“Carrot planks, rollback to outside line,” I kept repeating
in my head to remember my course. But instead of remembering my course, I
remember jumping the carrot jump, hearing my trainer shout “LOOK,” but most of
all, I remember coming out of a seizure, not being able to move, see, or speak
while being in midair over the first jump of the outside line. I heard the
gasps of the riding community bounce off the announcer’s microphone. I knew I
still had to make it out of the line, whether I’d be able to see and move when
Perla jumped was questionable. The answer…. No. I felt my chest fly forward,
butt pop out of the saddle, legs fixed by muscle memory, and immediately Perla
came down to a walk. It wasn’t until then that I was able to look up and see my
family, coach, friends, and hear the Colorado Western Hunter/Jumper Association
whisper “What was that?” “What just happened?” And the cherry that always tops
it off “Is she okay?” Perla continued to take me to the in gate knowing that her
rider was not with her. Once I got out of the arena, Perla stopped next to my
mom who helped me off. The stirrups were rolled up, and I shoved my face into
that mare trying to hide the frustration. Her hooves stayed planted in the dirt
and I had to call it a day. I have had tonic clonics on Perla and I have jumped
over logs and landed in water with Perla. What can I say, that mare leaves me
blind and speechless. I feel safer on her than I do on the ground.
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Now in the heart of horse country,
90 minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park and an inflatable vest for protection,
there is nothing but higher jumps, bigger arenas, and extra hang time in sight.
Need I say more? If there is anything that needs to be seized, it's the
opportunity that I now have to ride in Goshen, OH and train with
David Beisel.
Right now, I have a goal of jumping four feet, and lately it seems there is nothing to stop me from completing it. Each ride comes with a new breakthrough and a smile impossible to get off my face. And hey, worst comes to worst, I fall off and inflate! I’ve even had the opportunity to meet one of my role models, Liza Towell Boyd, who shares not only the same diagnosis as me, but a love for jumping horses as well. Liza recently made history winning two consecutive championships, and I was able to watch as she took her victory lap in the arena with a blue ribbon. |