For many of you asking, I am posting my speech/memoir about my trip to Saugerties, NY. This speech left a large part of the audience, including me, in tears. I am very happy that everyone can relate to it. If you choose to use it in any way, please credit me. There will be a picture that goes along with it in the comments shortly. --------------------------- You Either Win, Or You Learn By Sydney Marden This Winter I was proposed with the opportunity of a lifetime; to travel to Saugerties, NY with my closest friends and compete at Lendon Grays Youth Dressage Festival, located at the BEAUTIFUL multi-million dollar HITS on the Hudson facility. Agreeing to go, I didn’t have a clue the lessons I’d learn and the work I’d accomplish because of, and during this event. We originally had a large group of girls who decided they wanted in, but as the hard fundraising and hard training rolled on, a few dropped out, leaving six Infinity Farm students (plus one other from a nearby barn) a total of seven determined riders. My original plan was to take a six year old Dutch Warmblood mare who I had recently started riding. In April, as things went downhill, my plan fell out and Chelsie Oldfield offered to allow me to ride her schoolmaster Morgan cross pony, Obvious Intentions (a.k.a. Scrappy). For a bit of background him, he showed second and schooled third level dressage very successfully. He evented at training level USEA events, but could not go further due to his bone spur in his hind hock. This made me think, oh, he will be a breeze. I can just hop on and have a stress-free ride. Dreams of 90s danced in my head as I imagined halting and saluting before a standing ovation. There was one issue. My family is DEFINITELY not made of money. How am I going to find money to pay for a stall for this pony? So I set it all up, and I began my four days of chores a week. This included giving all the horses on the farm (which is a lot) grain, hay, and water. I also had to muck sometimes all of the stalls, depending on how many horses had been in the stalls that day. I forced myself to be the most dedicated equestrian in, it felt like, the whole world. At times, my friends would be doing fun things, such as trail riding or jumping, and I forced myself to not join them because there was work to do. As for my riding, I sometimes had to force myself to give poor Scrappy a day off because I always had things to work on. I would either ride early in the morning, or late at night. One huge lesson I was very quickly taught was that Scrappy was definitely not a push-button pony. He loved to pull tricks and if I was not absolutely perfect; this leg here, this hand up, other one down, perfect amount of leg, it would create a mess of bolting and tension. Even then, next time I would ride I would need to be positioned a completely different way. Thanks to some hard coaching from my two fantastic instructors, Gail and Chellie, I worked my way towards perfection. I attended many shows to prepare for the big event. It took me until early July to feel confident we would do well. I went to Puckerbrush Farm and had a great learning experience when he bolted on the outside of the ring, and I almost hit my head off of a judge’s booth roof. I went to Isaac Royal Farm and after warming up in a field, Scrappy had a Cross-Country mood and we had another learning experience. Just as things got difficult, another wonderful opportunity rolled my way. The chesnut mare I had been riding in my free time was up for a deal I couldnt pass up. After some begging and deal-making with my father, we bought Missy. She added more to my plate. The cost of board went through the roof and so did my amount of work. Don’t get me wrong, working at a barn is about a million times better than babysitting, as you probably know. The days counted down and we packed up and headed for a crazy-long drive to Saugerties. Shyla, Beth and I spent the whole ride either, sleeping or studying for the test we would be required to take. We arrived and unpacked. I was ecstatic about everything. The facility was a million times more beautiful than I imagined. Huge 60+ stall barns were everywhere. There were so many riding arenas that I lost count! There was fabric in the arena footing, something I would only dream of having. As Friday rolled around, it was time for the schooling show. This test did not count for the final score. I had an OK test, but he was very strong, as he always was in new rings. I had to constantly remind myself of the new ways to slow him down that Gail and I had developed in the warm-up. I got a 63% at first-2. My leg yield* was not good at all. All he wanted to do was run. We schooled later in the day, but it improved nothing. We then had to take the Written test. It was 50 questions. We had been given books to study from prior to the weekend. All 250 competitors were bunched under a huge tent and given the test. Testing is a talent of mine, so I aced it with a 94! I had the fifth best score over ALL!! On Saturday, I had to first ride in the equitation round. The warm-up was the best ride I had EVER had on Scrappy. As for the class, They required we sit the trot. Scrappys back hollowed, and it was awful. Courtney King-Dye was judging me. She didn’t become my idol until I read her autobiography, which I bought and got signed that weekend. I realize now how it was an honor to have her even look at me. Later in the day I had to ride the dressage test. THE test. I got to the warm-up ring.The blasted water truck was in there watering it. I had to wait. Until fifteen minutes before my ride! He was so strong. It was out of control. I tried my best to ride as effectively as possible. I had to trot over to the ring to perform my 1-2 test. I was nervous. For those who dont know me, I dont get nervous. Everyone was holding their breath. The judge smiled at me and I got sick to my stomach. The whole world seemed to stop as I had one thought. I can’t do this. I looked for an exit to the arena, but stopped myself. Suck it up, Sydney, you’ve worked too hard to chicken out now. The bell rang, signaling it was time for the test. I trotted down the centerline, and barely halted. As I saluted, I pasted a determined look on my face. The whole time, I told myself to make it count. My test was terrible. I would get a 2, and then a 7. He would bolt, and I would get himback and do a beautiful movement. It was obvious we were in a fight. We got a clean flying change in my first level test! I could barely see the judge’s smirk through my tear-soaked eyes. I had failed and made a complete fool out of myself. I was disappointed in my riding I should’ve been able to control him. I got a 52%. This summer I experienced the opportunity of a lifetime; to travel to Saugerties, New York and participate in Lendon Gray’s Youth Dresage Festival. In this world, there are always stories of hard work and happy endings. But that is not always the issue. It was hard for me to keep my composure as all of my barn mates got big, fancy ribbons and new helmets, and it took me a long time to realize that I had walked away with much more. I learned a huge lesson. You can work hard, move mountains, and spend every waking minute thinking and working towards perfection, but in this sport, there is no guarantee. Ride what you have and make the best out of it that you can. Make friends, have fun, but most of all, try your hardest.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 22:40:29 +0000