Did Anyone Capture That On Camera?

I realize I left off the second day of the Rob Gage clinic from last weekend, but that is because we didn't actually spend much of the second day at the barn. My darling daughter ended up in the Cartersville Emergency Room so I missed all the other divisions after hers. I have heard many people comment on the wonderful things the learned from Mr. Gage. But that's boring, let's talk about M and her adventures in jumping.

Since my darling daughter began riding at the age of 8, I have always worried about her choice of discipline. I grew up in a Western saddle, all four feet on the ground loping long and low and careful. When she decided that hunter jumper was her goal I cringed a little, smiled wide and dived in with both feet. While most of her lessons and shows have been uneventful, that doesn't mean she's never had a fall. She has had several.

The first was a wild thing who was walking along fine then decided to buck M through the air and onto her chest. A hyper extended neck and tender ribs were aggravated three days later when a pony names Sparkles spooked over nothing and pitched her onto the sand. With Penny, she has fallen but nothing too severe. But never off Ara Bella, not until last Sunday morning.

Saturday M and Ara Bella had been recipients of Mr. Gage's praise. Sunday did not start quite as well. Just over halfway through, Bella ducked to the right just before an oxer and darling daughter twisted to the left. I'm not quite sure how to describe what happened except to say, she ended up hanging over the jump like a gymnast on the uneven bars; her left wrist was between her slight body and the hard wooden rail. Laughter over the unladylike position was soon replaced with tears as the blood began flowing again through the wrist.

Handing Bella over to one of the girls, we drove to the closest emergency room, the hospital in Cartersville. It was an experience. Enough said. After three hours we were on our way, ready for a long afternoon putting a new garden in.

Working with Judge My Ride for this clinic was amazing, and I hope the first of many such events at our facility. This would not have gone as smoothly with the priceless assistance of several BSRA families. Here are a few I would like to single out:
The Payne Family; The Wood Family, A.J. Martin; The Malik Family; Naomi Katz; Sadie Arnold; The Eiselle Family; The Johnson Family; The Berry Family; Doug's Restaurant in Emerson; all our volunteers and students and friends as well. Plus anyone else I might have forgotten. Sorry - my memeory isn't what it used to be.

On that note let me just remind everyone, Blue Skies Riding Academy, Inc located in Emerson, GA is a 501(c)3 non-profit and we survive on personal and corporate donations to provide the food, shelter, shoes, medical care, dental care and training of our rescues. If you would like to contribute we have a paypal account reachable through our website: www.blueskiesridingacademy.com.