Start Box Siren Song

The frantic pace of last year’s competition season being what it was, part of me is happy to be spending 2018 doing a whole lot less traveling, training, and competing. But another, increasingly louder part of me really misses eventing. As I see my friends’ photos and videos from horse trials pop up on social media and listen to them retell the stories of their competition days, I’ve started to feel a particular itch. I’ve started to long for the kind of rush only a cross country run can provide and for the sweet relief of crossing the finish line with a pony still between me and the ground. 

And when I decided to spend my Monday evening ride this week doing hill work around our property and popping over my little XC coop a few times, I couldn’t help but hear that siren song of the start box in my mind, that familiar ring of “…3, 2, 1, have a great ride!” that reminded me how much fun and excitement I’ve been missing this year. 

I can’t help but think that Dino heard it too, the way he shot off the ground like a rocket at the base of the coop and dug in to gallop the rest of the way up the hill afterwards, strutting like he’d just won Rolex as I walked him back down. 

I still don’t know if a horse trial will be in the cards for us this year, but I’m feeling the gnawing longing to get back out there again.