Kaitlyn Hamilton's Diary in Germany

Thursday – December 14, 2005 - Here We Go!

I was trying my best not to get nervous, but Thursday morning it really hit me. From 6-7 am we were allowed to go into the competition arena so our horses could see it. I was so impressed with Noah because he wasn't scared of anything. 10:17 - the moment of truth. Noah warmed up beautifully and the curtains were drawn back for us to enter.

I was a little in shock while trotting around the arena. The stadium wasn't completely full but there were a lot of people watching. The judge rang the bell and I entered. We hit all our marks and there weren't any big mistakes, but I don't think I was breathing much throughout the ride. I was exhausted by the time we got to the walk work and Noah was really behind my leg. But we redeemed ourselves in the canter and pulled a 63%. I ended up 10th that day and was pleased. I realized I shouldn't put so much pressure on myself because it takes all the fun out of the experience. And I knew I would ride better the next day. I had a chance to see some of the other rides that day and I was blown away by the quality of horses and riders. It was easy to see who really knew what they were doing and had been riding all their lives in a consistent training system.