Equitation Evolution

Got this idea from Lauren at She Moved to Texas who got it from Alison at Pony'Tude and I loved it so much I decided to steal it.

And considering I'm sans riding for quite some time thank to my dumbass redhead, I thought it would be fun to dig around the internets and take a trip down memory lane.

I've been riding for quite some time now, and actually started jumping a few years into the addiction, but sadly, because that was pre-camera phone there is not much photographical evidence.

Behold, the first known jumping picture, of tiny me on my tiny Arab jumping a tiny fence.

How fucking adorable. My mother probably regrets ever having let my trainer get me into eventing. I was about 10 here, and it was my "first" year eventing. This was a tiny backyard show, but I also believe my first "jumper" show. Even as a nugget I wasn't too horrible. Thank god for German trainers.

Second oldest picture in existence has to be this one...

I was 11 1/2, and had just moved up from a tiny pony to a slightly larger pony, who could actually jump. I sadly, had a nasty habit of propping. Oh to be a nugget.

And damn this horse could jump. I only have about 3 pictures of him jumping, sadly, but he had some knees and he cleaned up in jumpers. He was also an average eventer, but a rockstar jumper.

2004??

This was our first recognized USEA event and I want to say I was 12 or 13, judging from my size difference from the last photo. Thankfully I stopped jumping ahead, but developed a lovely habit of ducking.

From there, there's a huge gap in photo coverage which is sad, but not really, because I did not really improve.

2007

15 years old and still ducking.

At this point I had acquired Yankee as well.

Novice, 2007

This was our first Novice together. Back to jumping ahead!

Training, 2008

^ About a year later, 2008, STILL jumping ahead!

2009

By 2009 and a million training level USEA shows later, I finally got my shit together with my jumping ahead, but then restricted my release. Dammit, self.

2010, I was back at the awkward jump position. I had gained a lot of weight in college and I was very off my gravity game. I also was coming back from a horrendous injury and I was super weak, yay leg swinging!

Not sure what doing

Ah yes, the get left behind era

By late 2011 I had gotten left behind less, but fatter me still could not get it under control. I was either ducking or jumping ahead. I also had just moved barns.

What is my deal

This is where I lose track of what is what year, but I know 2013 was "my" year. I got my shit together. I was rock solid. I rode all the time. And jumped the moon.

I think theres a few 2012 in here, but not sure.

I even dabbled with some tricks

no hands, double thumbs up

And auto release practice

And to cap off 2014 in MO, we jumped 4 ft.

And then 5 ft

And then I got kicked in Spring 2014, barely rode for several months, and jumped in late fall with Yankee for the first time in ages

Felt pretty great- it was like my eq never left!

Then I sent him off to KS and I started jumping B and whomp-whomp, sucked again.

No but really wat is this

Come on

Full circle I guess hahaha

The one thing that remains consistent? Heels. Heels DOWN always haha.