I’ve been riding since I was 8 years old, and in 2019 I had the exciting opportunity to start Eventing! I’ve found it to be a thrilling blast with so many opportunities to learn across the three different phases.  My adventures in Eventing started because of my horse Nemo. 

I found my buddy Nemo just shy of nine years ago, and his original life plan with me was to be a fun project. At the time, I just wasn’t quite sure what kind of project he would be. We bonded very quickly, so I knew it certainly wouldn’t be a sales project. We tried doing some local open shows, versatilities, trail riding on the cranberry bogs, and also just enjoying each other and playing with riding bridleless and bareback.  Nemo’s a bit of a worrier sometimes, very much wants to please his rider, and can get worked up easily.  As the years went on, I started finding that he liked faster-paced disciplines, such as jumpers, where he had to be on his toes a bit more, and also didn’t have a chance to think about the judge saying “reverse and walk.” (This is a phrase that used to set off lots of excitement, airs above the ground, and anticipatory antics about what would be asked for next.) 

I had been attending some summer jumper shows and some hunter paces after having Nemo for some time and noticed he seemed to really enjoy them.  I especially noticed how happy he seemed to do his big Morgan extended trot across the big fields of a hunter pace and noticed how he settled into a pace and actually relaxed. This got me thinking.  Growing up, I’d always had big posters of Karen O’Connor and Teddy on cross-country courses, and while I found it fascinating, a little part of me thought it was terrifying too.  I’ve also always loved to jump, and grew up riding hunter/jumpers, and thought the idea of getting back into jumping again, in a way that Nemo enjoyed would be so exciting. 

Fast forward a few years, and I had the opportunity to bring Nemo to a great Eventing-focused farm in Plymouth, MA.  We jumped our first oxer in a clinic that first winter, and I can’t tell who had more fun, Nemo or me.  We also got to really work on Dressage, something that I know is wonderful for Nemo and helps put all the pieces for the other phases together.  In the past 1.5 years, I’ve had so much fun learning about everything from trot sets, jump sets, schooling XC, getting that perfectly energized, hindquarter-based canter to help get Nemo’s 15.2hh Morgan canter powerful for showjumping and XC, and also (my favorite) the thrill of being out on a cross country course.  Most importantly, I love that Nemo loves it as much, if not even more than I do! For me, it’s all about the horse and finding something that’s truly his niche and happy place.  I’m so excited to say that that place is Eventing. 

Our goals for the future are to keep having fun, get lots of experience schooling at the BN level, and also continually improve our Dressage practice.  Most importantly, I can’t wait to keep enjoying this exciting discipline of Eventing and to keep on smiling with Nemo