Liebster Award! x4!!

Wow! In three days I've been nominated FOUR times for the Liebster Blog Award!! A big thank you to Katherine at Grey Brook Eventing for the first award and to AmberRose at The Way To Heaven Is On Horseback for the second nod, and Dragon at I Trot On for the third, then lastly from Syd at From Racehorse to Princess.  I'm flattered and incredibly honored that not one, but three people felt that my blog was worthy of an award! So, thank you, thank you, thank you!!

So, now this means I get to come up with some fun reading material for y'all. Let's start with what the award is about:

The Liebster Blog Award is a way to recognize blogs who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word that means beloved and valued. Here are the rules for accepting the award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link back to their blog. 
2. List 11 random facts about yourself. 
3. Answer the 11 questions given to you. 
4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate. 
5. Choose 11 bloggers with 200 or fewer followers to nominate and include links to their blogs. 
6. Go to each blogger's page and let them know you have nominated them.

 11 Random Facts about Myself:

1. I'm a closet Sci-Fi fan/geek, especially when it comes to Stargate SG-1 haha.  Lord of the Rings is my other huge fandom, and I can hold my own with the best of them when it comes to LotR and Hobbit trivia (my mom, sister and I used to quiz each other on the books long before the movies were even announced). I will also happily watch any Star Trek or Star Wars movie. I'm not too big on Harry Potter though.
2. The first horse that ever bucked me off was a 12.3hh pony named Cloud.
3. I will eat peanut butter on anything... anything! Especially Oreos. Yum!
4. I love foo-foo coffee (lattes, mochas, lots of creamer, sugar...) but can't stand the stuff straight.
5. Growing up as a kid my favorite movie was "Gettysburg" and I would re-watch it over and over, my mom finally banned me to watch it only over the 4th of July as she was concerned about her 7 year old girl watching so much violence!
6. After horses, my next love and passion is sewing.  I love to sew.  Like a lot.
7. For the first severals years or so of my riding career I kept a written list of all the names of the horses I'd ever ridden.  I think I quit keeping track when the list reached to about 30 horses. It'd be interesting to see how long it would've become if I had kept it up.
8. I like mowing the yard, I like the grunt work behind it and the satisfaction of having a beautifully even, manicured yard.  However, I hate gardening or anything of the such.  A green thumb, I have not.  But, I can make grass look good. 
9. From my Great-Grandfather on my Grandma's side of the family, I can trace a family lineage directly back to a Decon John Dunham who sailed over from England on one of the first few ships to follow the Mayflower. Further back in England in the 1400s there are direct blood ties to the Royal Family, I believe it's a relation to King Edward (but don't quote me on it, I haven't gone through it recently).  Oh, and Sir Francis Drake is a cousin in there as well.  Pretty cool, huh?
10. 
    

So, for the 11 questions given me... I contemplated just doing the questions from the first nominator, but then that would leave two people with unsanswered questions, so I thought, what the heck, I'm going for it.  So thus, be forewarned, 44 questions coming right up!

These questions are from Katherine:

1. If you could travel to any place in world, where would it be and why? Ireland.  Because I love all things Irish.  'Nuff said. 
2. If you could live in any historical period/location, where would it be and why? Civil War, or to be a little broader, anywhere inbetween 1860 and the end of the 1870s.  This would be why I doing Civil War and Indian War era reenacting ;)
3. If you had to change to an entirely new equestrian discipline, what would you go to? I'd say Combined Driving because I already love driving, I just haven't ever done a CDE.  But, if we are taking something I've never done, ever... then it would be Reining. 
4. If you could have a ride on any famous horse in the world competing right now, which would it be? Ah! So many to choose from!! I certainly wouldn't pass up a ride on any of William Fox-Pitt's horses :)  
5. Describe your dream barn. Somewhere up in the foothills, with lots of shady trees... and a big red barn built around the turn of the century.  I have a fetish with old barns. 
6. Favorite non-horsey activity? Sewing :)
7. Which is better: the book or the movie adaptation? Depends, but, for the most part the book because there are more details and you can let your imagination run wild.  
8. Can you cook? If so, what can you make? Yes, and when I have the time and have the motivation, I can cook up some really yummy things.  Just about anything I can make, I recently came across a casserole recipe that involves biscuit dough, ground beef, onions, bell peppers, sour cream and cheese.  Sounds good!
9. Favorite color? Blue!
10. Describe yourself in 10 years. Not working where I'm working now, ha!  Hopefully, maybe, prayerfully remarried (I want my baby to have a daddy...), with a career in the equine industry, and with a home of my own. 
11. How did you first start riding? When I was 13 on a visit to my aunt's ranch that summer the neighbors happened to be having a horse camp and my siblings and I got invited.  I was elated!  I got to ride a beautiful QH mare named Poco (original name, right?) every day for the entire week.  I came home from that trip beeeegggging my mother for lessons for nearly a month before she gave in and called a local barn. 

And these questions are from AmberRose!

1. Do you have a camera? Yes, I do
2. If so what make and model? Well, for the most part it's my phone, which is a Motorola RazrM that has a spiffy 8mpx camera.  My real camera is a Nikon something, it's a point and shoot, but with a big lense on it... it's now a bit obsolete and I don't particularly enjoy using it. 
3. When did you first start riding? When I was 13, see above question!
4. Have you always loved horses and had them in your life, or is it something that you started later in life? I have loved horses since I could crawl, I spent most of my childhood running around on hands and knees pretending to be a horse.  I also roped my brother and sister into the fun and made them pretend to be Lipizzaners...
5. What's your favourite colour for your horse? A bright, blood bay horse with solid black points, a blaze and four socks. 
6. When you were little what were your equestrian dreams? Ride in the Olympics, duh. 
7. Other than riding what do you spend your spare time doing? What is this "spare time" you speak of? When I'm not riding I'm either at work, at school, driving to said occupations, running kids around to places, doing homework, cleaning house, doing laundry, doing yardwork... and sleeping. Phew. 
8. What is your favourite job to do at the stables/yard/barn? Grooming, or tack cleaning
9. What is your least favourite job to do at the stables/yard/barn? Moving stall mats around and cleaning under them.... disgusting!
10. Which famous horse and rider team inspire you the most? Right now, probably Tianna Coudray and Ringwood Magistar.  She has produced this horse from the ground up and not but a few short years ago she was making waves in the Young Rider championships, she has since moved up in the world and earned her stripes at the Olympics last summer.  She has a bright future ahead of her and she is just an inspiration to me in that, yes, you can make it to the upper levels, Olympics even, on quite literally only one horse.
11. If you could meet any famous horse dead or alive, real life or from a story who would it be? Secretariat

And, next up, the questions from Dragon.

1. Get up early to ride, or stay up late? Stay up late, I love the quietness of the evening and it's a great way for me to de-stress my day.
2. What do you do for a living? I work customer service in an inbound call center.  I am an assistant supervisor and assist with agent development and assistance, handling of escalated calls, providing authorization for reshipments/corrections/etc.  I also help with training and onboarding of new "Helpdesk" agents (which is what I am)
3. What do you wish you did for a living? My career goal is to work with upper level performance horses in some form, idealy with orthopedics and soundness.  But, truthfully, if I end up in a customer service/call center like I am in now, I won't complaint.  I love my job I have right now, I trully do.  I just wish it paid 2-3x as much as it does.
4. If you could try any type of riding what would it be? As above, Reining :)
5. What is one thing about your horse you wish you could change? Get rid of his silly temper tantrums, good grief I would miss those.
6. If you could change your horse's name to anything (registered or barn) what would it be? I thought about this when I first got Cash and hemmed and hawwed over giving him a different Barn name, but I couldn't come up with anything.  Truthfully, I love his registered name, some JC names are attrocious (Darren Darren anybody? - that was Pie's name), but his is pretty cool I think.  Reminds me of Johnny Cash.  So, I guess if it would change, I'd call him Johnny, and I considered that, but Johnny is/was a variant on my late husband's name sooo... yeah.  Cash it is :)
7. Facebook, Tumblr, or Instagram? Instagram!!! Follow me y'all @amilehighonhorseback (cute baby pictures are a frequent occurance, hint hint)
8. Ebay, Craigslist, or Tack shop? Oh good God, I am such an eBay addict... I have to ban myself from there, I have spent entirely WAY too much money on there over the years, but I DO find some amazing deals... the hunt, it's addictive.
9. If you could take on the life of any character in any TV show or movie, who would it be? Ohhh... this is a good question.  I guess I can't really say that I would want to take over the life of any character, however, I would gladly plant myself IN a TV show or Movie, in which case, Stargate SG-1 or Stargate Atlantis would probably be the two I've fantasized about that happening the most, to the point of writing fan fiction in the past....... [blushes] ....Yes, I have geeky fangirl aspirations!!
10. If you had an unlimited budget, what type of car or truck would you buy? Ford F350 Super Duty. Done.
11. If you could move to any part of the world, where would it be? Here? I love where I live, I love the mountains, the rolling hills, the view east towards the plains.  I love looking towards the mountains and being able to feast my eyes on a magnificent 14,000+ tall peak.  I love being able to drive 15 minutes and be surrounded by cool pine forrests.  I love watching the sun set over the mountains every evening and basking the sky in golds, pinks, reds, and oranges.  I love the crisp cool feeling in the air after a thunderstorm rolls in off the mountains.  I love the beautiful snow in the winter, the crisp golden colors of Aspens in the fall... I love Colorado.  I don't want to move :)

Then, from Syd!!

1. How long have you been riding for? Oh, about 12 years now, or so.
2. Favorite Breed? Thoroughbreds, without a doubt.  I love their heart, their athleticism, and their incredible worth ethic.
3. Ever ridden Western? Informally yes, and here at there I did wanna-be western pleasure classes at the Welsh Pony breed shows haha.
4. Favorite Book? Probably the Lord of the Rings trillogy, including the Appendixes.
5. Slow Horse or Fast Horse? Fast, but not hot.  I don't care for a hot horse, but I cannot stand a lazy, slow horse.  I need speed.
6. Longest Horse You've Ever Own? I had Pie for a total of 9 years, though that was not consecutively.
7. Favorite Store to Shop in? Does eBay count? Hahaha.  Otherwise, the King Soopers by my house, it's new and besides an awesome open grocery layout, they have furniture and lots of home accessories and an awesome candle selection! Hey, she didn't specify a horsie store, haha, and I love my grocery store, so there :)
8. Favorite Horsey Memory? Probably the entire trip out to the 2007 National Pony Club Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park.  I competed Beginner Novice and I scored a 30 in dressage and was sitting 1st in my division, we went double clear XC (fun course!!!), but it poured on Stadium day and my poor horse, coming from bone dry Colorado, was totally beside himself with the wet and we pulled two rails and finished 6th. Bummer.  Otherwise, it was a blast! I participated in the clinics held afterwards and just had a great time.  It was a huge learning experience and I tell ya what, nothing like riding your horse next to Rolex jumps (well, I guess jumping them would be ever better, but, close enough!).
9. If you could buy any other horse what kind would it be? Thoroughbred, or a TB-WB cross.
10. Show for the rest of your life or trail ride? Show! I am so stupidly competitive it's not even funny
11. Favorite Quote? "Plans are always made in pencil but writing down your goals makes your dreams achievable." - Sinead Halpin

And, now my 11 questions for you!

1. What was the last movie you saw in Theaters? Was it in 3D?
2. If you could pick one saddle to buy, and had no budget, what would you get?
3. Oakbark, Havannah, or Black tack?
4. Have you ever galloped a horse full out? Was it intentional?
5. Favorite Sci-Fi character?
6. What is your favorite Pony breed and why?
7. Haven you ever driven a horse in a cart?
8. What would be your dream horsie vacation?
9. Do you own a pair of cowboy boots?
10. What is your favorite Equestrian discipline to watch? (not nessecarially ride)
11. And, lastly, what are your plans for the weekend, are you doing anything fun?

As for the 11 Blogs to nominate.....
I thought about this for a bit, sorted through the blogs I follow (which is, not that many, surprisingly), looked at blogs that have already been nominated by other folks, and decided that I won't nominate any specific blog.

So, I nominate anybody who HASN'T yet been nominated for the Liebster Award.  You who might be feeling a tad bit left out, or who maybe is new to the world of blogdom... this for YOU!!

Or, if you just want to answer even more questions, well, go for it!

Open Mic everybody :)