 6 am London time. Then we have a connection from Heathrow to Dusseldorf which lands at around 10. From Dusseldorf we will drive to Dulmen where the barn is and finally see the horses again! Right now they are also at Miami Intl seating their plane. They were supposed to fly out at 2:30, but their plane got a little stuck in South America due to some nasty weather. We just found out that the plane will not be too late, so the horses will land only about an hour or so off schedule.
We board the plane in about 20 minutes, and I guess the next time I'll be able to write will be when I am in Germany! I am so excited. I hope I'll be able to sleep on the plane! If not, I'll just have to do what I do best: snack on chips
and watch movies!
- Isabelle
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Preparing For The International Youth Festival
Hello everyone! This is so exciting to be able to record my trip! So, my name is Isabelle Leibler, and I will be traveling to Europe to compete for the USA at the International Youth Festival along with my two ponies Depardieu and Going West! Being selected to compete at this show and train with some of the most amazing trainers still doesn't feel very real. I still can't believe that tomorrow night I will be on a plane to Europe to begin this amazing experience!
So the packing has finally come to a close...after 2 weeks! My suitcases are fully packed and ready to go to the airport! I have been reading that it's a bit chilly over there, which will be great since the weather has been so hot in Florida where we have been staying! I'm sure the ponies will feel nice and fresh and ready to go after they recover from their flight. I'm going to miss my boys until I see them again on Monday! You have to be 18 to fly on the cargo planes to Europe, and because I am 15 I don't quite make the cut! But I know that they will be in good hands during the whole trip, and I am confident that they will get there safe and sound!
For the next month and a half, I am going to be a sponge. I am going to take everything in and let it inspire me and help me to be the best I can be! I am also looking forward to making this a really personal show tour with my ponies. I am sort of becoming my own manager, and I can't wait to fully take on the responsibilities! To know that you are the one who the horses will look to for support is the most amazing feeling that not even the most amount of hard work will be able to take away!
I am also excited that I will be able to use my German skills! I have been taking Germa for the past two years along with French in school, and I am thrilled to be able to put it to use! Of course, I haven't had the conversational experience yet, but I am confident that I will be able to get around with what I have! And yes, I did invest in a $5 phrase book from Barnes and Noble. It will be a blast to see how much I understand and how much I am able to speak!
The schedule for the whole tour is pretty lose except for the shows of course. First, we will go to Cornelia Endres' farm to train for a couple of weeks. Ms. Endres is the coach for the German Pony Team, and I am so excited to be able to work with her! Especially since my ponies from her stable! It will be great because she hasn't seen them in a long time, so to be able to train with her again and have her evaluate how my training has gone will be awesome! I will train with her through the two shows that I will compete at: a national show in Duisburg as a warm up, and finally the International Youth Festival in Hagen! I am so excited to be working with her and making some new friends from her own national team! After the shows, I am planning on staying at the show grounds, which are held at the Kasselmann farm, and train with Jurgen Koschel who is across the street. It will be great to see some different sights!
The feelings and thoughts that are running through my head are hard to describe. It's weird because it's like a calm feeling mixed with excitement. It's a little confusing! I'll be blogging throughout the whole trip and posting a lot of pictures too! This is going to be so awesome, and I can't wait to share it with everyone who has been supporting me throughout my whole career! I can't wait to get started!
- Isabelle
So the packing has finally come to a close...after 2 weeks! My suitcases are fully packed and ready to go to the airport! I have been reading that it's a bit chilly over there, which will be great since the weather has been so hot in Florida where we have been staying! I'm sure the ponies will feel nice and fresh and ready to go after they recover from their flight. I'm going to miss my boys until I see them again on Monday! You have to be 18 to fly on the cargo planes to Europe, and because I am 15 I don't quite make the cut! But I know that they will be in good hands during the whole trip, and I am confident that they will get there safe and sound!
For the next month and a half, I am going to be a sponge. I am going to take everything in and let it inspire me and help me to be the best I can be! I am also looking forward to making this a really personal show tour with my ponies. I am sort of becoming my own manager, and I can't wait to fully take on the responsibilities! To know that you are the one who the horses will look to for support is the most amazing feeling that not even the most amount of hard work will be able to take away!
I am also excited that I will be able to use my German skills! I have been taking Germa for the past two years along with French in school, and I am thrilled to be able to put it to use! Of course, I haven't had the conversational experience yet, but I am confident that I will be able to get around with what I have! And yes, I did invest in a $5 phrase book from Barnes and Noble. It will be a blast to see how much I understand and how much I am able to speak!
The schedule for the whole tour is pretty lose except for the shows of course. First, we will go to Cornelia Endres' farm to train for a couple of weeks. Ms. Endres is the coach for the German Pony Team, and I am so excited to be able to work with her! Especially since my ponies from her stable! It will be great because she hasn't seen them in a long time, so to be able to train with her again and have her evaluate how my training has gone will be awesome! I will train with her through the two shows that I will compete at: a national show in Duisburg as a warm up, and finally the International Youth Festival in Hagen! I am so excited to be working with her and making some new friends from her own national team! After the shows, I am planning on staying at the show grounds, which are held at the Kasselmann farm, and train with Jurgen Koschel who is across the street. It will be great to see some different sights!
The feelings and thoughts that are running through my head are hard to describe. It's weird because it's like a calm feeling mixed with excitement. It's a little confusing! I'll be blogging throughout the whole trip and posting a lot of pictures too! This is going to be so awesome, and I can't wait to share it with everyone who has been supporting me throughout my whole career! I can't wait to get started!
- Isabelle
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