Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
You might remember that I lost a bunch of a weight three years ago. You might have also noticed that I'm looking thicker around the middle lately. COVID was not kind to my waistline. Sitting at my computer for 10 -12 hours a day teaching via Google Meet and Zoom meant that I burned a lot fewer calories than I would have had I been up and about teaching in a traditional setting. Sitting wasn't the only culprit though; experiencing a higher degree of stress than normal provoked the desire to self-soothe with snacks. Lots of snacks. The problem with losing and gaining weight is that it requires a whole new wardrobe. As I lost weight, various clothing items either went into storage or were donated. New items were then purchased. New breeches were something that I had to buy as most of mine wouldn't stay up the thinner I got. With this show season well under way, I had to admit that I needed a new pair of whites. My newest pair of show breeches are now two sizes too small, and no amount of sucking it in would make them fit. Fortunately, I had saved all of my larger sized breeches, so I've been wearing those. One pair though is pretty old - I think I bought them in 2014. The other pair, the Ovation DX Celebrity Slim Secret Full Seat Breeches, are slightly newer and fit my thicker waistline. Even having been through several show seasons, they've held up well. Besides white, I also own these breeches in gray and navy. I really like them. They're stretchy and quite comfortable. I liked them so well that last week I bought a new pair in white to replace the Horze breeches bought in 2014. Finding white breeches that are cool enough for our summer heat but not see-through is challenging enough, but when you also want them to be budget-friendly and easy to wash, you're almost asking the impossible. The Ovation Celebrity breeches check all of my boxes: they fit, they're not see-through (unless you wear really dark colored undies), they're budget-friendly at $119.95 (less because I had a 15% off discount code), and they wash up pretty well. My old pair, the ones on the right, have been washed dozens of times. Considering that the old pair has been worn and washed a bunch of times, they still look pretty good next to the brand new pair. While I am glad to have a new pair of breeches that look less dingy than my oldest pair, it still stings a bit to have to buy new ones just because the perfectly good ones are too small.
Thanks a lot, COVID. You're despicable for so many reasons. 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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