Well ya'll the 2017 Retired Racehorse Project has come and gone in what feels like the blink of an eye! Bandit and I left last Monday for Kentucky and returned back home Sunday evening after an extremely exciting week. To be in the top 10 of a division 3 years in a row is an incredible feeling but to be in the top 3 two out of those three years is even more exciting. Every year this event gets bigger and better. With that the horses and trainers do the same, horses get nicer and competition gets stiffer. Not only that but I find that those of us doing this year after year better ourselves not just in riding or training but horsemanship in general. And with so much success 3 years in a row I need to take some time to thank those who make such a big commitment possible...
First off my parents. For 3 years now they have made the trek from Upstate New York to Lexington Kentucky to watch me compete! Their support is instrumental in my success not only in riding but in life in general. My dad takes incredible photos and helps foot the bill when I need more hay and shavings. My mother who does scoring for international rowing events, was super woman when it came to keeping track of EVERYONES placing throughout the event. She was so into it that she volunteered herself to be in charge of the live scoring for next year...thanks mom! Oh and that beautiful blue jacket I was sporting all weekend, that was my early Christmas present from both of them. I should also ad that my mother is deathly allergic to horses but has been to nearly every show I've competed in since I started this nearly 20 years ago. And dad, don't think your friendly reminders to breathe and sit tall go unnoticed. I think my favorite line from you all week was before the finale while I was warming up: 'Now, here's what I would do in there..." (HAHA) priceless. Thank you both for being so selfless and supporting this wild dream, I love you.
Now, a few months ago I was ready to throw in the towel and decide not to compete this year due to a number of things but the main one being that I wouldn't have a coach. My main Maestro Nuno Santos was not competing and Kate Hutchings, my main dressage coach in Aiken was unable to go because her daughter is competing at Fair Hill just after the makeover. It wasn't that I thought I couldn't do it on my own but more so the fact that I wanted to be able to give this horse the BEST ride possible and the only way to do that would be to have someone on the ground for when my nerves would get the best of me. Before I knew it Kate had called fellow trainer Richard Lamb who also happened to be assigned to judging the show jumper division and he was more than happy to help me in the few days before we competed. We even got several lessons in with him before actually going to Kentucky as well. Richard gave us an amazing school on Wednesday morning before we were to hit centerline on Thursday. But as Bandit was getting braided Wednesday night I found myself feeling like I just wanted and needed that little bit extra in his warm up the next day. I have followed Emily Curtis of Miramonte Equine since seeing her compete in the 2015 RRP. Being an exceptional rider and what appeared to be just as good a trainer, I knew if I could get her help that would be exactly what we needed! What was I waiting for? The worst she could say was no but the best she could say was yes. So the night before competition day I messaged Emily on Facebook asking for her help and there she was the next morning 20 minutes or so before my ride leading us to our best score to date! Fast forward to the finale where I was lucky enough to have both of them working together to warm us up leading us to our top 3 finish out of nearly 80 horses total. Thank you both so much for going out of your way to make sure Bandit and I had the most success we were capable of!
Then there was the day before we were supposed to leave for Kentucky with fellow competitor Julie Robbins and her horse Party Barn. I received a text message just hours before she was supposed to pick us up that Sunday saying that she had broken her collar bone and would no longer be going to the makeover. Instead of freaking out I thought well, I will call a few people but perhaps this just isn't my year to go. Thank the goodness I didn't actually go with the later because it certainly was my year to go. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, amen to that! Within a few hours and a few phone calls I was not only hooked up with a trailer to take Bandit in but a dear friend to come along for the ride. Thank you Merance Adams for your generosity in allowing and trusting me with taking your trailer. And thank you Hector Garza for keeping me calm and being one step ahead of helping me all week long! I feel very blessed to have shared this experience with you.
Now lets not forget where this whole journey started which was actually acquiring Bandit City. Opened up my news feed just before getting on to head to the show ring Thursday morning and up pops this. You can only imagine the emotions and tears that filled my eyes. The Conway's are Bandit's former racing connections and they have done nothing but support our journey. Talk about a race trainer that loves and cares about his horses, Dan Conway, you are the man! And Katie, we haven't ever actually met but there hasn't been a time that you haven't been there for me and this horse. Thank you and your family times a million!
Last but certainly not least, our sponsors, Accuhorsemat North America and EnviroEquine and Pet. Bandit's body was able to remain pain free and supple throughout a week of being stalled and some intense riding thanks to our Accuhorsemat. I also received a ton of compliments on how good he looked in everything from his weight to his coat. If you have not tried EnviroEquine's supplements or grooming products, you are really missing out. I mean look at that shine and beefy-ness! I have had the support of these sponsors for two years now and could not be more grateful to be apart of their team and them apart of mine. Thank you and we look forward to continuing our partnerships!
This year and this journey has been full of many ups as well as many downs. But with a 3rd successful Retired Racehorse Project in the books, I am happy to say that I see big things in the future as a rider, trainer and business owner. I have already been approached about many new sponsorships for next year and I was also able to look at a few new Godolphin prospects for next year as well. Great things are happening so please stay tuned!
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