July 27, 2015

Early yesterday morning, teammate Val and I met up to get in a practice before our next big competition this coming weekend.  We went through just about every race, covering all of the skills, in a 2 1/2 hour time slot.  We flew through races with it just being two of us, setting up three at a time.  running through each two or three times, and then reset another set of races.  One of would walk the ponies while the other reset.

Val had a baby this spring and missed the first half of the games session.  This will be her first competition back.  You would never know she had her second child less than two months ago.  She was vaulting left and right.  She missed a few and had to go at it again, but she never chickened out or used her stirrup.  She probably did an easy two dozen vaults through our practice.  Her skills were also not lacking a thing.  She shuffled, placed, picked, grabbed, and turned without a miss.  Her pony Sprite, who is in his early 30s, also looks amazing.  She has been riding him daily to get him fit and it shows.  He flew through practice with rippling muscles and a flared nose.  He was hot as a pony less than half his age.

Val insisted I discuss how on point I was at practice. Several times she said how much speed I have put on since the winter.  I have to agree, I feel like I riding more to my ability and adding speed back into my skills.  Having a saddle that does not roll when I attempt to mount up, or when I lean over is also making an incredible difference.  Being able to climb on is huge.  Every time I am expecting my saddle to start sliding around.  But its not!  And each time I get a little grin on my face.  Being able to lean easier is also making a huge difference.  This is a little harder for me to keep convince myself of, after two years of sliding all over the place, but I got it!  Woo Whoo!

Val and I both rode extremely accurately.  We handed off with speed in and out, and didn’t drop a single one.  We both left practice feeling really good about ourselves.  Having a good practice before a competition always spikes the excitement.  I can’t wait to arrive at MA3 this Friday (the drive there SUCKS).  Yea!

We practiced too hard for photos but I snapped one of Val and Sprite during a water break. 

  And I snapped this one of me after we finished riding and loaded up and about to pull out.  I am blowing out a sigh of exhaustion.  

July 31, 2014

As much as I have loved riding with team Old School for the past six years, I have decided it is time for me to move on.  I value the friendships I have made with my teammates, Carol Ann, Linda and Kim, and I want to remain close friends with them.  This has become a little challenging for me, based on us having different directions we want to go in with a competitive games team.  It has been a difficult decision, but after MGAA Nationals, I decided it was time to make the decision.  I picked friendship.

We five, Carol Ann, Linda, Kim, Averi and myself, will be finishing the season out together, competing in the last three parts of the Mid-Atlantic Series as team Old School.  I think this decision will help us to end the season on a good note, and will actually strengthen our friendships.  It will allow those remaining on OS to push for the team they want, and will leave myself to find my own spot on a team interested in the same things I am interesting in right now.  Averi, not to be left out, has decided to break off with me.

This was a good time to make the team change decision, because it would give Averi and myself, as well as Linda, Carol Ann and Kim, all time to decide what we want to do, and make it happen before too many other teams start to scramble around and assemble for the 2015 season.

My new team, which has already come together in the short few weeks since this decision was finalized, came together with ease and simplicity.  Theses other riders were also thinking about joining a new team and we all fell in together quickly.  We are still working on the team name, we have a list of possibilities, and the team colors will be disclosed at a later time.  Right now we are pleased with the formation of this new team.  And I will confess, I am also interested in seeing how all the other teams shake out, and what we have on the playing field in 2015.  It should be an extremely exciting season.

Drum Roll Please…………
(I am reading this, in my head, in an announcers deep voice, with some electronic drum beats in the background)

Coming in 2015
A new Adult/Fossil team will be hitting the MGAA Games scene
Riders:
Matt Brown
Averi Zaccone
Val Hoke
Zoe Edington
Krista Wilson Muldoon

WOOOOOOOO!

additional details coming soon!