We announced the finalists in the 7th Annual EN Blogger Contest, and now we are bringing you their first round submissions. Leave your feedback in the comments, and please offer your encouragement and support to the finalists! We hope you enjoy their creativity, insight and love of the sport.
Madelyn Floyd and Jordan Linstedt.
Training with top coaches is an experience no rider should take for granted, but it can be tough when they leave to pursue their own competition goals.
This spring Jordan Linstedt took to the East Coast to train leading up to Kentucky, which didn’t go as originally planned. This led to rerouting to Jersey Fresh and Bromont later in the spring. Jordan went on to have a fantastic run at Jersey Fresh and win the Bromont CCI3* with Revitavet Capato. That win was the climax of three months away from home.
I credit everything I have ever achieved to Jordan, and to be honest, it was hard to have my trainer away for so long. We kept in contact, and I took lessons with other great trainers in the area, but I missed my longtime coach.
Now that Jordan has returned, I reflected on my experience over the spring. I starting thinking about what it would be like if Jordan didn’t compete. How would that affect me? Well, I realized something, and it’s the catch when riding with high caliber trainers.
They are not just trainers. These people are also riders. They have dreams and goals, and Badminton is to Jordan what NAJYRC is to me. If Jordan didn’t compete, she wouldn’t be the trainer she is today. Trainers compete and learn and then extend what they learn to their students. It is tough when Jordan leaves in the spring for Kentucky, but I sure am lucky to have her here the rest of the year.
So when your trainer goes away, what do you do? You buckle down for the months they will be absent and get to work. Can’t jump as frequently? Poles are your best friend. Struggling on the flat? Surprisingly, YouTube and Facebook do help sometimes. Wanting lessons? Take the opportunity to learn from other coaches in the area and haul out! But most important, support your trainer. Be as excited for them as they would be for you.
Eventing is a tough sport, and I have found that having a consistent and supportive coach is key. Supporting your trainer in return will build a strong relationship that will last for many years to come. Everyone has dreams, and everyone should have the right to follow them!
This is the catch with riding with a high-caliber coach. They will take time to chase their own goals. For me, those three months spent away are a sacrifice worth making for the other nine months.
About the author: My name is Madelyn Floyd, and I’m a 14-year- old eventer in Area VII. I have two horses, an uber-talented, spunky mare named Clementine, as well as a cribbing goofball OTTB named Seahawk Defence. Clementine (Tini) is competing at Training and Hawk is doing his first season at Beginner Novice.
