Breakthroughs and Beatings

After being here for just over 3 weeks, I finally feel like things are starting to get underway and I’m so excited for what the future holds. Maggie and I are finally starting to click and I’m getting to spend more and more time training in my armor. Plus the time I’m getting to spend with my new friends and jousting family is really making my experience here memorable. Life is so good right now, and I am so happy with my decisions leading up to this point.

Let’s start with Miss Maggie! Yesterday during our ride, I finally had a light bulb moment and felt like we’d made a serious breakthrough. I’ve been having a really hard time trusting her and allowing myself to add slack to my reins and ride one handed. I finally just told myself that I needed to trust her and let it happen, and like Dave told me, she’s still learning, so if she makes a mistake I can always reach back in with two hands to fix it. Plus we’re practicing on a huge open field, so there’s really nothing terrible that would happen if she took off.

We were working with some exercises to move her shoulders and move more freely when Kelly came over and started working with us on a circle. I had her in one hand and was trying to get her to frame up and round herself out while slowing down. Kelly made the comment to slow her down with my seat, and to slow my rhythm to slow her down. Something clicked and I was able to relax my seat and instantly felt her slow down without my hands having to even move at all. He then said to take a huge exhale out and relax and when I did, she came to a lovely stop. All with my hands staying in one place and a nice drape in her reins!

It really left me excited to have that breakthrough with her and be able to trust her more. We were able to run the quintain both directions one handed with a lance and she ran strait and smooth for me. Today we spent more time getting her used to yelling and the sound of armor rattling, and we were able to work her through it. I’m really hoping to have a good show weekend coming up and have very high expectations for her. Wish us luck!

In other news, I rode Indigo in armor on Wednesday and we did very well! He rides completely different then Maggie, and having to work on lifting him up and really using my leg to motivate him was quite the workout for the day. We’ve had to make some adjustments to my armor to get it where it needs to be, but everything has been a pretty easy fix and it’s all been working great so far. Plus I’m the only one with stainless armor and it has a mirror finish on it so my goal is going to be to blind all who oppose me!

Today I also learned the company’s ground fight, and had it been for real, I would have been beat terribly. I know that I need to get more comfortable in my armor and have it feel like a second skin, so I plan to spend all next week with it on. It’s very hard to act animated and sell a fight when you feel so restricted in your armor. Thankfully strength and cardio are two things that are obtainable with hard work. I plan to push myself to the point where I am able to do the fight without feeling winded and having to struggle to lift up my shield. I was having a bad day today and it was very therapeutic to beat each other with swords though!

Learning the ground fight, I’m the shiny one!

My big goal is to be ready to joust in the show by Minnesota, which begins mid August, so I have about a month to be prepared. I’m really excited, and am prepared to work my hardest to make it happen. The group here is extremely supportive and really willing to help get me there, and I am ever so thankful for them. Shout out to my joust family, you all mean more to me than you know!

In other news, Harry and I helped work with the camels next door and I ended up riding out a buck on a camel, which is no small feat. I’m slowly getting better at Super Smash Bro’s and am so thankful we made the decision to get a Nintendo 64 for the team, it’s a nice time killer for our down time.

I don’t think there’s much else to say, I’m living life to the fullest and am really enjoying myself. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and pushed me to pursue this path of mine. Your support is invaluable. Much love!