Eventing Granny: Timing and Figuring out the Why’s

 Cindy Adcock, creator of the blog Eventing Granny, describes herself as a “legit” Beginner Novice eventer; her partner-in-crime is Josie, a soon-to-be 16-year-old redheaded Irish Draught mare. “She is so awesome and the perfect partner for me to do this,” Cindy says. “She loves to jump, hates dressage and takes awesome care of me! I have had her for almost four years and she is SO glad that we are finally doing this! Follow our journey to AEC’s 2019 in Kentucky where it will also be my 60th year on this earth. I am having a blast as a late to life eventer!”

Timing has hit me square in the face twice in the last week and now I get to figure out the why of each.

The first is a gut punch and a wake up call all in one. Josie is injured. Lesion on her check ligament with a minimum of 60 days of stall rest. Why did this happen now? How did this happen now? We were making such great strides and life was good! But, as everyone knows, horses can be fickle and one wrong step can slow down progress or end a career. I knew something was up after Gibbes. I just knew the swelling on her leg was not normal. Was I grateful it was ONLY the check ligament? You bet I was!

I was really proud that I had not gone off on my standard Google search and reading all the worst possible scenarios. Having dealt with a horse with a suspect suspensory injury I knew the fickle nature of that one. My immediate thoughts went to splint (too high), deep digital (please God, not that) and medial (again, please no). So, yes, I am grateful it is the check ligament. This is a totally recoverable, no limitations injury – just do the protocol and we should be fine. Shock wave is in her future after 30 days. For now? Josie is enjoying the life she really feels befits her. No work, a ton of hay and hand walking.

So, here were my choices: rail against the universe, whine and bemoan my misfortune, or move forward. I have come to realize that setbacks are a part of life and it is how we choose to look at them and try and figure out the why that makes us better or worse. As my vet and I talked things out, planning for the next 60 days I decided I could take the 60 days to improve myself. Later, in this post, they why became a bit more evident.  Since Josie has a (as I like to call it) not a  – sweet mother of God and all that is holy – injury. But rather a  – well, dammit – injury, I have decided to take the 60 days to improve myself. Improve my fitness and improve my eating and be a better partner for her. We are now on full preventive protocol moving forward – icing, poultice and wrapping, the whole shebang.

I had no plans to go to Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event at the Horse Park this year. But, fate intervened and my wonderful friend Sally offered me tickets.  I said yes, then tried to bail when Josie got hurt. We were set to leave on Thursday but I could not go – vet due on Thursday.  My trainer Beth said, “Go to Kentucky, I will update you on what vet says.” Nope, just couldn’t do that as I had to hear it first hand. Got the news, stopped at Dunkin on my way out of town to drown my sorrows and drove to Kentucky. Knowing that Josie was left in more than capable hands made going a no brainer. Beth and Jaime had my back and getting away was what I needed. The texts and pics of Queen Josie being pampered helped too!

So, off to Kentucky I go. Here is when the why started to make a bit of sense. Now, I am a huge fan of Leah Lang Gluscic. HUGE! I am lucky enough to know Leah and am not ashamed to say that she is my #WCW on a regular basis. She is such a good rider, does right by her horses and can clearly spot a diamond in the rough. Well, her course walks at Kentucky are quite wonderful. She explains her thought process of walking the course and her prep to get there. What she said  when asked about how she gets fit hit home. She does it because she owes it to her partner. She doesn’t feel like she can ask more of them than she does of herself. That hit home with me, big-time. So, yeah, time to change up some things and be a better partner to Josie. Part of it we will do together as she can be hand-walked as much as we want. An hour of walking will help us both. So, there was my first why — I need to change for her and for me to be a better partner. Did my lack of fitness play a part in her injury? Maybe. Regardless, that now will change and by putting it in words, it causes accountability.

Here is where things get surreal. At least for me they do. Me and my friends were at cross country at Kentucky. We had hung out at a few jumps – the hollow, then went by the picnic table and then went to the ditch and wall. There I made a video and chose to do it in slow motion (cause I LOVE that feature on my iPhone). Here comes a rider so I am ready. Little did I know (at the time) that I was videoing Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST over the ditch and wall and then decided to post it online.  To say it was a hit is a bit of an understatement. I have never done anything that remotely went viral in my entire existence but for this one short video.

Now, what are the odds that I would be at that jump at that precise moment to capture this on video? I had not planned to be there to watch Michael Jung go over this – timing! Talk about being at the right place at the right time!! Timing is everything in life and figuring it out can be a head scratcher moment for sure! Current count is 780,000 plus views and going strong. 3,000 plus reactions, 11,400 plus shares and 300 plus comments. A ton of new Facebook friends who are loving and sharing this brief 11 second video. Comments from people all across the world! That one thing could bring so many people together with so much positive energy and just the sheer enjoyment of watching one awesome rider and one awesome mare fly is quite amazing to me!

So, yeah, my journey with Josie takes a pause but I am excited for the pause because I need to be better. I need to be stronger and fitter for my partner. (Thanks Leah!) And, now, maybe some other people will also see our story because of a short video. And maybe, just maybe some part of this blog will ring true to them and give them the encouragement to not quit but to embrace this journey we go on and to develop this partnership that we all so richly deserve.

To be around the people I am around is quite rewarding for me and I hope each of you are as lucky as I am with your village. Mine grew quite a bit this weekend. Enjoy the video again!!