Florida Training Camp

I can’t say enough positive things about the awesome week training in Florida with the Pa-Am Games Team! The group of riders all got along and complemented each other so well. Everyone was so supportive, the horses are amazing, and we all gained so much from the lessons; it was fun to watch everyone improve every day. It was intense but fun - I think the key is that as intense as the training was everyone was enjoying it so much that you almost didn’t feel the pressure. It was a great experience!

On top of all that I gained an incredible amount. Rox is like a different horse, every time I get on him he gets better and better! It’s really neat sitting on him and feeling the difference every day. I don’t have enough nice things to say about the whole experience. Everybody: the selectors, Mark, even David - who has been an alternate before - were so supportive.

Being an alternate is not the easiest place to be – it’s a bit tough and you have to be careful not to let it get to you. You’re putting in all the work and you have to treat each day as if you’re on the team and you’re going. That can get strenuous because you also have to balance that with knowing that you may not go, even though you have to be ready at a moment’s notice. You have to keep yourself in balance, or it could be pretty crushing. It’s a big mental game, as well as the training, that I think I’ve only been able to grow from – it was a strengthening experience. I honestly can’t wait to be there again, working with a team and going for the team.

I will admit I was pretty crushed on Friday when I didn’t get to go. I talked to the selectors and they said it really came down to the fact that they could pick one of us - a toss-up between Lynn and me - but they had to pick one and they felt the other horse had just a little more experience, having done a couple of advanced http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifevents this spring. I’m glad that was the reason why, and I’m still happy with the path that I chose – I chose not to push my horse and do more, because it was better for him, so I don’t think I made any wrong decisions; it was the best path for my horse. Lynn and Donner were more than ready and very deserving of the spot on the team and I’m happy for them.

Now we’re getting ready for Galway, leaving on Monday. Joey was with me through the training camp and I was able to get some lessons with Mark, which was great. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about Galway – the new course is supposed to be a lot of fun, and my goal with Joey at age 16 is to have some fun!

-Kristin