Blogs - Sinead Halpin

We’re moving right along in team training session season, and as you may have heard or read on Monday, we learned some new information in the recent vet evaluations that’s altered our spring competition plan for Tate. While he’s still in full flatwork and continuing on with the training sessions, our previous plan to do Rolex again seems an unnecessary risk if it could complicate the big picture plan for Team USA and the 2014 WEG in Normandy. 

I rang up my good friend Rebecca Howard the other day, knowing she was at the Boekelo CCI*** in the Netherlands, watching the Nations Cup. I wanted to get the scoop on the performances of our American contingent as well as her impressions of the rest of the field.

If you watch closely at Boekelo, you’re bound to see some of the likely contenders for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Rebecca, like most of our North American riders, did not have a stellar Olympics this year.

Every morning when I wake up, the first thought that crosses my mind is: “I am not going to the Olympic Games.”

Then I start my daily pep talks (to myself), and normally by the time I reach the barn I can get a smile on my face. But it’s very difficult in my situation to keep growing as a person and accept the lessons that need to be learned.

“OK, I’m just running inside to take a shower. I’ll be out the door in 15 minutes!” I said to Rebecca Howard around 7:15 on Saturday evening. She and I were going to grab a quick dinner to vent/chat about life.

It had been a wild day for S.H.E. (Sinead Halpin Equestrian), with clients in town, five horses at Rocking Horse Horse Trials and eight others to be managed at home, Meg on crutches after a “conversation” with a jump standard, Baby Sarah trying to cope with stepping up to head girl, and me trying to keep it all running smoothly.