Up North
Well, HITS is winding down, only one more week to go. Including precircuit, I have been working for 6 weeks now without a day off. I am going faster than I ever have before. Competing, coaching, and selling, selling, selling - I am showing the horses to prospective buyers as much as 4 times per day. With 10 horses here at the show with me, I am in the saddle now for a solid 8 hours a day, and when my feet are on the ground, I am constantly going from ring to ring. This week I showed one of my young horses to 4 time British Olympian Tim Grubb. The horse went great, but was a little too green for his client, so I didn't get it sold, but I did get offered a job! It was an incredible compliment for him to ask me to come ride for him. Of course, I turned it down, since it would mean closing my business and going on the road as a nameless rider under Tim Grubb's banner. Although it would be a great experience and a hell of an education, the opportunity I have now with my new sponsors, and the independence of running my own business is a far better choice.
Thursday I went to Karen's barn in Orlando, and rode the Grand Prix horse, Redmond, again. He is the horse that was just taken out from under Olympian Todd Minikus, and handed to me. He is simply the most talented and athletic animal I have ever ridden. The only horse that ever came close to his jumping ability was Jimi. He has an explosive power at the jumps, making him very difficult not to get launched into orbit off of... he jumps a two foot X about 5' in the air, every..single..time. Imagine how he jumps the big jumps! I am going to ride him again tomorrow, and pick him up and bring him back to HITS for the last week. He is too big to fit in the normal slots in my trailer, so I had to remove the partitions, and he doesn't fit in a tent stall at the show, so we removed a partition there as well, so he has a double stall. I don't know if you guys remember how big Jimi was, but Redmond makes him look like a pipsqueak. I guess the one good thing about that is, 5' jumps look a lot smaller from his back, I can actually see over them! I don't know if I am going to show him much, mostly just spend some time getting to know him, and maybe do him in some 4' schooling classes. We are going to see if I can get ready to do him in Atlanta, in the Olympic ring in three weeks.
My friend Lisa O'neil, from New York, discovered some lumps in her throat last month, as she was watching her father die of cancer in the hospital. After he passed, she arranged the funeral, and was having a hard time swallowing, so she went to the doctor where they diagnosed her with throat cancer. She went through surgery, and they saved her vocal cords, and she is now in chemo. She is going to close her business/farm in New York and wants to move to Florida. I offered her to join forces with me at my new farm, to teach lessons that I cannot manage, and teach while I am away showing. She was thrilled with the idea, and although she is way overqualified to teach beginner lessons, she no longer wants to be on the road, but would rather stay home, manage the farm, teach, and be an invaluable eye on the ground for me when I am there. She will continue buying and importing horses from Europe, but now I will ride them, since she no longer feels she can. So, I will be doing much more riding and showing, and less bullshit, which is exactly what I need to do. I am really excited about this because I can trust her, I respect her, and we get along incredibly well. We have the same approach to training, and she raves about my riding, she says she would be honored to be MY assistant trainer, can you believe it?!?!
Well, I better get some sleep, I have two days to accomplish in one tomorrow, and have to be at the show at 5:30 am.
Bert, I love reading every detail you write, it makes me feel like you are still here with me. I have one question, do people talk at all about how they feel about why you are there, I mean, for what true reason? Or is that something that isn't really spoken about, you just go about your duties, doing the best job you can? just wondering. Please don't feel bad about venting to us, I think I speak for everyone in saying any weight you can lay on us by expressing your frustrations, angsts, fears, stresses, etc., is wholeheartedly welcomed, listening to your "steam" is the least we can do. I wish there was a way to take more weight off your shoulders. I admire you, and your chilly ability to cope with this inferno of responsibility and stress, with such calmness and ease. Don't let any of these assholes change that about you. I love you, and am thinking about you every day!
63 Years of Memories....
63 Years of Memories....
that's what I have now. The photo below shows the chair on the point which for so many years was my father's favorite after-supper place to contemplate and cast for walleye. As much as I feel guilty about what's happened, I know he would understand and even say there's nothing to forgive. He lived life fully and moved on many times. I'm the one with the unique experience of being attached to a beautiful place for my whole life. And despite all my best efforts, yesterday the 'cabin' was sold. I signed the papers and, truth be told, a weight was lifted. A new life lies ahead without the obligations, but with all of the wonderful memories. My unrelentingly positive attitude says this is truly how it is, but my heart is still sad.
There are some things in life for which the balance between the obligation and the joy of ownership often cannot be sustained forever. It became clear that I was no longer up to the task of taking care of the place quite a while back. However, knowing what needs to be done and doing it are often far apart. Finally, no choice was left. It had to be sold.
Now it's gone. No more worrying about how long the grass or how deep the snow is up there. No more sublimely pleasurable early morning cups of coffee sitting on the dock when the color of the lake is like pale blue glass and the air is completely still. No more endless repairs, high taxes, and utility bills. No more late nights around the fire pit with friends and family - warm from both fire and friendship. No more frozen pipes or emergency calls to the furnace guys. No more saunas and midnight skinny dipping that make you feel like you'll live forever while your connection with nature is confirmed by the gazillion stars of the milky way and the loons calling out in the dark. No more concerns with low well water levels or water so hard and full of iron the clothes turn yellow and your newly washed hair feels like brillo. No more finding the way home by boat in the dark after a long day on the lake feeling like this is the only place you really, really belong. No more praying that the boathouse will make it another year without collapsing. And ultimately, no more making new memories with friends, family and loved ones. No new memories, that is, at Half Bay, Lake Vermilion, Tower, MN. New life... here we come!
How do you thank a place for memories?
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