Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Part 1 My truck is nearly always connected to the trailer since I have a more economical car for driving around town. In 2007, Hubby and I went on vacation. since we were going to be gone for two weeks, I used the truck to deliver my quad to the shop for some maintenance. I left my truck parked at home while the trailer remained at the barn and the quad stayed in the shop. Near the end of our vacation, I got a call from the barn manager. My trailer was no longer in its parking spot. Had I let someone borrow it? Uh, no, I hadn't. From our hotel room, the sheriff's office and my insurance agent were notified of the theft. I was pretty angry and frustrated because there was nothing I could do about it, especially since we weren't even in California. Fortunately, I didn't have any of my riding tack in the trailer, but it was filled with many other supplies: buckets, rakes, organizers, hay bags, dishes, bedding, etc. After the insurance claim was settled, I spent about $1,000 to resupply the new trailer with all that had been lost in the first one. Once we returned home from our vacation, we pieced together what had happened. Since it was a gooseneck and not a bumper pull, the thief had come prepared; this wasn't a crime of opportunity. Not many trucks have a gooseneck hitch installed in their truck beds. We are fairly certain that someone scoped out the trailer in advance and realized that my truck was no longer parked in the way. Sometime during the night, the thief drove onto the property, passed by the five or six other trailers parked in the row, and hooked up mine. He simply drove away. I spoke to the sheriff's office a few times, but they had no leads. They admitted that it was an unusual crime as the trailer would need to be registered at some point here in California. They felt certain it was on its way out of state. My insurance agent, Michael Gipson of Farmers, was great. We've been with him since our early 20s so we already had a good relationship with him. He worked very quickly to get our claim processed so that I could replace the trailer. Knowing that it was going to take months to get the whole thing sorted out, I started my search for a new trailer. Two-horse trailers with living quarters are not very common; we had special ordered the first one. Right away I discovered that I was probably going to have to get a three-horse which meant a lot more money. The insurance claim was settled within about 30 days, much to my relief. The check they issued was enough to pay off the note on the first trailer, with enough left over to put a down payment on a new trailer. Much like the housing market, the price of trailers had also risen. My new trailer was going to cost almost $30,000. I found myself once again pondering how to pay for a trailer. The good news, if there was any, was that I no longer had a truck payment, and my financial situation was much improved. I did have to finance the trailer, but this time, it was for 6 years with the plan to pay it off sooner if possible. And that brings us to March 28, 2013, five years and seven months later. I made the final payment in person because I wanted to walk out of the bank holding a piece of paper saying that nothing was owed on it. It felt really good to actually own my horse trailer. It took 12 years and four months, but I am finally rid of trailer payments; what a relief. I hope I don't have to buy another trailer for a very, very long time! By the way, the new trailer stays hooked to the truck, and if I need the truck for something else, the trailer sports a substantial lock over the ball receiver - so far, so good! If you're relatively new to my blog and want to see more pictures, check out this post and this one. I've also included a slide show of photos that I've shown before.
Angela
4/1/2013 02:22:02 am
WOW! That's quite a story. You are living proof that a trailer theft can and will happen. The substantial lock over the ball receiver is dually noted and seems necessity whether away or at home. I love your trailer! Congratulations on your "official" ownership!
Karen
4/1/2013 10:04:32 am
Thanks, Angela. I hope I don't have to buy another trailer any time soon - that's for sure! Believe it or not, I do know someone whose trailer was stolen some years ago. I guess it happens. :0)
Karen
4/2/2013 10:38:49 pm
I was pretty pissed, Lauren. Let's just say I nursed my pain poolside "at the expense of my liver." :0) And woohoo for me!!!!
Karen
4/4/2013 11:26:38 am
Life would be so boring without at least SOME drama! :0) 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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