I don’t know about you, but one thing I have really missed lately on Eventing Nation is my weekly dose of Visionaire. Vis is unquestionably one of Eventing Nation’s most talented writers and I am always helplessly jealous of her posts. Unfortunately for all of us, a new major promotion and marriage have taken up most of Visionaire’s time lately so she forwarded along a rider profile for me to post on her behalf. Thanks for submitting this Catie and thank you for reading.
Your Name: Catie
Age: 31
Location: Burlington, MA, but I ride in Hollis, NH with my trainer
Primary horse’s name: Can’t Drive 55, aka Princess Fiona
Age, breed, pertinent info: 7 year old chestnut thoroughbred mare that I just recently partnered with as a ‘project’. She’s been out of work for a couple years while she had a lovely colt, so she’s rediscovering having a job. Grinds her teeth during dressage, but she’s all ears when it comes to jumping.
Level currently competing: I did beginner novice this summer with my previous partner, but now I have Fiona and competition is on the back burner until next year when she’s fit and ready to go.
Short term goals this spring/summer: Get her out to some shows and start getting her some experience. Cross rail division, here we come.
Year-end goals: Get Fiona going comfortably with her dressage tests, and get me fit enough to be comfortable with riding my project six days a week. This means more mountain biking when I’m not at the barn.
Overall goals? A training three-day. I’ve always wanted to try the long format.
What’s the best thing you’ve learned recently? That sometimes a horse can be a wonderful, wonderful horse, but they are just not the right horse for you. And when that happens? It’s not fun for anyone involved. My previous partner was a wonderful saint of a horse, but our personalities clashed. He needed to be pushed to everything, and I got frustrated that I was always kicking. Now I have a TB that needs her brakes reinstalled. She’s no packer, but I’m having a lot of fun.
Also, do not jump a ditch like it’s a liverpool. Your trainer will explode. I know this first hand.
Favorite eventing moment/story? I was visiting my trainer in Aiken and we were schooling cross country. She set up a full course for us that looped all around the property we were schooling at. I had just converted from hunter/jumpers recently, and as I was cantering briskly along, sizing up the cordwood that was next on course, it suddenly dawned on me. My trainer couldn’t see me. It was just me and the horse powering along. We cleared the cordwood and went galloping up the hill and I just started giggling. It was such a rush. In the h/j world, I always had someone right there, especially if I was jumping. Even showing, there were hisses from the rail.
It was probably the first time I had jumped something without a trainer in my twenty plus years of riding.
Link to blog or website, if applicable: http://thoughtfulequestrian.blogspot.com/
