2012 Sydney CDI3* Invitational

2012 Sydney CDI3* Invitational

Hello again everyone! I decided it was appropriate to start my blog back up again after Dressage Canada announced that Esmee Ingham and I would be representing Canada at the 2012 Sydney CDI3* Invitational Dressage show May 3rd-6th in AUSTRALIA!!!

Oslo, Cashew, and I have all gone through some large life changes over the past few months so I should fill in some of the gaps for those of you who have been asking me the question: "What is next in your dressage career?"

After qualifying for the 2011 Canadian Pan Am Selection trials, I decided it would be best for all of us to take a bit of a break! Oslo is no spring chicken anymore (even though he may act it on a regular basis) and Cashew is in the opposite boat; she is still very young and needed a mental and physical break after a long training season in California, along with her first outing in the FEI ring in Alberta at the FEI 4 year old level. Therefore, Oslo and Cashew hung out in the pasture while I took off for a quick trip to Europe (I did ride and visit a few barns while I was there, but it was mainly a backpacking travel trip).

Additionally, I decided to focus on my engineering career for the next few years and took a job with EBA Enigneering in Calgary in January. I knew I could not maintain my sanity without moving Oslo and Cashew with me, consequently, they both also made the trip down to the big city with me. They are now happily settled into Trakehner Glen and we are all back in full training at the beginning of January. Juggling my riding schedule with work keeps me busy, but I absolutely love having the horses here and it is the only way we can all still be in full training. I need to thank my parents for continuing to be so supportive of my engineering career along with my dressage passion! Mom regularly comes down to the barn to watch the horses go and provide me with the necessary "eyes on the ground". Dad still seems like my biggest fan and is always willing to be Oslo and Cashew's chauffeur, running us around to clinics (and shows in the future!). I could not even come close to sustaining my work and play schedule without all the help I get from both of them!

Ok, so now for the big, exciting news! After submitting my qualifying scores from my show season with Oslo last year, I was notified at the end of March that I would be joining Esmee in attending the 2012 Sydney CDI3* Invitational Dressage show on behalf of Canada! Along with all the excitement and happiness that overwhelmed me after receiving the news, I did realize that this will be my first international show experience without my show partner in crime, Oslo! Due to extreme quarantine restrictions and financial implications, Oslo will not be attending the show with me. PSG/I1 level horses will be provided at the show and I will just have to adjust to the new horse in a few days. We are provided with the horses on Monday and our first test is on Thursday. Therefore, this will be a true test on my riding and I am hoping my experience riding Bonafide and Oslo at the PSG/I1 level will benefit me. My diversified past riding experience is one of the reasons I was chosen by Dressage Canada to attend the competition (along with submitted competition scores), so I hope I can adjust accordingly and excel in the show ring by Thursday! Fingers crossed for a nice horse too, haha!

I fly out this evening (Tuesday, the 24th) and my parents will be tagging along to watch the competition and provide the terrific and loving support that they always do at the big competitions!

I have provided some links about the competition for those of you who are interested. I will try and update the blog regularly and post pictures when possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RuDGIrGas

http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2012/04/23/seidel-wassenaar-and-ingham-canadian-invitees-2012-cdi-sydney

Thanks to everyone who has sent me best wishes already and I appreciate all your support! I promise I will represent Canada to the best of my ability!

See you for now!



Lindsay