With horse show and endurance ride schedules finally being settled on and released, a general scan of my calendar just for stuff I'd be interested in has several weekends at least double booked.
Popular weekends I guess. There are a few that are non-negotiable for me. I know who will be getting my time (and money). But for some others, it's a bit more up in the air. Once I can translate the dates off my phone calendar and into something that I can see broadly, all at once, I'll be better able to prioritize.
For example:
Do I go to a dressage show that's super close to home but will require me to pay for a stall and doesn't let you show out of your trailer as a day competitor?
Or do I go to an eventing derby where I'll ABSOLUTELY have to canter Gwyn in a dressage test and risk her just flipping out and leaving the dressage court. But then we'll have fun in a combined stadium/x country course that we've already schooled on.
Or do I go to a new to me endurance ride that's not too far away (3.5 hours) since it's better than a 6 hour drive for any of the next nearest rides.
It's puzzling. Plus add in an unknown budget that I need to discuss with my partner and my eyes might be setting their sights on something that isn't at all feasible. The endurance weekends are time away from family, especially when Eric doesn't want to go with and bring the girls. But he'd be home alone for the weekends away at endurance, where it would be just a quick day trip for some of the non-endurance stuff (all less than 30 min drive) but would cost more.
The current schedule of events:
Already Planned Events Potential Events Impossible Events
February
3 - Farrier
13 - Minor Surgery
21 - Dentist
23 - Trevor Noah Tickets at the Fox Theatre
March
Nothing so far
April
14 - Martian 5k
14 - X Country Schooling
15 - X Country Schooling
21/22 - Brighton Endurance Ride
21/22 - X Country Schooling
27 - 24 month well child for Hazel
28/29? - Birthday Party for Hazel
May
5/6 - X country Schooling
5/6 - White River Spring Endurance Ride
19/20 - Dressage Schooling Show 1 &2
20 - Eventing Derby
June
2/3 - X country Schooling
9/10 - White River Summer Endurance Ride
9/10 - X country Schooling
23 - Dressage Schooling Show 3&4
July
7/8 - X Country Schooling
21/22 - Dressage Schooling Show 5&6
22 - Eventing Derby
August
2/3/4/5/6 - Vegas Trip
11/12 - Dressage Schooling Show 7&8
12 - Eventing Derby
September
1/2/3 - White River Fall/Labor Day Endurance Ride
8/9 - Dressage Schooling Show 9&10
15/16 - Tin Cup Springs Endurance Ride
29/30 - Metropark Express Endurance Ride
28/29/30 - Dressage Show Championships
30 - Metamora Hunt Hunter Trials
October
6 - Brighton to Pinckney Ride
13/14 - Oak Leaf Run Endurance Ride
Not included so far are the Hunter Paces, usually there are two, and lessons. My summer is pretty much up in the air right now. Eric gets a week off in July for shut down and my parents want to take Kaylee to visit with them in SC and are expecting me to come to see them at some point with Hazel to bring Kaylee back. AND I have to work out which weekends I can be on call at work.
It feels overwhelming, but writing it out like this is helpful.
Looks like a lot of awesome options! I keep a similar running list of possible events on a special page on my blog so my friends and I can reference it as we go. It can be so hard to choose between outings tho lol, but usually if we're flexible in planning and prep, we can end up just choosing the event that makes the most sense for where our horses are at that particular time. Looks like it's going to be a great 2018 tho!
ReplyDeleteThat schedule looks amazing. It’s hard to juggle everything but I think writing it all or helps so you know what options are out there. If you come to SC we need to meet up!
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