Stryker is doing well right now. I fell off of him a little bit back, but all is well. and we are doing awesome. We have a little setback right now. What was just scratches on his heels, turned into a secondary infection that ran up his leg. He is still rideable, and it isnt effecting him very much (knock on wood), but its ugly and could turn serious if we hadnt gotten it under control. So right now he is getting penicellin shots daily, as well as his legs soaked in epsom salt and towel dried and calomine lotion daily. theyare getting better, and hopefully will be gone for the rest of the shows in the year.  Okay, show schedule. We arent doing Oak Run next month, or the Hunter Pace. Instead (drum role) we are heading to tryon, nc!!! to go to Harmon Fields!! yay us!!! soo that will be our first jumping show. We are starting small with 18 inche xrails and verticals.  as well as eq flats…. and then decemberr… theres the annual christmas show!! love that show… i think we are going to be doing 2ft hopefully.. just depends on where we are then. And then on sunday (For the fun of it only.) we are going to do a combined training test we will either do Test A and xrail jumpers, or Test B, and 2ft jumpers… but it should be really fun! i am looking forward to it.

Next year should be smack packed too. Big highlights are defintaly Camp! so excited that i have a horse this year!!! i wont know anyone there though but anyhow, we might do POHA … maybe.. and then the regular shows we do.. so hopefully by 2011 we willl be doing rateds!!! so exciting!

but anywho, me and my friend belle are going to see Clinton Anderson this weekend! so excited..

so thats all i can think of right now.. i am sure there is more hahaha okay i gots to go! tata

so we got to the showgrounds at like 7:30, just lightly sprinkling now, but so cold and windy. everyone took a detour to the bathroom and took the show ponies out. Stryker behaved like a champppp ,i was soo happy. I walked around in the covered arena for like 5 minutes but then informed to switch to the indoor

soo lemme tell you, pony was FAB!! i was soooo proud of him. i rode him for like half an hour, then went back to the trailer to take his saddle off. so i went back to wait fo the halter to start, which was like 45 minutes or whatnot. but there wasnt anyone in halter mares, and i was the only one in halter geldings so even though i screwed up where i was supposed to go, we got first and a cookie hahaha which was later stolen from me..(the cookie, mind you haha)  soo i had to run back to the trailer and get him tacked up again, wake him up and cruise back over to the ring for GAYP (i was doing hus, cause it was our first show. never doin that again :/), it was only me and another person, stryker KICKED BUTT and we got first and another cookie ;P haha

then we had the w/t/c classes, and even though sparky would have rocked it in eqs, his canter just wasnt huntery enough (dont want it to be either) to get that class, so we got second. had to go out, turn around and go back in, another w/t/c class,  stryker got a wrong lead, but fixed it, and he broke to a trot once, but we still got 2nd. so he had a few minutes to chill out before what i soon found out was an eq pattern (thought it was on the rail), so i had to hurry and memorize it haha but it had three people in it, and i went second. our circle was a little funky shaped, and backing straight isnt stryke’s strong point, but he was awesome. then i went and waited and they told us to go on the rail and i was thinking WHAT?! my horse is flippin exhausted! so we trotted and i was expecting them to ask for a canter, but they told us to line up and i was happy and was EXTREMLY SURPRISED when they called us for 1st haha but we got a BRUSH! arent we cool so i had my eye on High Point youth, and while i was waiting we went and jumped in the warmup ring to see what he would do, and he was AWESOME!! i <3 my pony so i untacked him, gave him bunches of treats and went and watched my friend’s classes.

later i was told i hadnt gotten high point… not too happy about that cause my pony was AWESOME…. grr…. judges, whats with em??

but i was sooo proud of sparky!! i later got interviewed ! haha someone was doing a school project, and she walked up and asked if she could interview us and i was like… uhh ok.. haha so i dont know how it turned out! probably not well! haha!

soo now, for the rest of year, we have planned, no shows in october, in norvember, we have Oak Run fun show, maybe high hopes schooling show, and get this, a hunter pace in tryon and then our actual jumping debut at the christmas show.

so yep i am really bored right now.

Stryker has hives on his neck and butt, we think since it has been raining NON STOP lately, a gizzilon of ants came up, and he, jake and prince laid down in them. But they arent bothering him (knock on wood), but still PONY HAS TO GET SCREWED UP THE WEEK OF A SHOW!! grrr i am going to go over and  water treat it again tonight, and then i am gonna ride tomorrow night, then ride friday and get him ready!! so excited for this show. Even though i wont be jumping at it

so my lesson last night went super duper well. We wearnt gonna jump, then found at the stripe gate and barrels were dry, so we ended up jumping anyway pony did fabbbbbbb i was so happy for him

so thats about it.. realllyyy borred right now. So yep haha

So Sparky (stryker) has been changed to a new bit! Now instead of his dee ring, he is in a kimberwick. and he is puttin his head down now! yay! So now he is cantering jumps and stuff, So awesome Couldn’t ride for a week cause i was sick, and then it rained like UNBELIEVEABLY!! And its STILL raining. Was supposed to have a lesson today, but now its been pushed to tuesday morning. The CUET show is saturday! Really think we have a chance at kicking the qhs butts now haha Wont be jumping though, i was gonna jump on sunday, but then mom blew a circuit and grounded me from sunday…. yep…

anyhow, heather got a new lesson horse. His name is Ryan, he is a 19 yr old qh gelding, actually he is an Acircuit hunter. The first couple of weeks he was here, i rode him to get him in shape, then it started getting dark early, and i only would have time to ride Stryker, so i ride ryan on the weekends now.

its supposed to rain straight through friday, so i will prob have time to come on and update you about nothing before saturday hahahaha but tata anyway

Strykes was awesome today! If you don’t count the starting heather decided to put the mikmar on him to make him put his head down in his canter without sawing on him, And from the moment it was in his mouth, he FLIPPED..Needless to say, it wasn’t long before we changed it back to the dee and he was perfect again But he LOVED the little swirly thing on the bit, that they can roll with their tounge, so theres christmas present potiental there haha (In a dee ring form ) .. We had an AWESOME canter going and tricked him into carrying it on the rail haha we warmed up with the bounce for the first time, it was tiny though, the first one was a ground pole and the second one was a little xrail. But this is strykes we are talking about, he popped the groundpole and darted out last minute haha, next time he made it through and each time he got better.. Jumped the BIG xrail, pony did superb. Then heather said we were gonna jump the plank, and lemme tell you peoples , it has been raining ALOT and i looked on the other side of the plank and the ground was all squishy, and she checked it out and agreed….. Later, i wish i had just kept my mouth shut She proceeded to go to the triple combination and take out the middle jump haha So me and pony jumped the triple as a line! first time doing a line and pony was AWESOME! the only issue we had was my fault, I wasn’t moving him out after the first one and we got to the second one and he had to jump it like a rabbit! haha! but i was sooooooooooo proud of him! He is doing so awesome! Then we did a quick flat class, missed our lead once but it was okay, and kinda changed directions in our back up HAHA!! but yeah, Heather also fixed his eating issue, Now, instead of eating two bites, and standing there and drooling for 5minutes then continuing, He licks up every  bite!! I am so parinoid haha

But pony is doing so well! i am so proud of him! Its absoutly night and day from what he was like a month ago. He has been a little ouchy lately because he is devolping neck muscles, and he’s a little achy

So plans for next month, I don’t think we are doing FENCE on the 12th, I think its just gonna be too much. I am going to go watch the Acircuit show on the 19th, and then Pony’s first show on the 26th and 27th!! Its the same classes and junk both days, So i think i am going to indoor flat classes on saturday to see how he does, and if he is good and the courses arent too bad, We will do jumping on sunday

And yes, a decision has been made about State Fair. The answer is No comprendo… Its just too much for him at this point, i just dont think he will be ready. I mean, traveling 3hours for a two night stay in Columbia is alot diferent from a half hour ride to clemson, But next year is def a possibitly! And its not like i will be too bored that weekend, Clinton Anderson’s tourdate is then too!! Can’t wait to meet him for the THIRD time! woot woot!

so i guess thats about it! school is started, and honestly i can’t wait for fall! i heart the holidays! so yep yep thats about it!

just bored… been working on RFB, very exciting that its finally being made

tonight i am gonna go ride strykes with belle… yup yup

tata

After looking at my old posts, i realized i hadnt put up anything about my m&g! Well consider y’allselves lucky to get an indepht look!

I woke up at aroun 8 like i usually do, mom was gone to do the groceries, so i did some stuff, Watched Live And Loud at the Filmor and stuff, then took a shower, did my hair and stuff and by the time i was out, Mom was pretty much ready to go. So my hands were shaking as i got all my stuff together Then we headed out! I first got a Photo I.D. so they would let me in, and lemme tell you I HATE MY PIC!! I look flippin horrible in it! I look like i am in lala land or something HAHA. But anyhow we went onto the long drive to Greenville, and as we got closer i got nervouser and saw that it looked like it was gonna rain, haha so we ate at Zaxbys, A Dierks Concert tradition!! and realized it was only 2pm!! so we kinda just hung out before trying to get my pass at around 4, but we were told theye didnt have them yet. So we went and saw the buses and dierks’ jeep and came back, still didn’t have it, so we went and parked, and waited for a bit b4 they finally had my pass. So i opened it, revealed my Red M&G Pass and instructions to meet brittany at section 101 i believe and stuff (and by now it was 6). Soooo we went and got in first in line UNDER the shelter thingy and waited for like an hour, which proceeded to POUR RAIN! Very funny actually, my friends who had to pick up their tickets had to stay out in it!! haha! But then the lady opened the door, at like two till 7, and took my ticket, and asked me to put the hook in the door, which i did then she scanned my ticket and let me in….. umm Okay… So haha i cruised on down to Section 101, where there was like 2 other people and i stood there, nerves shaky, AND THEN I HEARD IT! D’s voice on Brittany’s walkie talky! i was like ahhh!!! i could reconize his voice anywhere sooo then they checked our passes, and i really liked Brittany, she is very organized and stuff and keeps D on track but then they took us down the 10 mile walk to the basement HAHA but we finally made it down and they lined us up (I made sure i wasnt first haha), they checked to make sure we only had one thing to sign. There was like 15ish in line, but there was alot of issues there.. yep… Then i saw Jay.. Then Chris ( I <3 Chris ) and then . .. *DRUMROLL PlEASE!* THE DUDE WALKS UP!!! And i am like in awe haha I was really amazed at how short and buff he is hahahhahahaha but then line got shorter and shorter.. I turn my camera on right? flip it on all that… totally FORGETING to take it OFF VIDEO!! So then like two people away me and Chris are chatting about nothing horribly important haha and then the person in front of me is done and i was kinda just standing there and Chris was like “Go ahead!” And then IT HAPPENED! D looked at me and smiled!! So HERE IS OUR CONVERSATION! WORD FOR WORD!

Dierks: Hey! How you doin?

Me: Good, How are you?

Dierks: Whats your name?

Me : Devin

Dierks: K

*POSES FOR PICTURE*

. . . . . .*STILL POSES FOR PICTURE*

Chris: Woops

*MIND CLICKS THAT I FORGOT TO TAKE IT OFF VIDEO*

Me * STILL POSING FOR PIC*: Err that camera is so stupid!

Dierks: haha is it really?

Me: Yep

Dierks: Awe thats okay

*PICTURE FINALLY WORKS*

*D TAKES CD*

Dierks: Okay, so what’d you say your name was?

Me: Devin

Dierks: And how do you spell that?? D..E…V…?

Me: I ..N..

Dierks: Awesome

*SIGNS CD *

Dierks: Okay, Thanks for coming out

yep yep HAHAHA I love reliving it haha then i met some of my friends, and lemme tell ya Red passes make ya very popular! When i came out the secruity gaurd asked me how it was and i was like “Awesome but now my mouth is really dry!” and she pointed me to the water fountains then  i went to the bathroom and two girls stopped me and looked at my pics and all that! haha!

but DIERKS ROCKED THE HOUSE!! IT WAS AMAZING! And being in 3rd row defintally helped it! haha! ahh it was so awesome!

Then i later discovered Chris had taken a video as well as a picture! haha! Totally awesome!

So now, just a few pics cause i dont feel like uploading all of them haha

Well i went out to bathe Strykes yesterday afternoon. and he was just totally not himself…. he wouldn’t eat, he was just really dull and not himself… and then when i put him out in the pasture, he laid down flat, got up went on, laid down, got up and laid down again….and naturally anyone who knows me well would know what i was thinking. that horse absoutly scared me silly, i didn’t know what to do, what to think, i just knew i couldn’t do that again.

Thankfully, i was told later that he was grazing with the other horses. I was so happy it wasn’t even funny.

And today, i was rather specitcal about riding him or not, but i decided to go ahead and ride. Now i am glad i did. I must have brought up the wrong horse, cause the horse i rode WAS NOT THE SAME HORSE I RODE SATURDAY. He was forward, hyper, strechy, rounded, his jump was scopier, his turns were smoother and i just couldn’t believe it. I was so relieved that he was okay he made me cry. He was just so awesome i couldn’t believe it.

It that wasn’t enough to make my day, I heard I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes (d’s new single) on the radio for the first time!! I was so happy! Requesting it finally paid off! So happy!

So yep,