December 31, 2024
What a year it has been. I feel like time stood still when I first broke my finger back in November of 2023, and then as soon as I was able to get back into the saddle and ride consistently, everything since has been a whirlwind.
So much happened this year that I wanted to approach it month by month. In summary, I can say that 2024 was by far the most influential year of my life in the equestrian world. I learned so much about myself, my horse, and the things that are important to me. Rewind with me as I recall everything that happened from January - now.
January
January started off somber. I had spent the holidays with family, and then Drew and I traveled back to Virginia on December 30, and I had plans to pick up Sophie from Jan's the next day. It was nice to spend time with both of our families, but we also had just both gone through cases of COVID which dampened the experience. I was also struggling mentally with figuring out what I was going to do next in my life. I had just had surgery (number one) for the finger, I had parted ways with Surefire after deciding not to travel to Florida, and I was sad to have discovered that I was not ready to dive into horses full time at that stage in my life. I discovered that I required more flexibility in my schedule, and that kind of career does not allow for that.
I had contacted several barns local to us in Leesburg, and I happened to find one that particularly piqued my interest: Chapel View Farm. It was close to our apartment, it was affordable, and I liked what head trainer Jacqui Ross had to say on her website about her teaching style. I had toured her property mid-December and it was a no brainer that Sophie and I had found our next stop along the way to figuring out permanence.
I loaded Sophie into my trailer on December 31st and hauled her from Purcellville over to Leesburg to our next home. I originally had her on solo turnout, and it was not long before she was moved to be with a wonderful group of mares in the paddock next door.
I started watching Jacqui ride her string of horses, teach lessons, and take lessons with other professionals in my spare time. I was riding Sophie, but mostly in a casual way as I dealt with my finger issues. Jacqui let me take my time figuring out what I wanted to do, and never pressured me into taking lessons. This gave me time to breathe and wrap my head around what was next for me both with horses and professionally.
Outside of the barn, I had been diligently applying to substitute teaching positions. I figured that since our stay in VA would not be permanent, I wanted to find something that I had experience with and also paid above minimum wage. Subbing fit the bill perfectly. I was able to get in at the Loudoun County Public School system, but it took forever for me to officially get placed after paperwork was processed.
Between working on the employment process and fitting in tons of physical therapy, I was fairly busy. Most of my spare time was spent hanging out at the barn, enjoying quiet time with Sophie, and learning from Jacqui by watching her ride. I was starting to get my feet back under me, and I was also trying to spend quality time with Drew and Wally.
February
I finally got all my paperwork squared away by the end of January, and I started entering classrooms at the beginning of February. I spent a very brief period as a floating building substitute, where I was choosing assignments as I desired daily at any of the high schools across LCPS, but I was quickly taken in as a permanent building sub for one of the high schools (luckily, the one closest to my apartment!). My background as a full time science teacher, and my ability to use a computer, led to the office staff finding me to be immensely useful to their daily sub program. They wanted to have me available. It was great for my own schedule to be guaranteed to be at the same school everyday, and it allowed me to start to find a routine again.
Once I knew I had employment under my belt, I entered Sophie into a few local schooling shows. The first was a jumper show where Sophie and I cleaned up with 2 blue ribbons in the 3' and the 3'3 divisions. She was a firecracker that day, and I got to spend time getting to know Jacqui and her amazing crew of people. The second show was a dressage show, and Sophie and I gave our best shot at two tests (I believe 1st 1 and 2), and we scored okay. I was happy to get out and do something with her after several months off, but it definitely was not our best performance. Jacqui chimed in during my warm up for the second test, and was really helpful in getting me to feel more confident going in to the second ride. I left that show with the learned knowledge that I needed to get back into lessons.
I started lessoning with Jacqui here and there, and I found her input to be exceedingly helpful. I also continued to spend extra time watching her ride or teach lessons when I had the time for it, because I was enjoying doing so. Jacqui's string of horses, which were a mix of her own personal horses and horses in training, were a varied bunch. She had a few upper level dressage rides and UL dressage prospects, some event horses, and some young and / or green horses that were finding their feet. I found myself learning something new during every ride she had. She also would talk through what she was doing or feeling each step of the way, which was great for my education.
Towards the end of this month, after several PT appointments, a cortisone shot, and check-ins with the doctor, it was unfortunately determined that I needed a second surgery on my finger. The swelling had nearly disappeared, but I was unable to bend the second joint much at all. It was significantly impacting my ability to use my hand for many daily functions. I remember crying as the wonderful nurses got me set up in the pre-surgery room because I was so beyond sick of needles in my hand. I was hoping this would be my last one for quite some time.
February is also when I started this blog. I found it really helpful to give myself something to do during subbing assignments and during recovery, but also a great way for me to get in touch with my own brain. This has been a perfect way for me to reflect on so many things.
March
March began with a myriad of PT appointments. My wonderful therapist was working so hard to get my finger functioning at a relatively normal level, and the second surgery proved to be successful right out the gate. I was able to make nearly a full fist with my right hand, and I could hold my reins in a slightly more normal way again. I was thrilled!
I then had almost every weekend in March booked and busy for one thing or another. My dear friend Jess had her bachelorette trip early on in the month, and we spent the weekend on the beach in North Carolina. It was a blast!!
The next weekend Drew and I traveled back to Mass to do some apartment hunting, and to attend my mom's biannual quilt show. That weekend was crazy, but so nice to see everyone in a short time frame. Drew and I also made our decision that weekend about where we would be moving to, which was a huge weight off of our shoulders.
The weekend after that, Sophie and I took on the schooling horse trials at Loch Moy, and finished in third in the training division! It was a miserably wet and cold day, but our team of me, Sophie, Drew and Jacqui made the most of it. I felt super prepared for our first official outing coming up the next weekend. I also was feeling very at home and happy at CVF, and our ability to not only perform well but to have fun on a day as miserable weather-wise as that one spoke volumes.
At the end of March, Sophie and I made the long (10 minute) journey down the road to Morven for their spring horse trials. We were joined by Kiera, who helped on the ground, and Jacqui came over to coach me in all three phases. Sophie felt SO super, and we finished in fourth in the training division adding nothing to our dressage score. I was feeling confident in our ability, and Jacqui and I fleshed out my plans for competitions in Area II with the time that I had left.
April
This month continued with the large number of PT visits and working at the high school, and Drew and I started to really explore Leesburg when we had spare time. We began finding restaurants, bars, and shops that we really enjoyed spending time in, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that this is about when we actually started falling in love with Leesburg. I think our first six months were stressful and chaotic but, by this point, which was also after Drew's busy season at work, we were starting to realize there are a lot of things to love about the area.
I had a brief weekend at home early on in the month for Jess's bridal shower, which was so lovely, and made it back to Virginia just in time to watch Drew at one of his most successful men's league softball games before I drove to North Carolina for Sophie and I's next event.
Sophie and I had some proper cross country schooling with Jacqui over at Loch Moy before we left, and then I made the 6-ish hour trek down to Southern Pines for an event at Carolina Horse Park. Not only did Sophie and I get to explore the amazing venue at CHP, but I also got the privilege of spending some serious quality time with my friend Kristen, who is located in Southern Pines. She opened her place for me to stay, and she also acted as my groom and official videographer that weekend. It was so good to see her, and I think she brought Sophie and I some good luck! We finished the weekend in 5th place, moving up several spots after clear jumping efforts. It was a long ride home, but it was a worthwhile trip in so many ways.
After coming back from North Carolina, Sophie got a little break and I drove up to my old stomping grounds in CT to run a clinic at N&C for a group of students who would be new to showing in the upcoming season. Charlotte had invited me up to run it again, having also done something similar the year before, to show the new competition kids around packing the trailer, prepping their horses for the shows, etc. It was super fun, and it was nice to spend the weekend seeing old friends - both human and horse!
Sophie and I ended the month of April on a huge high. We finally got to contest the prelim level again at Morven for the Loudon Hunt Pony Club horse trials. As much as I was nervous, I felt prepared and Sophie was feeling as fit as ever. We started with a respectable dressage test, followed by a show jump round that was far from our best, but very educational. I learned quickly that Sophie needed to be allowed to have a bigger stride to make the prelim combinations in the show jump ring happen - we had a true horse show 1 stride combination that I settled too much on the in of, and Sophie put in so much effort to get us over the out in one and a half strides and we ended up landing on the back pole of the oxer out. Sophie was no worse for the wear, but I had the sense knocked into me and we finished the rest of the round not touching a rail. I have not made that mistake since! We then had one of the most fun cross country rides I've ever had. We had one run out early on, which was yet again a mistake that was a result of me being micromanage-y, but then we powered on to jump everything else, even some of the harder questions we've ever had posed to us. The icing on the cake that day was having our friend Elaine and her puppy Azula come support us - so fun!
May
May was special, with two very significant events. The first of which was one of my best friends' weddings! Jess and Joey had the loveliest wedding up in Mass, and I was lucky enough to be by her side as a bridesmaid. Drew and I had an amazing weekend celebrating them, and it was once again so nice to get back home that weekend.
The second event was my goal for our year in Virginia: Sophie and I were going to contest our first FEI together. We spent a wonderful weekend at Virginia Horse Center, surrounded by family and friends, and finished in 7th place with just a second and a half of xc time and two rider rails. Drew, Wally, Kiera, my mom and dad, and their pups, cheered us on as we jogged down the strip, pranced down the centerline all dolled up, galloped through the terrain at VHC, and sailed over the beautiful jumps in the class sj ring. It was the most impressive venue Sophie and I have seen, and we had a blast. I think my favorite part was making so many new friends. I love having so many people I can continue to cheer on from a distance these days! Another stand out moment for me was heading up to dressage - Jacqui was able to join us that day, and she and Kiera worked together to make Sophie look just beyond stunning. I was so proud to ride that horse up to the dressage ring, especially donning my green shad that I had been dying to wear. That weekend will be a highlight for me for a LONG time.
June
June was busy. Drew and I had started packing for our move, and I was nailing down Sophie and I's next home. I had it planned officially at this point that we would be moving into Apple Knoll by July 10, so I wanted to make the most of the time we had left in VA.
I started the month off with a run around prelim at Middleburg HT, where Soph and I only added one rider rail and some expected xc time to our dressage score. I was thrilled with her jumping efforts on cross country, and her stadium round was the best she's had yet - the rail was due to my leaning off to one side, I was kicking myself so hard for that one because she was truly jumping out of her skin!
I then started to have some more time on my hands as the school year was coming to a close. I had enjoyed my time as a sub in the Loudoun County school system, and I made a lot of friends while I was based at Heritage High School in Leesburg. My supervisor there even wrote me a lovely letter of recommendation that I think helped me secure the job I got at my current place of employment!
Drew and I really started spending more time enjoying Leesburg and the surrounding towns during the month of June. We brewery hopped around and found some great places to eat and drink in the area, particularly this one bar above a restaurant in downtown Leesburg that had the best vibe. We tried nearly every restaurant in a 10 mile radius, and took Wally for a lot of walks around the local neighborhoods.
I also decided to put myself into bootcamp with Jacqui. The days were quickly getting hotter, and she had a lot of horses to ride. I am so grateful she trusted me enough to let me sit on any one I wanted, and I started joining her in the mornings to get the horses done before the real heat kicked in. She was also kind enough to give me pointers on each one I sat on. Jacqui is known for riding anything that comes through her barn, and some of her horses were very tricky to ride, but it made me a much better rider for it! I really think those few weeks of riding all of her horses really enhanced my ability to ride Sophie on the flat, because many of those horses did not let me get away with my usual mistakes. It was one of the best learning experiences I've ever had in the saddle.
At the end of June I made a surprise trip down to Atlanta to visit Bella while she showed Medici at Bouckaert HT. She had no idea I was coming, but her team did, and it was so worth the trip! I just stayed for the weekend, but it was so fun to watch her be successful with Medici in person. Plus that venue was just stunning, and I'll have to get back there someday.
July
July was a big month. I had one more FEI to get to, and we were moving back to Mass. There was A LOT to do in a very short amount of time. Drew and I still tried to get out and enjoy our favorite spots in and around Leesburg one last time during our last 10 days there, and I was spending most days still at the barn and then home packing. I did allot time to go visit my old pal Winslow at the retirement farm during our last few days there as well, which was good for the soul.
The weekend of July 5 was HOT, but Sophie felt beyond ready to conquer the 1* at Maryland International. It was a cool thing to experience the short format at an FEI especially since I had the long format treatment at Virginia Horse Center just a few months prior. Sophie and I did our dressage test on the Friday, and then had both jump phases nearly back to back on the Saturday. The Young Rider Championships were also happening that same weekend, and it was great to catch up with a few Area 1 people while we were there. Sophie and I ended up taking home a pretty white ribbon after moving up several places and having one of the fastest xc times of our division! I was so proud of my little spotted unicorn that weekend. Our time in VA culminated in a huge successful outing at a fantastic venue.
The morning of July 10th, I got up early and said my goodbyes to Jacqui and the ponies at Chapel View Farm. It took me about 8 hours to get up to Apple Knoll, and Sophie was a great passenger in the trailer the whole way.
It took Drew and I very little time to get settled, as most of our family and friends are local to this area, so it was really just the animals that needed a minute. Wally was a lot happier immediately in our Walpole apartment than he was in Virginia, mostly because of the door being sealed to the wall better, but he still was unhappy that other dogs lived in 'his house' (according to him, the whole building is his). Sophie took some time to settle at AKF, but I was so happy to see that she was keeping the nasty faces to a minimum and that the barn staff were already starting to like her.
Sophie had a fair bit of time off, so I focused on my new job at MassBioEd for most of the month. I was spending a lot of time in Cambridge, and I liked my coworkers and what I was doing right away. Things were really looking up.
I started getting Sophie back out towards the end of the month, and that was about the same time I really started to get to know a lot of people at Apple Knoll. It didn't take long before I made some great friends! Apple Knoll has such an amazing community, and I am lucky to be a part of it.
August
August was all over the place. Drew and I started the month off by heading to Iowa for the Hinterland music festival. It was really fun, and a cool experience, but we still felt frazzled on our return home since we still had moved less than a month prior to traveling.
Sophie and I were still settling in at AKF and trying to get into a routine, I was still trying to find a groove at my new job, and we were prepping for Town Hill at the end of the month. I had big plans for the end of our fall season, and I was fitting in conditioning rides and jump prep where I could. Apple Knoll has acres of trails and cross country elements starter through training level, so I was lucky enough to be able to school at home as needed. We had one jump school in a clinic with Jerry Schurink, and then we popped around some of the cross country elements on our own.
Everyone knows how Town Hill went, and that weekend certainly did not go as planned. It was fun to spend the weekend with our old friends in Connecticut, but any dreams I had of a spectacular fall season came crashing to a halt as I fell off of Sophie towards the end of our cross country ride at Town Hill, breaking my foot. The experience gave me fast friends, a new plan, and perspective on how I should prep for the spring. Surgery took place right at the end of the month.
September
September was a month of recovery. I was sidelined from the saddle all month, so I spent my days at the barn grooming Sophie and watching other people ride when I could. It was really challenging at first when I was in the non-weight bearing stage, but I was not going to let crutches and/or a scooter stop me from seeing my horse. I got a lot stronger with my upper body during those few weeks of non-weight bearing, and Sophie's coat always looked fabulous.
I had the privilege of watching Brenna, Julia, and even Kylie at one point ride Sophie for me. It was so nice to see others enjoy her as much as I do, and I got to learn a little bit more about her from the ground seeing her go with others.
Outside of the barn, I was busy at work getting into the schools to start running some labs. I also spent some time in September with my parents, Wally, and finishing up odds and ends like getting my car registered to Mass. I also made a last minute plan to see Pitbull and T-Pain in concert with some of my new barn friends, and Drew and I saw Vampire Weekend for the second time this year, and we had some amazing seats to boot.
I finished the month off by passing the written test for my MA riding instructor's license, and I helped coach Merritt at Coursebrook where she finished her season taking home a well-deserved blue ribbon.
October
By the time October came around, I was partially weight bearing and had already taken a few bareback rides on my pony when I could. I was still being cautious, but if you're a horse person, you know how hard it is to be forcibly out of the tack. Julia was spending a lot of time with Sophie, and I was having a blast watching the two of them go around on the flat and over fences.
On October 7th, I was cleared to fully weight bear in regular shoes, which obviously meant I could throw my boots on and get back to some real riding. I flatted Sophie that evening!
The rest of the month was quiet, and I focused on getting Sophie and I back into a routine. I had way more atrophy in my right leg than I had expected, and to this day I am working on getting it back to full muscle tone pre-injury.
Mid-October I found out that I had won tailgating passes to the Maryland 5 Star cross country day, so Drew, Wally and I took the trip that weekend to watch some serious jumping action. We got to see a lot of friends, had good food and drinks, and enjoyed a weekend away.
October 23rd was my first time jumping Sophie since I fell off, and it was also my first official lesson with Adrienne. I have ridden with her a bunch of times since, and I thoroughly appreciate her approach to coaching. I am learning a lot, and Sophie and I are having so much fun!
I ended the month by reuniting with my longtime friends from high school, and Drew and I took a day trip to Plymouth with my dad to check out a few breweries in that area.
November
The month of November was full of adventures. I had a lot going on at work with teacher workshops and continued school visits, I watched my mom at a dog show, I went to watch Drew at one of his hockey games, Drew and I tried some new restaurants, we spent a day at Equine Affaire, and we took a day trip to go to the Snow Port festival happening during the holiday season. Sophie also had some adventures in the form of participation in a Boyd Martin clinic, and a trip with Julia and Percy to Westport to go run around on the beach. I was continuing to build up the number of students I was teaching lessons to per week, and I invested in new show boots. I also had my 12 week post-op appointment and was told that everything was looking fantastic.
The only bummer in November was finding out that my trailer needed a lot more work than I had originally planned on. Bringing it in for a regular service turned into getting a new trailer, and I am so grateful to my good friend Meg, and Ryan at Whitehorse Truck & Trailer for getting me on the road in a still used but much nicer trailer for Sophie and I to use this coming show season.
After spending a nice Thanksgiving with family, we finished the month at a family friend's wedding on Long Island.
December
I learned a lot about Facebook Marketplace at the beginning of December, particularly that the trailer market was still pretty hot. I was able to sell my old trailer quicker than I had expected, and fortunately to someone who was a lot handier than I am and didn't flinch at the repairs needed.
Sophie and I continued to take lessons with Adrienne and have been still working on being a little more under control in the show jump ring. I ended up having her hocks looked at due to her more exuberant than usual bucking episodes, and she did get those injections, which I think has helped.
Bella came up to visit towards the middle of the month, and after taking Sophie for a spin, I was able to borrow Sugar (the best!!) to go on a trail ride with Bella - and it was our first time riding together in well over a year and a half!
Outside of the barn, Drew and I went over to see the lights at La Salette, I had a wedding for a coworker in Somerville, I reconnected with my friends at a Christmas party, and Drew and I had a lot of quality time with family during the holidays. My parents took us just this past weekend for a few days in Newport, including seeing the Breakers mansion and Blithewold house all lit up for the holiday season.
Reflecting
2024 has been so educational and exciting, and I am so grateful for every singe experience I had this year. I learned SO much about myself and my horse, and I feel confident that 2025 will be another year of adventures and learning. I am incredibly happy at Apple Knoll, as is Sophie, and I am already feeling at home there. Sophie and I are so grateful to Jacqui and everyone at Chapel View Farm for giving us such an amazing home for the first half of the year, and I look forward to continuing reconnecting with Jacqui as Sophie and I spend time traveling south for competitions in the spring.
In 2024, Sophie and I traveled to 8 horse trials, bringing home ribbons at several, completed our first (2!) FEI competition, placed at an FEI, competed in the long and short format at an FEI, competed in 4 states up and down the east coast, moved back up to prelim, lived at 2 amazing barns, rode with several fantastic coaches and clinicians, ran on the beach, got a new trailer, worked with 4 equestrian brands on content (3 new ones this year!), and learned a lot about each other, as we continue to do so. I got to go to the Maryland 5 star, Equine Affaire, a Boyd Martin clinic, I got back to teaching lessons and coaching, I rode so many horses, broke a new bone and had 2 total surgeries that I learned a lot from, got to ride with Bella and also traveled far away to watch her compete, I got to visit Kristen, I saw my CT friends, reunited with my MA friends, spent more time with family, made a lot of new friends in several states, and celebrated two lovely marriages at weddings in the summer and winter - and I got the privilege of being a bridesmaid in one! Drew and I experienced a festival for the first time, went to several concerts including seeing Vampire Weekend twice, moved into our current apartment (our favorite one yet!), and continued to try new restaurants and take Wally on adventures. Several of my friends got engaged, and I was able to travel to see old friends (and students!). I started a new job that I am so happy at, and Sophie and I are back to a regular groove after months of up and down with injury and recovery.
I also started a blog 😁
I am so ready for what's next - as long as it does not include more broken bones and surgeries - and I am excited to continue to record my experiences on this platform as I go. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to those who take time to read and share in my thoughts. I am humbled to know that there are several of you reading this, and I am hopeful that I will have more in store for this little website as we get in to the new year. Stay tuned!
Happy New Year, and thank you for reading.
K
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