Say Hey (I Love You)- Michael Franti & Spearhead

Hello again,

Today has been an unusually exhausting day. I was in the barn till around 10 because I had to clip Ms. Audie. Her and Ollie look smashing with their new haircuts. I'm so glad it's staying warm, it finally feels like Florida. I was beginning to wonder if we were still in the correct state. Our neighbor's mare FINALLY gave birth to a beautiful light bay filly with 4 white fetlocks and extremely long legs. We have been waiting for this little one to arrive since Feb. The poor mare looked like she was about to explode or carrying two little ones. Low and behold it was just a stubborn girl with long legs. Tomorrows a gallop day with Ollie and Audie. Then we leave for The Fork on Monday. Hopefully this event will be better than Poplar was. My Physical Therapist said I don't need to come in that much more, he thinks I didn't tear my MCL that bad, really it was the amazing PRP that has accelerated my healing time.

Well I'm about to fall asleep on my laptop. Hope every ones night is good.

Your aspiring Olympic Rider,

Callie Adaire Judy

Hey, Soul Sister - Train

Hello again,

I've come to realize its very hard to write every single night. I'm afraid I'll run out of good topics to write about. I have recently changed trainers, and I'll be riding with Buck Davidson from now on. I really liked riding with Leslie but there comes a time when a change is needed. I learned a lot from Leslie and I hope to learn more from Buck. I take what I can from everyone I ride with, I think you learn more that way. Ollie has been put on a strict conditioning schedule, and he will start doing a lot more 45 min and hour long trots. He will also swim more often so he will be ready for Bromont CCI ***. Because of how Poplar went, we must do the advance at The Fork, then the CIC at Jersey Fresh and if all goes well the CCI three star at Bromont in Canada. At the Florida 3 day Audie will try going at the Intermediate level again. After that event I will go to PA where Buck's farm is and I'll train there until after Bromont. From there my show schedule is a little blurry, we try not to plan too far ahead because when your in the horse business nothing goes as planned. My two four year olds are doing well. My friend Cristin Stoop has been riding them for me. She does a great job with young horses, and she really enjoys riding them. I have thought about taking them to a Young Event Horse Trial this year, I'm not sure if they are ready right now. Maybe near the end of the year they will be, if not I do want them to go into the 5 year old division of the YEH series in 2011. My young horse's goals are to become great athletes and to learn the phases of eventing correctly. I don't want to create problems that I will have to fix later on in their careers, which is why I'm taking my time with them. What's the rush?

I'm off to ride! Hope your day is wonderful!

Your aspiring Olympic Rider,

Callie Adaire Judy

Never Say Never - The Fray

Hello! Sorry for not writing the past few days. Last weekend was a rough go for Ollie and I. Dressage was ok, we scored a 42.5 which isn't bad by any means but I'm picky and that score is not good enough. Ollie was a little wild in dressage warm up and at 8:40 in the morning the shadows looked really scary to him apparently. His trot work in the beginning was pretty good, he probably was a little tight in his neck. Shoulder in to the left had better bend than the one to the right. I don't think the turn on the haunches were all too great. His canter work was alright, he felt like if I let go of his mouth he might run off. Because of that he probably seemed tense and tight in the throat latch. The flying lead changes were very exuberant, at least he changed though, he could have half trotted through them. Saturday was not a great day for us. We're galloping around the course great until the first water complex. The question appears simple, but its advance so of course it isn't simple. It was a house one stride to a large log drop into the water. You had to gallop at a good clip to get into the one stride just right. Of course when I gallop into it Ollie decides to tap the breaks just enough so we're crawling down the drop into the water. In result to that I get catapulted off the right side and I'm holding onto Ollie by my left bad leg. I pulled myself back on and kept going up the bank out of the water and over the "catfish" jump. That was probably not pretty to watch but at least I stayed on. Then Unfortunately Ollie decided to sneak out to the left at jump number 18, which was a small chevron skinny. I made it through the course with a run out and a ton of time penalties. On Sunday it was Show Jumping day. I got Ollie ready to go and missed the course walk. That didn't bother me, I just needed to watch several rounds and ride like I was at home. Ollie warmed up good, a little feisty but I didn't mind that. We go into the ring jump number one and I'm cantering up to number 2, at the last possible minute Ollie taps the breaks and swerves left sending me flying forward. I somersaulted over the jump and hit the ground. Falling in stadium jumping results in elimination. I felt like I embarrassed myself, messing up big time at my 2nd Advance. I now realize that I didn't embarrass myself because mistakes are what we learn from. I have to keep riding advance and learn what the level requires. I'm only 17 years old, I don't have nearly as much experience as the other advance riders. I will do better and I will show this sport of can't that I can do this. And I do belong at this level. I hope everyone has a good week.

Until Tomorrow,

Your Aspiring Olympic Rider,

Callie Adaire Judy