Hello again, all!

So after a whirlwind September and October, I finally have had a chance to sit down and update the site! All of the photos and videos from the American Eventing Championships and Fair Hill International are now cached under their appropriate pages — I was gloriously reliving Wort’s great moments in dressage and show jumping while uploading the videos :).

Speaking of Wort, he is doing marvelously here in Florida and has adjusted to his East Coast life quite well. He had his shoes pulled and is spending some down-time in the pasture with several other geldings and seems to be thoroughly enjoying his vacation; his mother is the one itching to get back in the tack and work on all the things we learned this year!

In the meantime, we still have a handful of horses in work here at BDJ Equestrian. I am getting to know the other girls (and guy) really well, especially since we all share a house! They are a fun bunch and have been a huge part of me being able to be comfortable so far away from home; it isn’t easy showing the new kid the ropes in the middle of two big FEI season-enders and moving the barn from PA to FL, but they have done a great job at getting me into the swing of things and making me feel at home. I am really looking forward to kicking off 2014 with them.

Hopefully as each of you come to the close of the year and the last shows of the season you are able to look back on all that you have accomplished in 2013 and be satisfied. I hope that each of you came by both equal amounts of success and failure, for it is only through our struggles that we can truly grow and challenge ourselves to be better, and it is only through our successes that we can be encouraged to keep trying harder! I will be the first to admit that 2013 did not bring the sort of results I had dreamed of, but it would be shortsighted of me to say that I am disappointed by the way my year ended. I am coming out of this year a wiser and more experienced rider than I went into it, and that can never be a bad thing.

Especially now, as we all begin sit down with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving and upcoming winter holidays, I encourage you to reflect on the positives and negatives of 2013. What were the new ideas and helpful lessons you took away from the year? What are you hoping to improve upon next year? Who were some of the people who made a positive difference in your life these last twelve months, and how will they shape the way you live and ride in the next twelve?

Though I can’t be with each of you in person, I am sending out a toast to healthy and happy horses, smart living, smart riding, and to all the loves ones (two-legged and four) that make your life rich with joy.

Happy Trails,

Katy and Wort