Private Practice

So my coach had an awesome surprise for us today - a special aduls only practice! As mentioned in my previous post, having to train with a bunch of kids so much younger and more immature than you is...tedious at best, so the chance to practice in a smaller group with just the adults was a godsend. Did my body hurt from training yesterday? You bet but I'm as dedicated as I can be and have no problem busting my rear end for the sport and tonight I found that all the blood, sweat, and tears are really paying off. After some intense barrel work, we got to work to the right on the horse for the first time ever, which is something I've really been wanting to do!

For those of you who don't know, the direction you generally go in vaulting is to the left (your left arm in towards to lunger), so going to the right is a big deal because everything you know compulsory-wise is reversed. This may not sound like a big deal but you have to use muscles in ways you aren't used to and that's a challenge. It's like being ambidexterous. In competitions there are even specific classes for going to the right.

Now, why is this a big deal to me? My big goal right now is earning my trot metals when the time comes for our metal test. There are two metals at that level - one for the left and one for the right and since we might have to pay to have a judge come to issue the test, I really wanna earn both at once. When we talked about that tonight, coach said my friend Christ and I shouldn't have any trouble getting our trot metals and I'm extatic! :D

Working the compulsories to the right at a walk really wasn't bad but the trot was harder. However, I must have done pretty well because my coach wants me to go to the right for our big performance coming up at the Fort Worth Stock Show in front of 1,500 people! I'ma little nervous because my comps aren't as pretty to the right and I'll only have two practices to get it right before I have to perform but I feel pretty special to be the only one doing it. He also said he felt I was good enough to be able to dance a little to the music we're using while I'm up there. I love performing for people so I'm pretty excited about that as well. I'm actually kind of glad I won't be doing a freestyle for this because I won't be able to practice as much as the younger kids because of school. Still though, I can't wait. I really think this is going to be the experience of a lifetime. :)