Year End Awards

290 riders participated in the Field Hunter division of the Western Carolina Hunter Pace Series that ran from August 2015 to June 2016. Gem and I made all but three rides which happened to be the last three of the season.  We were out of town for a funeral for one, the next was the weekend after the endurance ride and then the last one was over Memorial Day weekend and Dusty picked up a shift at an emergency clinic to help offset some of our life bills.

The year end ride is not counted towards anything, but it is a fun ride with lunch and the ability to earn a wild card to apply to any ride the next season which gives you credit for completing even when you couldn't make it. I went to the one at the end of the 2014/2015 season just to earn the wild card.

This year it was being held at Biltmore at the end of June and I was really excited to go until I saw that it wasn't starting until 10 am and the temperatures were already in the upper 80s by 8 am when I would be getting ready to leave. Last year's year end was held in the beginning of May and a horse died on course while I was riding. Dusty was called in to aid the treatment vet and Wyatt was entertained by the RM. I just lost all excitement for going when I saw how hot it was going to be and how late the ride was starting.

So I opted for my first dressage lesson instead and forgot all about it.

Then a fellow Pacer and friend sent me the following picture:

Apparently we placed 6th!!

The ribbon is massive and really pretty. She lives next door to the barn (she was the one who found this place for us) and dropped it off at the barn for us where the BO proudly displayed it on the tack room door.

I am really proud to have placed out of 290 riders and it really spurs me on to want to participate again next year and hopefully not miss any rides. We probably would have been in 4th had I not missed the last three and could have even shot up higher if I placed at all in any of the last three rides.

Still, I am super proud of my mare and happy with a lovely 6th place ribbon.