Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
It's been a while since I wrote about Blue Truck. All is well with the machine, but it's not looking so fancy these days. BT is now fifteen years old with just over 122,000 miles. BT's motor still purrs like a kitten, and its tires are solid, but its paint job is getting pretty sad. BT is starting to look like that middle-aged gentleman whose hair has receded a bit. I am so short that I can't see the hood or roof of Blue Truck, so the peeling paint doesn't usually bother me.
Blue Truck got to come home with me this week for a little bit of pampering. I got the oil changed which included checking the tire pressure and replacing the air and fuel filters. BT then got a fill up and a run through the car wash. With Blue Truck still parked out in front of the house, I hopped onto Ford's Build Your New Truck! website. I clicked this, and I clicked that, and before I knew it, the perfect truck was sitting there smiling back at me. I've gone through this before, but every time I hit the calculate payment button, I just back away slowly. My choices don't include leather seats or GPS or even a seat warmer. I just want a truck that's pretty similar to what I've got without the peeling paint. I also wouldn't mind having at least a few types of modern accessories. Is it too much to ask to be able to sync my phone or check the outside temperature? When I see the price tag - $50,000, I pause. And then when I see the $850 payment for 60 months, I shake my head and ask Blue Truck if it would like some more shade or a cold can of oil. $185 for an afternoon of pampering seems like a complete bargain.
Judy
7/11/2015 12:14:40 am
I understand completely! I remember when I bought my little red Subaru that I commented how I just wasn't really a "car person" and would be happy if it would last twenty years. The realization hit me recently that that was 18 years and about 250,000 miles ago! I attempted to brag about it, but your Dad reminded me his Dodge is twenty years old and still going strong.....maybe genetics play a small part here Karen, lol! 7/12/2015 12:21:58 am
So funny! I am not really into cars either, but I would sure love some of the newer features of a new truck. I also have my eye on the Nissan Juke - cutest car EVER! My truck is old and my car is getting there (10 years). Sean bought his X-terra when I bought my car - he's now on his SECOND Raptor which means he's had three cars to my one. I wouldn't mind all of those fancy bells and whistles, but I just can't stand paying for them. 7/11/2015 07:00:53 am
I do the same thing. It's insane how expensive new trucks have gotten. It'd be nice to have a brand new shiny truck, but it's a little hard to justify when the one you have runs perfectly fine. 7/12/2015 12:16:50 am
The only reason I hanker for a new truck is because I am afraid that my current truck will have trouble while I am traveling south toward LA. Breaking down on the grapevine with a horse in tow is my number one worry. But then I see newer trucks broken down, and I pat BT's dash and say, Thank you! i get the same feeling whenever i sit in a shiny new truck (like the enormous fancy super duty that towed my sedan a few weeks back...), but then i remember that my current truck is paid off and still going very strong at 200k+ miles. i'll just stick with that for now, thanks very much! Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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