The best part about life is you never know where it's taking you.

Hey Everyone,

I know it's been far too long since I've last written. To be honest it's been quite the emotional past month for me and it has just been easier to avoid putting anything down in writing.
But I've realized the hardest parts of life are what shape us, build our character, and turn us into the people we are to become. The highs keep us going but the lows put life into perspective.
Returning from young riders with 2 silver medals left me on cloud nine and then shortly after to come home and find out the horse that gave me everything needs to be pulled out of the competition ring for 8-10 months due to a tendon injury. That was a hard one to swallow especially after having these huge goals all season to everything feeling like it has come crashing down. I know every rider or even athlete has gone or will go through something like this but until it actually happens to you, you can never truly understand what it feels like.
But through all this it has made me realize God has a plan for everything and when a door closes another one opens. The most important part is keeping your head held high and eyes looking forward.
So that's the latest on Rif and so to all those unanswered questions about World Cup... we'll shoot for next year instead :)

As for Stentano, he is doing great. He's been my strong and steady you could say. However I did have someone come out and try him last week and they really liked him and so they are coming back next weekend to try him again. Reality hit on that one last week and caught me a bit off guard I must say. Letting something you love go is never easy... but if I find him the right home it will make it that much easier.. I hope!

So that's my horsey life right now... but mom and dad have been so incredibly supportive through it all so they have truly made it that much easier.

I hope you are all doing well.
Best wishes, moni :)

NAJYRC video footage!

Hello hello!

Well it finally came and has been uploaded to YouTube!  If you have some time and would like to watch my rides online here is the link!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSdf_YwUsJI

This brings back so many good memories!

Miss you all and see you soon!

The family is coming out this weekend and staying for a week and then I will go back home with them for a week so hopefully I will be able to catch up with a lot of you!

All our love from sunny California!!

Monica

Settling back into reality

Hey Everyone,

I'm sorry for dropping the ball on my postings here. It felt like I got back home and had no choice but to hit the ground running in order to get caught back up with reality!
I think that finally it all is starting to sink in and by far this has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It all is just so cool and I cannot help but realize how blessed I am.

So now that I'm back into the swing of things.. all is very good down here! Living and soaking it all up! Still busy and enjoying working with dad, the horses are going great and happy, and the sun continues to shine!
I spent the weekend with some of my second cousins from central Cal that were out on the coast that I had never met before so that was really cool and then Tuesday one of my best friend's that moved out to Nova Scotia is coming to visit me!!

Sabine is over in Europe right now with her 6 year old at the young horse Championships so I'm super excited to find out how she's doing!


I hope you are all well back home!
I'm still waiting for the YouTube link of my rides in KY but I'll get that up as soon as I get it!


love to you all,
Moni

Settling back into reality

Hey Everyone,

Rif and mom made it back safe and sound on Sunday and then I followed on Monday. It is so nice to be back and out of that humidity lol but I must say I miss being around everyone. There's something about being with people that have the same goals and dreams as you do, who understand how much sacrifice it takes, and who just love horses. It's a good feeling to be around a group like that and so it was hard saying good bye as they all headed back to BC and across Canada.
However I arrived back to El Campeon with such a warm welcome and such joy for us and back into the office where everyone was thrilled for me! It's such a blessing to have people in my life like this. I feel so incredibly blessed by you all and I wish I could give you all a piece of my medals because without all your support this would be impossible!!
So now it's back to reality... Rif is getting most of this week off and enjoying some grazing time meanwhile I'm trying to make Stentano feel loved again :)
I had the videographers film all my tests so they are posting them to YouTube so once I get the link I'll post it here!
Once again THANK YOU all!!!!!

<3 Monica

YR Freestyle SILVER!! 70.8%

My apologies for not updating you all last night. It turned into a very late night between the late ride, having a bit of fun at the competitors party and then packing Rif all up for her flight out early this morning! :) So the princess is on her way back to California with mom and I'm here until tomorrow because closing ceremonies aren't until this afternoon where I'll get my medal from yesterday!

So back to yesterday! Wow wow wow! We did it! We held our 2nd place all 3 days right behind Brandi and Magic! I could not be happier with my beautiful girl! She truly brought it all and let me in so we could go out there and dance together.. or prance around as Stephen Colbert put it =p.
I came into this with the goal of top 3.. I knew we were capable of it and that everyone believed I could do it but I really didn't know we could pull it off so well! It still hasn't really sunk in.. I'm just beyond thrilled and I feel so blessed to have been given this incredible opportunity!
I owe huge thanks to my family for all the support and enabling this to all happen and then to all of you for encouraging my every step!
And I cannot forget to thank Sabine Schut-Kery for training me back at El Campeon and then Albrecht Heidemann for his eyes on the ground at this show. :)

This is just such an incredible feeling! I don't have any pictures yet from in the show ring but I'll get some up soon! For now here are a few of our team pictures from yesterday!

YR Individual Silver!!

So am I completely on cloud nine? Holy smokes yes!! Crazy crazy crazy!
Before I rode today it seemed everyone was convinced I was going to medal but I for some reason had a hard time believing that. It suddenly hit me to place top 3 out of 41 riders is not easy! I guess going into the team test I had no pressure so I went and just rode but today I had that feeling of holy shit this is intense! But heck it sure paid off! We had a clean test and she once again gave me her heart and oh it was just so fantastic! A 71.2% to win silver!! Brandi Roenick won on Weltino's Magic with a 75% which was a gorgeous test and then another Canadian from Ontario bronze medaled with a 70%! It is always so neat representing your country on the podium!! I absolutely love it! Poor Rif was terrified in the awards and our victory gallop turned into a full out gallop alright... I couldn't stop her for the majority of it but by the time we hit the out gate we somehow managed to find the breaks ;) poor princess!

Thank you for all the congratulations and Facebook messages and texts! You are all such great support!
Tomorrow are the freestyles which will take place in the evening and so I ride at 7:02pm (eastern time!). One more time to get in that ring and dance with my amazing girl!!

Ready, set, and individuals here we come!

Hi Everyone!

After a morning of light schooling and wandering about the horsepark to see what other disciplines were competing today mom and I made it back to the hotel for a bit of down time and air conditioning!! 

Rif was really good today and all I wanted to do was get her out to stretch her legs and keep it easy because tomorrow I go at 2:04pm and so it will be extremely hot so I don't want her feeling too tired out!!  She is coping with everything really well which is so nice because they really cannot get out very much except for walking them around the barns during the day. 

These last 24 hours have been kinda crazy because suddenly the reality of medalling tomorrow could come very true.  You can see the excitement in everyone's eyes when they talk to me about tomorrow and I just keep telling them anything can happen let's wait and see ;)  I'm so ready for this though.  I know exactly what I've got to do but most importantly I want to go out and just have fun again with Rif and go out there like it's just her and I.  =)  So who knows what will come of tomorrow but no matter what I want to thank you all for the incredible support and encouragement especially on facebook!  You guys are such an inspiration!  Thank you!!!



Andrea Taylor snapped a quick picture of us a few days ago warming up!

Team BC at opening Ceremonies!

Thank you People on Horses for the beautiful browband!!!  I think Rif feels like a true Canadian pony now ;)

http://www.peopleonhorses.com/

 Out for our ride today and feeling mighty fine :)