From Yvette:
Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City: The Fat Tuesday Edition
Pony Club members from the Deep South Region give the EN logo a little Mardi Gras flair!
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Happy Mardi Gras, Eventing Nation! Even though I’ve spent the majority of my life living north of the Mason-Dixon Line, there is something about Mardi Gras that brings out my inner Southern Belle. It could have something to do with my penchant for sporting silly costumes, my magpie-like attraction to sparkly beads and tiaras, or my fascination with feather boas, but when it comes right down to it, I’ll blame it on the fact that I’m just a Northern girl with a Southern stomach. Laissez le bon temps roulez (and roulez and roulez)!!
Although the early spring eventing season has officially kicked off for those lucky enough to permanently reside in or winter in warmer southern climes, the rest of us are just starting to wake up from our winter slumber to – you know…renew our USEA memberships, fill out that first entry form of the season, and…oh crap…where DID I put those stamps? My pony – that sleek little 14 hh beast who rocked his way around Waredaca’s Novice 3-day course a mere three months ago – now looks more like an inspiration for a Thelwell cartoon rather than a move-up candidate.
And while the woolly-coated pony with the mid-mane pulling mullet may not be ready to go compete at Morven today, I know he will be more than ready for his debut in six weeks, because like a bad break-up line in a cheesy rom-com…it’s not you, Super Pony – it’s me. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve got my dressage tests down, and am blessed with a pace clock that won’t quit. No, no…the biggest hurdle for me at the beginning of the season is…
The white breeches. Which brings me to this week’s tip:
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Tips for Eventers Living in Itty-Bitty Apartments in the City #28:
Regardless of when it may fall on the actual calendar, the first Opening Date of the season will always seem like Fat Tuesday when you go to try on your white show breeches. Just as many individuals will give up their vices of sweets or chocolate following post-Mardi Gras hedonism, mailing in that first entry check of the may prompt eventers to engage in what I like to call the “White Spandex Pants Diet Plan (WSPDP). And while a balanced diet contributes to the success of the WSPDP, the true key to its effectiveness is the mantra, “spandex is a privilege and not a right.”
