05/08/2024
Wrapping up a week spent in Traverse City, MI. What a great area and show venue. Beautiful countryside, beautiful Lake Michigan and horses with my JR rider and another exceptional rider from Reg 8. This is an international competition, a CDI, and a place where you will find literally our sports next trainers and riders. I was Chef d’Equip for the mixed team of regions 2 and 8. What a job that is! Fun, tiring, educational, and just plain great. I got to meet so many new people and reconnect with so many friends.
Thank you Bobbi Carleton for asking me to help! It was a pleasure and, thanks to all of your hours of prep and hard work, a fairly easy job to sub for you. Thanks for being on the other end of the text messages when needed! I am happy to help any time you need it 🥰. Thank you Quentin Sloan and Lara Schaefer Sloan for being SO welcoming, SO professional, and SO capable. Quentin, you are a pleasure to work ❤️ with and a consummate professional!! Caroline Colby, you made me so proud this weekend! To step up to this international level, to ride your VERY FIRST CDI in an international championship capacity!! And to do it with such grace and ability! A true testament not only to you and your family, but also to all of the trainers along the way who brought you to the place you were when you and I started working together. 🥰 (please give them all a shout out in the comments!) Renay Colby and Warren, you have raised a spectacular human! Thank you so much for including me in your family this week, but most of all, thank you for trusting me to continue to be part of her development. 💕
And to the horses, Caroline’s Lorino and Quentin’s Finn. You two stepped up to the plate, continued to come out of your stall and meet and exceed our hopes, you drank and ate which helped keep you healthy and safe, and you were never one of the surprises when we came around the corner to see a horse checking out the competition (loose). Horses don’t ask to be international competitors but they are the biggest gift to us when we ask for it. Thank you boys for doing your best for these two excellent riders. 🥇🏆🥇