A year in reveiw...2012

How did 2012 reality line up with 2012 dreams??  Well let's take a look.
The year was over all above and beyond what I planned for and hoped for.  There were some very low and bad moments like loosing Blaze and injuries.  But they were far out weighed by the great and wonderful moments of the year.
In italics is copy and pasted from my Plans for the New Year.  2012 here we come!
My big over all goal for this coming season is to compete at Beginner Novice at a recognized Horse Trial!! The timing and location are not set in stone. That will depend on how training and fitness over the season goes. There are a few different options as to when and where this may be able to happen. But this is the holy grail for the year for The Big Lebowski and Me;) 
HUGE SUCCESS!!  I not only accomplished this goal and completed a 3 phase recognized horse trial but I finished in 3rd in my division! 

OK I can pretty much end my year end review right here!  This was the moment when all my work and dreams came true to become actual eventers!  But wait the year didn't end there and there was much more in store for us than we even planned for!!

Below each month I will summarize the actual month.
January

My only goal for this dreadful month is to ride at least 2 days a week. I would like to say my goal is higher but I would much rather set something realistic than fail miserably. So 2 days a week is my goal. I don't care if those rides are walking for 30 minutes, hacking out through the fields/trails or a focused 30 minute dressage or jumping ride. My goal is just to ride no matter what that be.

January 2012
FAIL
This was a low goal and I didn't really accomplish it.  I instead took a break from riding for a while.

February

18th IEA Awards Banquet at Indiana Downs!

Riding goals again are to ride 2 days a week.

If the weather/footing for either January or February are good enough that I am able to ride consistently then I will hopefully squeeze in a lesson somewhere. I do not feel it is worth it though to take a lesson when I am not able to work Steady often enough to keep his 'edge' off. Otherwise we will spend our lesson on keeping him in check and to me that is a waste of time since I know that regular work keep him in check.

February 2012
SURPASSED!
Attended the Banquet and was awarded a $500 scholarship!
Started riding again.  After the break(Dec. Jan.) Steady was very Steadyish and we had some exciting rides.  But also made a big break through with learning to stretch down at the walk! And the weather was so cooperative we started actual training and fitness work!
Managed to even get in a lesson

March

Get more focused in training and fitness. Primarily focusing on refreshing our minds and bodies to real work. Ride at least 3 days a week. Slowly building back fitness.

Take one lesson this month.

 

March 2012

SUCCESS!

We accomplished this with flying colors thanks to the unseasonably warm and wonderful weather.  I had a lesson and we had one amazing ride after another!
I got a new to me trailer this month that made my life 100 x's less stressful!

 

April

25th-29th ROLEX! I say we make a blogger meet up at Rolex, who's with me?!

Trailer to a lesson with Lee Ann with hopes to take two lessons dressage and jumping.

Start training back again. Ride 3-4 days a week.

April 2012
Celebrate Steady and my 2 year anniversary!

<3 horse

Rolex FAIL :(  I didn't get to go to Rolex.  Tragic and must not be repeated.  I mean I live 3 hours from the Eventing Mecca there is no excuse.  Well except for my marriage nearly falling apart.
Lesson Fail but we got out to a show and had our worst dressage score to date and followed that up by an awesome XC schooling and jumping our first Training level xc jumps!  So over all the month was a SUCCESS!

May

12th possibly have our showing debut for the year at CAF CT. Met that goal in April!

19th-20th Greater Dayton Horse Trials! This is a very slight possibility for the the holy grale but it seems awfully early in the season so chances are we will be spectators or volunteers at best for this event.  Didn't happen
Riding goals for the month are to ride 4 days a week.
Success!
XC school
Fail
May brought far more than what I had planned.  I went to Frankfort, KY and took a private lesson with Olympic eventer Dorothy Crowell.  Then I participated in a 2 day clinic in Lexington, KY at the beautiful Champagne Run Farm with Rolex rider Peter Atkins.   I came home ready to take on the recognized horse trial far earlier than I had thought!

June
May 29th-June 3rd IEA Horse Trials. Also another option for the HT but this is a biggy and I may not have the balls for it but you never know? It is on the table as an option for the time being. Otherwise we( we as in me not Steady but it is education for the both of us when I do these things but I also hope to bring my daughter along this year for volunteer work) will volunteer for this event. I loved doing it last year and hope to do it again.
Hey waddaya know I grew some balls and made it happen!  HUGE SUCCESS!! I not only accomplished this goal and completed a 3 phase recognized horse trial but I finished in 3rd in my division! 

7th Come Again Farm Horse Trials.This will most likey be our HT for the year. 
Didn't happen since I competed at IEA 

Riding goals for the month are to ride 4 days a week.
I slacked off a bit and took break since we accoplished so much so early in the year and the 90 degree high humidity temps began this month.
Other June accomplishments:
XC scooling training/prelim table and trekhener, double banks, bank into water
weekend camping/trail riding trip to beautiful Brown County
and survived a week at the fair with the kiddos!

July
July 5-12th Event Camp. If I make the cut off for event camp I do hope to do it this year. I have debated back and forth about it. Wondering if I should just attend separate clinics over the year or put all my eggs in one basket so to speak. This has been a tough decision this year and I am still not 100% and I need to mail my registration on the 2nd so I need to figure it out.
Didn't happen
If I do event camp that will be my one hurrah for the month and probably August too.

Riding goals full on training, trails, gallops and jumping 4 days a week.
Not much happened this month.  I jumped bareback in the first time in like 18 years and it was a blast!  We tried to survive the wicked heat with easy rides and little tack (aka bareback)

August
Another dreadful month for Indiana. I will most likely cut back riding this month and take the month "off" with just no pressure hacks, trail rides and rides when weather permits.
A HUGE surprise this month in that I competed in another recognized 3 phase event!  The event in which we survived dressage, killed XC and ate dirt in stadium!  But walked away unharmed and still happy I at least got to go XC again!!

September
Start training back up again once the heat dies down. Riding 3-4 days a week.
.
Went on a wonderful trail ride with my daughter and Lily (Lilys first) and had a great time!
CAF Event Derby at Novice!? We will see where the season takes us but if all goes well I think this is with in our grasp FAIL
Any and all fall goals came to a screeeeeeeching halt when I found a rusty piece of old fence stuck in Steady's hoof :/  Thus sums up September.
Though I did have more rides on Lily and worked with my daughters a little extra this month.

October
Riding 4 days a week full training, trails, hacks and gallops.
Slowly started back working after injury.

Octoberfest I loved this show and the XC schooling opportunity. If I have the money to show 2 months in a row I will be doing this show. If not I will be forced to choose between the two.
Unfortunately Octoberfest did not happen this year.  I really hope to to it next year though.
Biggest most awesome amazing dream that I never realized I had came true this month when I did one of the most fun things I have ever done in my life, went on a fox hunt!! 
We lost our sweet sweet Blaze this month :,(. 
Got a lesson in with LAZ!

November
Ride 3-4 days a week. Training and trails.
Hopeful for a lesson.
No lesson this month but got one in last month.
We competed in our last show of the year at CAF!  We won the beginner novice event derby and had a blast in some of the fun classes!

December
Ride when weather permits and take a lesson.
This month over all was a fail at all things riding related.  Steady has some weird ongoing sweeling thing.  Though it does not have any negative affects we are still working to clear up.

I think overall I set very realistic and managable goals considering I accomplished all except one(a novice schooling show) goal and that was due to unplanned unchangable injury related circumstances.  I accomplished many things that I didn't even plan too and had an awesome year with my horse and that is all that really matters.  I am excited to put together next years goals!!!  I love a new year with a fresh start and looking at all the possibilities of and exciting new year!!