And we are off!

   The packing continues! I was standing in a pile of endless polo wraps, blankets, and boots thinking to myself; I have something to cover any possible event or emergency that might arise for Sjapoer.  Yet, I am taking a bottle of aspirin and a few bandaids for me.  

    Sjapoer has just been loaded onto the transport and is headed to the airport!  On our last riding day in Florida, we had the opportunity to go canter on the track at Palm Beach Equine.  It was so nice to be able to stretch Sjapoer's legs before he left. Mom had been spoiling him with treats and had been banned from giving him any more. She enjoys turning Sjapoer into a Cookie Monster. Every time she comes to visit in the past four years we are usually packing to move somewhere; it is so common that the animals get all excited and feel displaced when she comes because they know something is up.  Odessa, my little schnauzer saw mom in the parking lot when she arrived, grandma was out walking her, and she heard mom’s voice and made a beeline for the car and stood at the door waiting to head out!  It was really funny.

    Speaking of moving, today I say goodbye to Wellington.  What a unique place for the equestrian world.  The format of packing so many shows into one place in such a short time is really intense.  It is also challenging, demanding and a whole new level of well ‘everything.’  Like everything it has its goods and not so good things.  It can be demanding yet distracting. It can be rewarding yet defeating.  But I would suggest anyone who can manage to have a season here or even part of one to do so.  It is a great teacher, a great eye opener and you will learn a lot about yourself and our sport.

    I am beginning to get the excited nerves about the new adventure ahead.  I am excited to get to spend time with my teammates and get to know one another. Friendship to me is one of the greatest benefits of life.  I hope we can get a little down time in Germany to spend bonding and developing those friendships. Auf Wiedersehen!

    

ThinLine Book Drive!!

The world is becoming a more diverse and tolerant place, yet we still have so far to go.  I think one of the reasons we are becoming more accepting is because we have become more educated and thus more understanding of the differences, histories and uniqueness around us.  As we learn about who people are, as we learn about why and how things and people became what they are we understand and with understanding perhaps we gain empathy.  

One of the things I hope to educate people about is the needs of Native people here in the United States.  As a part Ojibwa this is very personal for me. I could write for pages (and my mom could speak for days) on the state of the Native American being the result of the genocidal practices of the US government.  She could speak to you about the boarding school tortures, the coordinated effort to take land and to keep the Native and African from uniting.  She could talk about the growing crime on reservation land in the “Breaking Bad” style as nontribal criminal elements cannot be prosecuted by the tribal governments.  But I don’t hold the knowledge she does about the story of the Native people.  What I do know is that I can do something to help, to understand and to leave a mark by making the life of another better than I found it. 

I hope you can join me in this quest.  The Pine Ridge Sioux are some of the poorest people in the entire United States.  Their education system is sadly lacking in all the basic supplies we have at our finger tips.  They don’t have computers and the technology we take for granted in their schools.  Heck, they don’t even have enough paper and books.  So I want to join with ThinLine in their goal to promote a book drive for the population of the Pine Ridge Reservation. I found the ThinLine effort in an article on dressage daily.  I put the link below if you want more information.  I also put the direct link on the ThinLine site for more information about their efforts.  I hope to organize a book drive at my mom’s university and to further promote the effort whenever I can.  If you are interested in helping out contact me directly on my FB or email!  aydenmouse@yahoo.com

http://dressagedaily.com/article/thinline-lakota-project-bringing-native-american-artisty-pine-ridge-reservation?page=1

https://www.thinlineglobal.com/native-american-horse-tack/

Thank you!!

I am going to Europe as part of the Young Rider Tour.  I was so blessed to be selected, along with Catherine Chamberlain and Bebe Davis to represent the US in international competition this summer in Germany.  This is a dream come true. I mean really, I have written dozens of applications for things in the last few years and they always ask my long and short term goals.  My answer is always ‘to someday get the opportunity to compete for the USA in international competition.”  So here is the dream!
Now comes the time of getting everything ready to go! I am sad that I won’t be coming back to Florida after as I will return directly to California from Europe so I am packing up the apartment here at the same time.  Ugh, I am digging in my closet and sorting my stuff into different piles for boxing. Let’s just say it is a bit crowded here.
Jessica Hainsworth, the best sidekick and friend on the planet is coming with me to groom.  We met at the first RDHMW almost 5 years ago.  She has been at every major competition I've been to.  I am really excited to see her as we were supposed to visit over spring break but things got in the way.  We haven’t seen each other since our trip to Spain last summer.
I need to take a moment to thank everyone who helped make this dream a reality.  Mom and dad you are really great supporters of my goals and dreams.  I appreciate that you don’t make it too easy for me and that you have made me work hard, stretch and sacrifice for my dreams.  It makes them all that much more satisfying.  Grandma you know that I am the luckiest granddaughter on the planet.  I get to see you every day, and I have your unconditional love and support which is the foundation of my daily life. Endel Ots a huge and never ending thank you because without your last minute rescue I wouldn’t have even been able to qualify to go. Sheryl and Lori you have been amazingly supportive these last two years through the most difficult ones of my career. I have faced some challenge in growing up, in my career, and in my personal life and you have both stood by me and been a light in the tunnel to guide me.  I will never forget all your kind words, support and belief in me.  It really means a lot. Christine all I can say is I love you and I cannot wait to get home.  We have some great years ahead and I couldn’t think of anyone in the world I would want by my side and in my corner more than you. You are my inspiration and I strive to be even just a tenth of the kind of person you are. Thanks to all my amazing sponsors Nike for taking a chance on me and our amazing sport and for all you do for athletes worldwide.  Custom Saddlery thanks for always making Sjapoer look and feel great.  IRH for being both supportive and fun!  HGF for the support in my season in Wellington. Charlotte Bredahl for all the work you put in with Sjapoer and I this season.
Last but not least Lendon, I have to take some time to say how very much you have meant to me and to this sport.  I came to you a little over four years ago from Texas and you have shaped every day of my life since then.  Without your support, your guidance and your patience I would most likely have not been able to stay in this sport and I would not have achieved all I have done.  You have inspired, pushed, cajoled and dragged so many of us through so much.  All my love, respect and support in any way you need forever!