It's mid January and I can't help but wonder what good ol' 2012 has in store for
me!

I say that with a laugh for those of you who shared my 2011 with me, you know
that the past years have brought many adventures, and many lessons.

The best lesson I did learn and I think it's a lesson we all should learn is that
"Eventing" is a tough sport.....we all know that.....it takes time to find "the
horse of a lifetime", whether that's for the novice/training level amateur or
someone like me trying to find that amazing 4* horse and when you find that
special horse it takes time to develop a strong partnership......but while we
all strive for what we love and live for.....and that's success.....we have to
have fun in the process!

The process, journey or whatever you call it, is what makes up our life. That
was the best lesson I learned in 2011. My thoughts before were....if I was
having fun I wasn't working hard enough.....REALLY!!! Ha! Well I've been missing
out on more then I ever knew.

Reflection is was teaches us our lessons.....and I have done a lot of
reflecting!!!

I actually went on vacation in December with some amazing friends and got to
meet a wonderful new friend! It was a much needed break! I learned many lessons
this past year, some I wish I had learned years ago, but everyone learns at
there own time......and that was one of the lessons I learned.

Some changes have happened as always in the horse business. I have a new
assistant coming to work for me. Amy is not "new" to NLE, but new to the job.
She just graduated college and has a very nice 1* horse that she is excited
about moving up the levels.

I have some nice young horses starting their careers and I'm excited about their
futures and I am going to be riding and showing some of my clients horses this
season to help produce stronger more confident horses so their riders can go and
enjoy them.

I used to wish I had a crystal ball that would tell me my future but then I
realized.....I would never get to enjoy the process of getting there if I
already knew what was going to happen.

So 2012 is the year of enjoying the journey for me. I love my job, and I love my
life......and everyday I get to feel that amazing feeling of putting my foot in
that stirrup and sitting on an amazing creature......developing that trust and
partnership that only happens with patience and hard work........and that's a
wonderful part of the process. It took some time for me to realize that, but
thank god I did!

So here's to the future and all of the great friends I have made in the process
who share my journey of becoming a top level rider. I'm looking forward to some
fun times!

Let's have a great 2012!

T

The end of the season is here…..and everyone is writing about how great and educational 2011 was…..and those of us who didn’t have a great season or should I say a frustrating one are not writing about it at all. I pondered for a few days about updating my blog. I thought to myself….would it be that obvious that I didn’t write about anything for months……probably not..….and then my wise and wonderful husband scrapped me off of the floor, looked at me and said….."I read something really good that you should read"…..it defiantly sparked my interest. He said, “I read an article about professional athletes struggling when they are about to achieve a long standing goal. For instance….Barry Bonds had trouble right before making world records in baseball.” He then looked at me….put his hand on my leg and said….."this is all normal". "You’re a great rider and you’re going places". I took a deep breath and thought to myself, how can I for one second be so devastated when I have this guy on my team!

The last week so many of my friends have been so great! Supportive! Encouraging! It’s important to have a strong support system…..especially when things don’t pan out the way you dreamed….planned…..or even remotely thought!

You find out the true character of people when things don’t go as planned. Mostly  I was pleasantly comforted! I can’t imagine what Leigh was going through knowing Dinero and I had crashed and being so far away. She couldn’t have been more supportive! And some who just thrive on someone else’s failures….those are the people you feel sorry for….because they can’t help but thrive on your misfortune. You can’t help but feel like the world is caving in….and then……reality hits…and you realize that there is more to life than competing on the US Equestrian Team……..or even just wanting to become one of the best riders in the world……. and no matter what,  anyone worth caring about still loves you the same!

Now don’t get me wrong…..I was down for a few days……but those of you who know me……know it was no more than 3……and during those 3 days my house sure got sparkling clean!!

As for my goals......well they are still there….and they are so close I can taste them! I know at the right time I will be able to represent my country as I have always dreamed. I’ve been accused of having a bit too much American spirit, but I can’t help it……it’s just a part of my make-up!

I know that with success you must have failure……and with failure the smart ones learn. I’ve learned more this year than I have learned in my entire career of riding……which says a lot considering I’ve been competing since I was 8 years old and I’m now…….well…..I’ve finally reached the mid 30 range of finally maturing…which I can bet will make my life a lot easier in the future.

I’m sure you all have heard the saying……you can’t substitute experience. It’s so true……things that come with experience are almost un-teachable. So as I become experienced and mature I realize that all of this is NOT for nothing……all of this is part of the journey to success. I will continue to learn and grow and some might think my goals are unthinkable……but some you never thought I would make it this far.

So I have to say a big thank you to everyone who continues to believe in me…..support my crazy dreams…..and honestly no matter what happens tomorrow, next year, or in the future I already have so much to be thankful for.

It feels like eternity since the last time I sat down with my computer and started trying to think of clever things to say……and now I have a lot of feelings that I’m sure if you could open up my head it would be a huge scramble of overwhelming information not many people would quite know what to do with……that includes myself.

Since our last meeting, so much has happened. We competed at Woodside H.T. and most recently Richland Park Pan Am selection trials.

Woodside was a great show and being able to coach and ride some babies was refreshing! I recently got the ride on a very cute TB Gelding by the name of Top Secret, owned by Krystie Bush. He competed at Woodside in a very competitive Open Preliminary class and won. This little horse has probably the biggest heart of any horse I have ever ridden. He then went on to Richland Park and competed in the Open Intermediate and I went into the show not putting any pressure on the result……well maybe a little. But most importantly I wanted to see if “Sai” was ready for the level. He had competed OI with his previous rider, who by the way has done a great job at getting this guy around.  The course was huge to say the least and Sai really had his work cut out for him. He would end up 2^nd after cross country with a double clear and go into a very technical show jumping course with no rails to spare. Sai jumped his heart out, but just had the in of the triple combination which was our last fence on the course so we would move down to 5^th position in the class. Still not shabby for whom we were competing against! I was thrilled with him and his ability to try harder than any horse! We will come home and continue to work on strength. The next competition will be the Area VI Championships…..I’m looking forward to seeing how that show works out and riding my favorite mare Fleeceworks Fernhill!

This year overall has been so exciting…..consisting of a lot of travelling and I’m assuming its only going to get better. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed because I have some decisions to make and soon.

We headed off to the Pan Am Selection Trial last week. Thanks to a travel grant given by the USEF we were able to fly Dinero this time. He has been on a trailer quite a lot this season and I really wanted to give him a break from the travel. WOW!!! What an experience! Flying is the way to go! It was so easy….Greg at Tex Sutton really made everything so easy! So much can go wrong and these guys were so organized…..it was a fantastic experience and frankly spoiled me!

I went into the selection trial feeling the most prepared mentally and physically then I have ever felt. Dinero felt the best he has ever felt and the weekend really went well. I believe in my bones this horse has it all. Some might look at me crazy, but Dinero, although a bit difficult sometimes…..is truly a class act with unending talent!

I was picked first in the division! YES! First…..again! Are you serious!!!! CANCEL! I quickly wiped out of me mind that being first would be a bad thing and focused on how great it would be.

Dinero and I put in a great test! He was very relaxed and his trot work was beautiful! We scored a 47 and that put us just 3 points out of the lead sitting in 4^th place.

The cross country as always with good ol Ian Stark was a BLAST! Don’t tell anyone, but so far my favorite course designer! I’ve jumped things in every one of his courses that I had never jumped before. And it always rides perfectly! Dinero was a champion! We ran around the advanced course like it were Novice. Very exciting as I’ve struggled a bit with control this year…..I can thank my good friend and Dineros owner Leigh Mesher for getting the brakes back! THANK YOU LEIGH!!!! We moved up a spot after cross country and I was really feeling confident going into show jumping. The course had some technical lines and was a good track for us both.

Much to my dismay as I entered the ring, Dinero as he usually does got a bit tense. He quickly relaxed going up to the first fence and I rode it very soft thinking and always believing that my horse would and does jump above the standards….we had the first rail down behind. I thought to myself……really!!!?….crap…..well put your leg on a bit more….and the rest of the course Dinero was flipping his head quite a bit….it was clear something was bothering him. We would have another down in the triple combination which I didn’t even hear come down. A huge disappointment as I haven’t had a rail on him in 6 shows. We got back to the barn and he had a slice in his mouth which would make the puzzle come all together and from that point forward it was wondering what the selectors were thinking!

When I stopped and looked at our overall performance I was very pleased! But I’ve never been one to be happy when I haven’t achieved perfection. I felt like it was a bit of bad luck…..but really I’ve been riding Dinero for 6 months now…..trying to develop a partnership at the advanced level and I’m really happy that every show everything comes more and more together.

The best part of the whole weekend was Bec came and groomed for me and did an amazing job, Dave was there to cheer me on and I got to see my best friend and share a great week with her…Heather Morris!

Tuesday afternoon I received a call from the USEF congratulating me on my selection and just 30 minutes after that I received a call from Sara Ike notifying me that I received a grant to compete at Boekelo CCI3* in the Netherlands and that Mike Huber would be calling me shortly with the details.

I’m not sure I’ve had that many emotions flow through my body ever in my life. This is what I’ve worked so hard for……and it’s here! I have so many people to thank for helping me get here and I know it’s just the beginning, but I am the first one to say this….it’s been a long rough road and there wasn’t nothing that was gonna get in my way! I just didn’t realize it would come to fruition!

So now for the decision making…..do I go to Boekelo and compete in the CCI3* on our Nations Cup Team or hold out for the Pan American Games. It is a big decision and I’m very lucky to be in such a position!

Dinero and I have a fabulous new partnership…..we have many more exciting things to happen in our future and I am very lucky to have Leigh Mesher be such a great supporter and reality check for me. She was one of the first people I called when I got the news…..I was a bit overwhelmed and I guess emotional and she used her new motherly instincts and quieted me down….talked about our options and everything seemed so much more clear.

So this month will be a busy one…..I have some dressage shows, some jumper shows and a couple horse trials to attend. I am looking forward to being home for a bit and getting into a routine….soon to be shaken up with some exciting new adventures.

Again, I can’t thank every one of my friends and family! I know I have a huge pool of people routing for me and it means more than you know!

Thank you to all of my sponsors and I’m ready for this ride so hang on!!!!

Til we meet again...........kick on and stick on!

This weekend was full of everything that comes with eventing and competing. But it also was full of remembering a staple in our sport "Rebecca Broussard". We spent the week remembering a wonderful woman who has not only been instrumental in the sport of eventing, she and her family have put West Coast Eventing on the map. It was inspiring to hear her beliefs, the story of her life, and what she brought to fruition. I never knew Mrs. Broussard well, but I could see as anyone who knew her, the passion she had for our sport and helping people! In her memory they developed The Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant. This grant will be awarded to help developing riders travel and compete at Rebecca Farm each year. Candidates that travel and compete at Rebecca Farm will then go on and interview for The Rebecca Farm International Grant. Each year 30k will be awarded to one individual to help them achieve there goals of riding at the top level of the sport of eventing and help them get that much closer to competing for Team USA. I was fortunate to receive a travel grant to help with competing at Rebecca Farm. I then interviewed with the Endowment Trust Committee for the International Grant and although was nervous I quickly became intrigued with the knowledge I learned about Mrs. Broussard and her vision for the sport of eventing. This woman has helped so many people start their careers or even just continue them. She believes in keeping the sport alive and that is exactly what we have lost in our sport. The Broussards are not just people who have money to put on the best competition in the country or even the world, they are believers in The Sport of Eventing and its because of them that the West Coast has thrived! Yes, there are more people that have a lot to do with the success of west coast eventing. But the generosity both within there local community and the eventing community is astronomical. I asked what Mrs. Broussards vision was....and what I mostly got out of the Committees response was that Becky wants to keep this sport alive! I reflected on that and thought to myself, what can I do to keep eventing alive.....I know I already feel the same! I love this sport. It has keep me up in my darkest days and kicked me right back down when I needed to be. Its been what saved me and raised me from a kid to a woman....its what has created most of my lifelong friendships. So I guess if your reading this blog....its because you love eventing too. So let's give back and try and help promote and keep eventing alive! No matter how big or small your contribution is......Team USA and Eventing need a rebirth! We need to pick our sport up and believe again! Believe that we have brilliant horses with talented riders and supportitive owners and sponsors! And mostly an amazing supportive community! We need to have pride and even when the going is not going good....we need the eventing community to stick behind this sport and pick it up, instead of stomp on it and point fingers. There are too many people in this world who thrive on failures.....our country sure isn't about that.....and neither is Eventing! We all have a personal obligation to help lift our sport up and bring it back alive! Let's create what I had as I watched the 1984 Olympics.....I sat on my living room floor and said, "I wanna go to the Olympics and represent my country"! We need that again! We need that passion back in this sport again! So when someone looks at you and says....your an Eventer!? Say.....yes...and we have the best equine athletes in the world, we have the toughest competitors in equestrain sports, and know that we have the most supportive community in any sport because we know how hard it is to lead from start to finish, and sometimes the under dog comes from nowhere and wins, sometimes the best of the best wins, but there is one thing for sure in eventing.....you never know!
Keep kicking on.....and do your part to bring Eventing ALIVE! Bye for now, T

What a fun time having a professional photographer come out and shoot us with our new Soless Visor! It's very exciting to be a apart of Heivi's Visor Company and producing her mare Uma! I posted a few pictures so everyone could see.....the photographer did a wonderful job! She was very creative and very friendly!
Visit www.thesoless.com on how you can buy you very own UV Protected Visor.
The most exciting news is that we are going to be on the cover of Horse Connection next month. :)_

It has been about a month since my last blog and it feels like it was yesterday! Twin Rivers CIC3* happened….I then went onto Rolex 4* to help my best friend Heather Morris, and I am now back continuing the daily routine of refining and perfecting as much as I possibly can as I prepare for Bromont CCI 3*.

Twin Rivers was a great event for Dinero and I…..I really felt like we made a lot of progress and it started to feel as though we had some mutual thinking on how things are supposed to go. I really feel like everyday gets better and better. It’s so refreshing to see his continued improvement and our trust developing. The dressage at Twin Rivers is always very hard so I was not as thrilled as I wanted to be, however it was good enough to put us in the lead with a 50.4. It was then onto cross country where I really wanted to have a good steady go…..with enough horse to keep going if I needed too and that is exactly what I had. Dinero’s fitness has felt great and he surprises me how fast the Frenchman is! J

My other horses I competed all performed great! Fleeceworks Fernhill put in a personal best on the dressage phase! She really is getting so much stronger and although the cross country for her is her strong phase we continue to keep working on getting her better on the flat to assure when she moves up to Intermediate it’s as successful as it can be! This mare is very special and I’m really excited about our future!

After attending Rolex Kentucky 4*…..it really makes me want to return on horseback as soon as possible! Walking the course and watching Heather compete was really a great experience for support, but as most of you know…..it’s much harder to watch and support than to do it yourself. I went to help groom for Heather and mostly just be there for moral support. Tamara Ryan, who works for me came along and really did the grooming. And I might add….did a phenomenal job! She stepped up to the plate and Heather and Roe were stunning! Give that girl a job that involves organizing and cleaning and she’s your man! Everyone involved with Team Express….from the owners, friends, friends of friends, coaches, mom, Jake and last but not least Doc were really unbelievable! Heather has as good of a group and crew as I do…..and that’s pretty hard to believe!

As many of you know there is a “Closest to the Score Competition” that we are running…..we had a few problems with the launch at Twin Rivers, however for those of you who donated your score amount…..we will accept a revised score for Woodside and you will still be eligible for the basket at Woodside. Visit the fundraising tab on my website for more information. The sponsor basket is valued at over $500 and it's a fun way to follow the progress of Dinero and I.

I will be going to coach at Galway Downs this weekend and looking forward to focusing on just that “coaching”! We had a successful schooling this past weekend and everyone who is competing should be feeling very prepared!

We have some exciting news to announce in the next month so stay tuned for that……..until then......

Kick on and stick on! J

Go to http://nextleveleventing.blogspot.com/ to follow updates. That way you can get up to the minute details about shows that we are at as well as updates news.
Simply click on the link above and go to Follow! Its super easy! Thanks for following!

Tamie :)

It’s about that time to reflect and look onto the future………

Galway Down’s was a very good event….educational and an overall good performance from all of my horses. Of course I’m crazy competitive so I’m never completely satisfied unless it’s a 1^st place, however nonetheless, pleased!

John Camlin came to our farm and helped sharpen me up on my show jumping…..a smack on my elbow and my chin and I was sitting and looking up with good equitation pretty quickly. Of course everyone enjoys when they see me get reprimanded. I think it’s a good part of learning, both for my students and me.

 We headed off to Galway and I was able to ride with “The Captain” (Mark Phillips that is) since he was out for training sessions. The insight helped tremendously and I really felt that I made more progress with my riding.

Mar De Amor, affectionately known as “Dinero” or “D$” “Super D” or “Handsome” and the list goes on……of course every horse in our barn has multiple silly names, but it’s what we do.

So “Dinero” is a new ride for me and I’m thrilled to be riding him. Thank you Leigh Mesher!!! Galway was our first 3* together after a short 6 weeks. I am thrilled with the progress we made each day. It’s a process to learn about each other and to develop our trust towards one another but we are getting closer and closer each week. Dinero’s flat work is coming along. He is a very smart horse and has a whole bag of tricks up his sleeve. I think a new nickname might be Inspector Gadget! Nevertheless, Dinero put in a very workman like test and scored a 45.9. We were a little conservative but very obedient and would love to score that any day of the week. The show jumping was the afternoon of dressage and I’m not certain if it was beneficial to me or not having to jump the same day as dressage. I was trying to work out a few new techniques with Dinero so some of my round was very good, and some needs more work. I plan to go take some lessons from Hutch and hit a few jumper shows before we think about moving onto a CCI3*.  The cross country course was brilliant as always. Ian Stark builds a course like the horses he used to ride. Big and Bold! There hasn’t been a time that I haven’t had a blast riding around his tracks! We are very lucky to have an icon designing courses for us here in the United States! The track rode great. Dinero and I had a little miscommunication issue at the “A” element of the angled, skinny brushes; however we quickly regrouped and fixed our communication mishap. The rest of the course rode beautifully! I feel very lucky to be on such a great minded, talented horse. He improves everyday and try’s his heart out at every jump. If there is something that goes wrong it’s because he doesn’t quite understand……it’s very refreshing to be riding a horse that has Dinero’s heart and I’m very excited for the future!

The other horses I competed were Clark Kent and Fleeceworks Fernhill. Clark competed in the 2* and one too many lunges made Clark a little tired for his dressage test. We have worked on a strategy this spring and I just thought I had it down…..I just didn’t realize Clark would actually learn from the last show and be so ridable. A valuable lesson learned! The rest of the competition was brilliant for us as Clark jumped a beautiful double clear show jump and cross country! He really has grown up into a wonderful horse and I see a bright future for him.

Fleeceworks Fernhill competed in the 1* and although our dressage was green, she sure stepped up to the plate in the show jumping and cross country. Fern is such a good jumper and careful…..she really try’s her heart out and it’s so nice to go into the ring and know your horse is going to do her best to jump clean. I have to say that having a good woman on your side is hard to come by…..but when you find it…..it’s like nothing else! Each competition with Fern gets better and better and it’s been so rewarding producing this mare the last year and a half. She is really coming into her own.

I posted 3 pictures this time….Clark in the dressage halting and me saluting. That will be my salute to Scott Kulhman who will be taking over the ride to qualify for North American Young Rider Championships. Scott’s horse “Chex” unfortunately was injured and will be on a bit of R&R so Scott will take over the reins on Clark for the time being. I’m sure he will have the time of his life as Clark is much different than Scott’s current 2* horse, who can be quite difficult. I expect great things from them and although I’m bummed about not getting to ride Clark for now……I’m really excited at the same time for Scott! I haven’t met too many people as loyal as he and I would do anything he would do!

The other picture is of Fleeceworks Fernhill show jumping. Looking at her form over that oxer gives me goose bumps! It’s really been a lot of hard work from everyone and she is finally figuring it all out! That picture is what makes my job so fun! She has really come along way and I’m thrilled!

And the last picture is Dinero and I galloping! That gallop is what makes Eventing so special. The horse loves the gallop as much as we love it….and when you get to gallop a horse that knows how to gallop it almost brings tears to your eyes! Well maybe because you’re going so fast…..no it’s not! It’s because it’s an amazing feeling! We all have experienced it….either watching it or feeling it…..or even both. I plan on galloping around a lot of cross country tracks in my future…..and hopefully for my country!

Every year we start out with a plan…..hopes…..dreams…..and every year we sometimes fulfill them…..other times we over exceed them……and some years we don’t quite make them. I have my plans……my hopes…..and my dreams……and I believe that I can attain them. I hope I can this year…..and next year too. I hope that I over exceed them! It takes a lot of hard work…and I think some luck….or maybe a lot of luck……to have a sound and ready to perform athlete on the day that it counts. I hope you all have that and I sure hope I do too!

See you on the gallop lane! J

Fantastic news has been arriving at NLE and when I reflect on my previous year....I have to say it makes me a bit nervous! But I'm going to keep my positive thinking and say....WOW and do a “jump up and down and scream” dance!
A few great things and some really great horses have come my way! I'm really excited about the up and coming season and looking forward to ending it way better than it ended last year! This sport is very humbling and is not for the light hearted.....however, everyone has told me that with hard work comes success so I'm going to run with that and push for some great successes this year!
Twin Rivers was a great showing for my horses and students. We always have a little bit of a rough go this early in the season at Twin due to the cross country courses being so close to the dressage arenas.....but for the most part, all the horses held it together and finished with respectable results.
We then came home and worked on polishing up some rough edges and were off to HITS Thermal for some show jumping. Tamara and I went and competed while Bec and Brigit stayed home and took care of the horses at the farm. Each event Bec has shown how valuable she is and soon I'm sure I will be helpless without her. I can't express how much of an influence it has been to my riding and performance to have her here apart of NLE!
Tamara and I came home from Thermal with a couple of wins and we were off to school at Galway for some last minute schooling before 3 Day Ranch which happened to be fairly successful.
This past weekend I could not have foreseen my outcome in the performance of the horses I rode. Even if I had a crystal ball I don't think I would have believed it. I competed 7 horses with 6 finishing in the 1st and 2nd position in each of their divisions. It is always a goal of mine to perform the best dressage test and to have 0 jumping penalties if possible. However, that can be difficult for one horse let alone 7. It was a truly brilliant weekend and I only hope I can keep it coming. All of the students at NLE were fantastic as well, and watching each of the horses and riders improve really makes this job I do the best in the world! So now were home and happy to bring with us all of the prizes from 3 Day Ranch. From Adeptus Nutrition, Professionals Choice, Soless Visors and 3 Day Ranch’s beautiful coolers we were able to win some great prizes!!!

I came home from 3 Day Ranch to reflect on what I can improve on and how to have the next show be as successful as the last. There are some things I can work to improve on with each student and each horse. We have 2 weeks between 3 Day Ranch and Galway Downs CIC…….not a lot of time to get things situated but happy that I have a plan and hoping the weather cooperates through the next few weeks and mostly just taking each show as it comes!

Galway Downs CIC starts next week. . . . I'm hoping Galway is as great at 3 Day Ranch! 

Til next time......Tamie