Coming off a slow May, June was jam-packed for me and Bronn. This is about the time I usually feel the pressure of the Makeover, but having competed a few times, I try to keep things in perspective and remember why we do this: for the good of the Thoroughbred and to have a blast along the way.

With my move to Colorado and starting over from what felt like scratch, I haven’t had a ton of resources to devote to a training program. Bronn and I have been taking group lessons with some fabulous ladies as often as I can manage. It’s been so much fun to all watch each other’s improvements and cheer each other on through our nerves, insecurities and successes. However, I will say, I have been utilizing the app Ride IQ, and it has changed my riding. I also mostly ride alone and staying motivated is honestly a huge challenge! To be able to choose a lesson and essentially ride along with a pro is invaluable to me. Highly recommend!

I’m not quite sure how to summarize all that we’ve done this past month, but with summer weather finally here, it seems like Colorado has come alive. We have competed in our first two shows, a local hunter show and an eventing schooling show, and in both of them he was a total rockstar! In our hunter show, he ribboned in all his over fences classes. Our flat classes were a bit of a different story. He certainly is a well-trained racehorse and couldn’t quite understand why horses were allowed to pass him. ESPECIALLY the super weird looking white pony from Mars…

Courtesy of Meghan McNamara

At our event, it was our first time doing a proper dressage test, our first time out on cross country aside from a schooling, and our first stadium round. Dressage went about as well as our hunter flat class. “I want to GO!” However, we got all our leads, though one transition may have been comparable to a Lipizzaner’s launch into the air. He had a clean stadium round, but thanks to a pilot error, we were eliminated because I directed him the wrong way through the “finish line.” Luckily, because it wasn’t a safety concern, we were still allowed to go out on cross country which was extremely confidence-building for us. We had a bit of an issue at the second fence, where it took him a few attempts, but once over it he didn’t glance at a single thing and ate up the course.

The highlight of June was our camping trip to Fort Robinson in Nebraska. A group of us all took our horses for a few days, and it was horse heaven. Fort Robinson is a former U.S. Army fort so rich in history that, as you explore, you can truly feel it! Beautiful brick barns surrounded by gorgeous military buildings of all sorts, rolling hills and sheer cliffs. Each day we went out on a different trail ride, the first day in the pouring rain across a creek and alongside the herd of dude horses and mules. One of our rides included riding into town to the local bar where we tied them up and had a cocktail!

Our second day, we rode out to the bluffs which led us up to the cliffs. I may have mentioned in a previous blog, but I am so afraid of heights that if you have me looking out a second story window, I will be sweating. The trail led up to an area where you could ride out on an overlook. I would never have thought that a remedy to my fear would be riding my green OTTB cliffside. I’m not sure if there is a Makeover competition for mountain goats, but if so, I should consider entering Bronn! I truly think it’s a testament to the confidence he brings me.

The trip wasn’t without at least a few scares! At a big water trough with a giant, creaky windmill above we stopped for a break. It was dusk and my friend’s dog came out of nowhere and ran underneath Bronn, spooking him and he took off. I had yet to have him spook at anything, so I was a bit surprised and unprepared! Hanging off his side at a gallop, I was trying to find a spot to safely fall, but I decided that falling was not my best option. I pulled myself back up and got the reins back in order. He did come right to a stop when I asked and it was an honest spook, so it was an important learning moment for us both. We were also charged by a longhorn in the big pasture as we walked back to the barn. The longhorn quickly backed off and Bronn scooted backwards, but it was hardly a scare to him, and we were able to walk confidently home past the herd.

When I moved in September and I had the Makeover as a goal for Bronn, I figured I might go about it in a similar fashion as 2021: find a training program and choose a discipline early. Well, we all know how plans work in the horse world… they don’t. I never would have imagined I would have the confidence to learn entirely new disciplines along with him and be the jockey to bring him along through all these new experiences. Each year has brought challenges, incredible new experiences, and fantastic friends. We have another event coming up this weekend, but otherwise I am planning on taking the experiences from this past month and work on the fundamentals we need to get to the big show with confidence!