Making Goals

"Plans are always made in pencil but writing down your goals makes your dreams achievable."

- Sinead Halpin

I just don't think I could say it any better, everybody always tells you to dream big, and sure, we all can imagine we are millionaires with a lovely huge mansion and a barn full of expensive ponies... but, how do you get to that point?  That, my friends, is the million dollar question. 

The above quote was written by one of my Eventing idols, Sinead Halpin.  She narrowly missed out on a trip to the London Olympics but rebounded with an amazing second place finish at Burghley that I'm sure had selectors regretting leaving her off the team... anyway, I digress.  Today a post was put on Eventing Nation about a new syndicate she is putting together for her current 4* horse, Tate, and a new up and coming project horse.  Sinead outlined the plans for both horses for the next few years, but summed up with the above statement.  Essentially saying that no matter the plans you lay, you never know what fate will throw at you... something she got a big taste of this past summer when she was left off the Olympic squad after an amazing season.

It really struck home to me, I've always dreamed big, as a kid I fantasized about riding in the Olympics and had a whole plan in place to get there.  But as I grew up reality began to take hold, I learned that horses cost money, and Olympic horses cost a LOT of money, and that dream of riding in the Olympics has since down graded to simply competing (and completing!) in a CCI* event--something that I know is more than achievable and not just wishful thinking.  That I now have a horse who is physically able to perform at that level makes that goal and dream all the more attainable!  And to be honest, I can't wait.

So here we have it, this is my plan for the next few years with Cash, penciled in of course ;)

2013: Start the year introducing him to showing with a few schooling shows before debuting in the eventing world at the novice levels in May, compete at Novice through the summer with a move up to Training in October.
2014: Continue at Training with the goal to move up to Prelim over the summer, focus on getting qualifying scores at Prelim which will set him up for...
2015: The CCI* event at the Colorado Horse Park in June. Continue at Prelim and try to compete in another 1* event and contemplate a move up to Intermediate the following year.

There we have it. Ambitious? Perhaps, but do-able? If I put my back into it and devote the necessary time and energy (and money), it is absolutely 110% do-able. This of course is assuming there are no lamenesses, accidents, or natural disasters to contend with.

It will be interesting to look back on this blog in a few years and see how far I made it.
In the mean time: 2013 here I come!!