You have to concentrate on the positives in what you have

The heartache and joy of show jumping

buy canada goose jacket That much needed realization came as I lay on the ground just weeks after losing my best horse, Avensis 4. He was the horse that helped me start the climb to the highest levels of equestrian sport. buy canada goose jacket

buy canada goose jacket cheap He instilled the confidence in me that I could really do canada goose outlet houston this. I jumped my first 1.60 metre competitions on him, my first World Cup qualifying event, and my first $1 million Grand Prix. I thought he would be the horse that would take me all the way to representing the Canadian Show Jumping Team on the world stage. buy canada goose jacket cheap

canadian goose jacket Instead, in September of 2013, as we soared over an open water canada goose outlet online reviews jump, something went wrong. As we landed, we both came crashing down. I was pretty badly injured, and I was canada goose outlet new york city unconscious for a rather long time; canada goose outlet near me something that proved to be a blessing in disguise. canadian goose jacket

canada goose black friday sale Because what I didn know as canada goose outlet in vancouver I was out cold on the ground was that Avensis 4 a horse that I not only relied on in the competition ring but was also deeply emotionally attached to canada goose outlet price had broken his shoulder and had to be euthanized on the spot. canada goose black friday sale

Canada Goose Outlet As I struggled with the loss of Avensis, I remembered that it was not the first time I have overcome obstacles, and it certainly would not be the last. Canada Goose Outlet

Canada Goose Jackets At 18, when I was just beginning my competitive riding journey and my canada goose outlet in new york quest to be a part of the Canadian equestrian team, I canada goose outlet online uk was thrown hard and fast from a young horse, head first into an arena wall. I can still remember thinking, my God, I going canada goose outlet official to snap my neck! as I went careening toward the edge of the arena. I tucked my neck as I hit the wall and fell to the dirt, and I didn break canada goose outlet my neck. Instead, I broke my back, a 90 per cent compression canada goose outlet legit fracture on canada goose outlet uk sale L3 vertebra. I was told I would have been canada goose factory outlet paralyzed if the damage had been one vertebra higher. Canada Goose Jackets

canada goose coats on sale It was a near miss and a miraculous one, and it was also at major devastation at the beginning of my career. Injuries and broken bones are part of the sport, but this one left me canada goose outlet authentic sidelined for several years. It also, for the first time, implanted a sense of fear. I was fearless growing up riding, but something changes once you realize how seriously you can get hurt; you become a lot canada goose outlet location more cautious. canada goose coats on sale

canada goose clearance sale But when something is so much a part of your life, and you love it as much as I love riding and competing, it hard to stay away. There canada goose outlet store uk a little canada goose outlet in uk bit of a hole in your life if it gone. Injuries didn matter. I just wanted to get back into horses. canada goose clearance sale

canada goose deals The first time that I got back on a horse, years after breaking my back, I was absolutely terrified. I didn think I would be, but when it actually came time to put my foot in the stirrup and get on, it felt like people were punching me in the stomach. For about five or 10 minutes, I felt like I was going to be sick. Then all of a sudden, that feeling went away. All of the things I had learned while riding as a teenager were still there, and it just felt comfortable again. canada goose deals

canada goose clearance With Zilversprings, I represented Canada in Nations Cup team competition for the first canada goose outlet store quebec time in Slovakia in 2015, jumping both rounds of competition without knocking down a fence. We repeated that perfect performance at the 2016 Nations Cup in Gijon, Spain, where was the only horse to jump clean throughout the entire competition. We were also named as the travelling alternate for the 2015 Pan American Games team, which https://www.gooseyou.com was a huge goal and accomplishment for me. Then, last summer, jumped all three rounds of the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows in Alberta without a single rail down. We placed second. That was also an canada goose parka uk absolute dream come true. canada goose clearance

canada goose coats At that same time however, while one dream was being realized, I watched another one slip through my fingers. I spent the summer of 2016 bringing Zilversprings back from canada goose jacket outlet uk an injury, playing a bit of catch canada goose outlet store montreal up throughout the summer, hoping his performance and fitness would peak during the week of the 2016 Rio Olympic selection trials. canada goose coats

Canada Goose Parka In my heart, I knew I just needed one more week to get the fitness that I needed on him and sure enough, I was right. His second place finish in the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, one of canada goose outlet toronto the best performances of his life, came canada goose jacket outlet toronto one week after canada goose outlet london uk the Olympic selection trials. If we canada goose outlet 2015 had shown that same form one week earlier, perhaps a spot on the Canadian canada goose sale uk Olympic team could have been ours. Canada Goose Parka

canada goose store It was a heartbreaking realization, but that when you have to step back and take things day by day. You have to concentrate on the positives in what you have accomplished. You have an end game in mind, but if you get too concerned about the big picture, it can become canada goose uk site overwhelming. You have to break it down and just keep working at things day by day. I always remind myself to enjoy the incredible time canada goose outlet mississauga that I have with my horses. At the end of the day, the horses are what canada goose outlet phone number keep me canada goose outlet online at it, reaching for my goals. canada goose store

canada goose So, that where I find myself today. I enjoying the process and not letting any hurdles get in my way. This summer, I would love to make the Canadian team for the prestigious Nations Cup event in Aachen, Germany. canada goose

Canada Goose sale Then, if I have the horse power and I could be a helpful team member for Canada at the Nations Cup jumping final in Barcelona that would be an canada goose outlet trillium parka black honour. And my ultimate goals are still competing at the world championships next year and vying for the next Olympics. Canada Goose sale

Canada Goose online If we get there, it will have been by way of a bumpy road, but I always remind myself what I tell other riders, especially young riders starting out in the sport: It a really hard journey, but it worth it. You need to be determined and resilient because the person that keeps going and keeps trying is the one who is going to get there Canada Goose online.


Leave a Reply