Reliving the greatest moment in my career

Soon and I with George H. Morris

 One year ago today was the day George Morris asked to buy my horse.  

Soon and I were participating in the 2017 George H. Morris clinic at Beverly Equestrian (The Plains, VA).  On the second day of the clinic, George hopped on Soonie to demo the grid jumping, and Bubba was an absolute star.  GHM is known for his love of a good Thoroughbred, and he loved Soon so much he kept jumping back and forth through the grid, again and again, and when he eventually pulled up, he kept asking me what his price was.  I am sure it was completely in jest, a charming way for George to express that he liked the horse.  Even if that's true, just the fact that he had enjoyed his ride on Soon was enough for me to remember that moment for a lifetime.

I had spent 27 years as a horseman and rider, starting as a little kid.  Growing up I idolized George Morris, Joe Fargis, Michael Matz, Leslie Burr Howard, so many other great American jumper riders.  This clinic and that incredible horse inspired me to ride with Joe Fargis, Linda Zang, Stephen Bradley.  All world class horsemen ...legends, even ... in their own right and training regularly with any one of them I would have thought an impossible accomplishment before last year.  But we did it.  And there I was on 13 September 2017, on my little Thoroughbred who I had retrained off the track myself, and he had impressed the most famous horseman in the world.

I was so incredibly proud of Soon, and still am.  I knew well before then that he was special, and I didn't need anyone else to think that.  But now not only did someone validate it for me, but it was George Morris.  Talk about an actual dream come true. 

I miss Soon.  It will not get easier the next couple of months.  But looking back, I still feel the overwhelming pride and sheer joy I felt in that moment, watching George ride around on Soon, praising him the whole way.  I can still feel the sting of the long-held smile on my face from George's compliments of Soonie, from his comments later about stealing him away.  I can still feel what it was like to give Soon the biggest hug after the session was over, so full of joy and pride that I cried into his neck.

Yeah...that had to be one of the greatest memories I will ever have with a horse.  The cool thing though?  I look back on every quiet hack, every sunset we watched out over the farm, and think of them just as fondly.  

With all the memories of the work that into that GHM clinic, and all the videos of old indoors/Olympics/etc horse shows I can find, I feel compelled to celebrate with some of our favorite action shots from last year:

Upperville Colt & Horse Show, 2017

Piedmont Jumper Classic, 2017

 Brother...you were the absolute coolest.  I miss you.  

But to end this blog on a very happy note, check out Boy Wonder back in Kentucky:

I just received that yesterday.  I have no desire whatsoever to get back in the hunter ring full time, but I think it's becoming pretty clear Siggy needs to do some hunter derbies.  His hunter potential is just disgusting in like the best way.  A good reason to dust off my tails!

...and then afterward we can go back to being the most well dressed/color coordinated, metronome/huntery 1.0m jumpers ever.

I like this plan.