My road to the AEC has been full of ups and downs. This time last year the AEC wasn’t even a goal I had in mind. I have had some time off in previous years due to injuries, surgeries, and a limited budget, but I was finally ready to take the plunge at Beginner Novice, even though the thought of cantering jumps still terrified me. My forties were looming in my near future and I figured it was now or never.