Haha, just kidding.

But I have been thinking about medals recently. Not gold ones- bronze. As in two scores over 60% for First, Second, and Third level tests.

See, for the first time in my life, I’ve realized that Third Level might be possible for us. If you didn’t catch that, emphasis on the might.

Not anytime soon, or even in the next couple years, really. I just think this is one of those bucket list dreams that could be accomplished. At least at the moment, it seems far more likely than my dream of riding a camel. Any of you guys know a camel I can sit on? Didn’t think so.

In the last 6 months we’ve made progress towards the goal of completing a Second level test, which as a reminder introduces the following movements:

• Collected trot
• Collected canter
• Medium gaits
• Shoulder-in
• Rein back
• Walk-canter-walk simple changes
• Counter canter
• 10 meter canter circles

All of these have been started, with the exception of canter-walk transitions, which we will start once he is really strong again. The rest will need some major polishing in order to be test-ready, but I don’t mind a bit of polishing. But even in our lessons, a few of the Third level movements are coming up for discussions. When changes were mentioned, I was flabberghasted. Me? Changes? Other movements we are actually practicing. Half pass and turn on the haunches happen in our lessons more and more often.

It will take a village to get there, but it’s awfully exciting to this eventing DQ to have a long term goal added to the list.

PS this post marks the 300th post on A House on a Hill! Woohoo!