Summer Shows Recap: Big Wins, Big Lessons

The last couple of horse shows have been an incredible ride — both literally and emotionally! I've has been hard at work all season, and it is truly starting to shine through in the results.

We kicked off July with the LDA Show, where Dino and I had a standout performance. This show marked a turning point — we perfected our musical freestyle and delivered a strong team test that scored in the 70s. That success was more than just numbers on a scoreboard; it was a huge confidence booster and exactly what I needed leading into the Caledon show.

Caledon, however, didn’t start out as smoothly. Friday's test felt a bit shaky — nerves got the better of me, and unfortunately, I passed that tension on to Dino. He felt strong and reactive in the ring, and it definitely wasn’t our best ride. Thankfully, I had my coach, Savannah, there to ground me. After a much-needed pep talk and a reminder about the importance of emotional control in the saddle, things turned around.

On Saturday, we bounced back with a fantastic individual test that scored 67% — one of our best yet. Then came Sunday, and we poured everything into the freestyle. It paid off. We received our highest freestyle score yet, including a 71% from one of the judges!

We finished the weekend on an absolute high, taking home:

• Weekend FEI Junior Champion

• High Point Test of Choice – FEI Junior

  
  

So proud of Dino for trusting me through it all, and grateful to Savannah for always having the right words at the right time. Every show teaches us something new, and this one was a powerful reminder: mindset matters, and growth isn’t always linear — but it’s always worth it.

Onward and upward!