Oh how I love paperwork…

I am trying to put together a trip for WakeUp, Willie and me to go to Germany in January and February to train with Elmar Schmiehusen. I think we are ready for this intense training and winter is a great time to do it because things slow down a bit at home. I also want to do a couple shows over there as well. 

I thought this would be a big endeavor, but I totally underestimated the amount of paperwork that goes into a trip like this! First, I applied for a couple grants from The Dressage Foundation. These grants are incredibly generous, and hearing that I won the $25,000 Anne L. Barlow Ramsay Dressage Foundation Grant was an enormous thrill.

Next, we have to organize shippers, health papers, passports—you name it!

Perhaps the most difficult is trying to enter shows in Europe. You need a permission letter from the U.S. Equestrian Federation, an invite from the event manager and permission from the German Federation. This is tougher than it seems and thank goodness for Google Translate! To make things even more fun… I have been in the process of changing my name to Emily Miles. So to prevent confusion I need to get everything changed… owner name on papers, on my and my horse’s passports, on permission letters, membership numbers, etc. Not my idea of fun, but fortunately everyone has been very helpful. So we just keep plugging away!

On a happy note… the U.S. Dressage Finals in November were very successful. It was freezing.

My brother walked with me from the gorgeous Alltech ring to the barns in Timbuktu four times Friday night in the cold, windy rain. It was worth it! WakeUp was a rock star and finished second of 21. Willie was also very good, but Emily was slightly off her game, and we finished sixth. I was so excited. Saturday Willie did excellent in the freestyle. I still need to learn to ride while thinking about choreography and music but it will require lots of practice I think! Toric, Maggie Stonecipher’s horse, did an amazing job handling the atmosphere. He finished eighth in the fourth level with an unfortunate bathroom break in a pirouette. Mojito, a Mushu baby, did an excellent job with a 68.80 percent in the adult amateur training level.

I think this head-to-head competition is amazing. The Alltech ring is gorgeous but this year it was dreadfully cold. We were stabled outside the furthest away from the heated Alltech ring as possible. It was raining and the tarps in front of our stalls were more annoying than helpful. The show organizers do an amazing job with over 400 horses at the show, but it will be interesting to see what the turnout is next year. 

Keep your fingers crossed for the grants and I will let you know how the planning proceeds!

Blogger Emily Miles shows and trains dressage horses out of her family’s farm in LaCygne, Kan. Her WakeUp is one of the rising stars of U.S. dressage, having won the 6-year-old national championship in 2011 and winning the Developing Prix St. Georges national championship in 2013. Read all of Emily’s blogs.