United States Eventing Association

Missy Miller' Road To The NAJYRC - What Now?

Well, I am finally back in Florida and things are seeming to calm down for the moment after NAYRC. It was hard to come down off of the high that I felt and check myself back into reality.

First thing on Sunday it was an early morning in the barns doing final icings of legs, and trotting up for the vet as the sun was rising. After getting the thumbs up from our team vet and the ground jury it was time to sit around and wait for stadium. By the time everyone passed jogs it felt like we had been up a whole day already! The one star was scheduled to jump first and all the show jumping for eventing was to be held in the grand stand. Already nerves were raised as most of us have only seen our equestrian idols show jump in that arena with the atmosphere and having the Rolex scoreboard in the back ground. I tried to watch some of the 1* stadium but the more I saw how influential the rails were becoming for them I decided it was best for me to go back to the barn before I had a full butterfly garden formed in my stomach.

Back at the barn I sat around, annoyed Gracie by brushing her obsessively and went over my tack until I could have drawn an overly detailed portrait of it from memory. Finally after what seemed like years it was time for me to slowly start to tack Gracie up and have her led up as I walked Stadium. Well as it goes when ever you are nervous about something, it was running a little behind and I had more time to wait to walk stadium when I got up there which really translates into more time to get nervous. I walked stadium with my teammates and Kyle. It seemed like a great flowing course with a couple big oxers but nothing impossible. I kept having to remind myself though that everything can change in an atmosphere like the grand stand and I couldn't let myself get too complacent.

In warm up Gracie felt great. I tried to distract myself so I wouldn't hear how the people before me were doing. I prefer not to hear if rails are coming down a lot as I just want a clear head going in. Walking down the runway into the grand stand it really hit me. I was here, in good contention going into stadium, about to jump around, on my special mare in a place I had always dreamed about riding. Wow. As the rider before me was finishing up Gracie started to dance around and get nervous so the only way I was able to get her through the big white gates was canter her in and hope both of us would then concentrate on the task at hand. All i was thinking about was keeping her in front of my leg enough and between my hands. As we cleared the last jump I had to double check the score board as I couldn't believe what she had just done for me.

As everyone began to cheer and I felt Gracie jump to the side, spooked as she finally noticed everything around her I kept waiting to be awoken from a dream. Could this really have just happened? Being swarmed by my teammates as I walked out all I could muster was "She's Amazing!" When I looked up in the stands and saw my mom and dad all I could do was smile and shrug my shoulders, after all their support it had finally paid off and proven to be more than worth it. The following hour or so was such a blur of activity I can't even describe how unreal it all seems. I was so proud of my team for accomplishing what they did and for Gracie for overcoming all she had and proving to me that she is an amazingly special mare, that makes up for all of her attitude on the ground.

Being on a team at NAYRC is hard to explain as it is so much more than just the week at camp and the week at competition. As cliché as it may sound you really do become like family and it is something that doesn't end with the closing ceremonies. Once you are on a team with so many great people you are always a part of each others team. After succeeding together at such a major competition you realize how much other peoples support can help and encourage you and others, and you also realize that it takes nothing short of an army to succeed. I can't speak for my team but standing on the podium at Young Riders has been a dream of mine ever since I knew what it was. To have it all play out for my final year on such a special horse and surrounded by amazing people meant so much. I can't imagine that feeling ever being topped right now. It's amazing how such an experience can bring strangers so close. Just standing there with all the other riders, fighting back tears of joy together and not being able to hide our smiles.

After such an amazing time it is time for me to get back to chasing the next dream and look forward to the next event. Gracie will have a vacation before AEC's and I will temporarily turn my focus to school. But I cannot thank everyone enough for all the support it took to make my last year as a young rider such a successful one and reinstate the fact that I don't want to grow up!

Sincerely,

Gracie and Missy