> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.myvirtualeventingcoach.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Guest Blog post # 18: "The Rest of the Story" by the famous Bad Eventer! - URL: https://www.myvirtualeventingcoach.com/guest-blog-18-the-rest-of-the-story-by-the-famous-bad-eventer/ - Published: 2013-03-15T05:11:00.000Z - Updated: 2013-03-15T05:11:47.000Z - Author: Administrator - Tags: Blog, #Import 2026-01-20 00:55 **The Rest of the Story...** I know the Area III eventers are completely used to it........ ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ouajJ_mchi4/USrRJ8Ns2ZI/AAAAAAAAF0o/WewLf28OvVo/s1600/David+olympics+1.jpg) but I was a bit star struck walking around warm up last weekend.... ![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QmoD4hluI54/USrRodBRkKI/AAAAAAAAF0w/Smmzsgfw5Ag/s1600/stars+eyes.jpg) Look!! a 4\* rider! ![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-30NqUSDnS40/USrSbxPeiYI/AAAAAAAAF04/wjtLv8aQNKA/s1600/Teddy+Karen.jpg) And another! ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uri_C_900JQ/USrSl53qeaI/AAAAAAAAF1A/RQ5x2u3d3gI/s1600/Sinead+Halpin.jpg) oh another!! ![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DuFq7wtvceg/USrTGAUWi0I/AAAAAAAAF1I/5lp18zUqZRk/s1600/Buck+bank+corner+RH.jpg) Oh look more!!! [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U4MdZnBB08c/USrgB2h9WAI/AAAAAAAAF2A/0hpNEdFNdWw/s320/BE+JH+RH.jpg)](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U4MdZnBB08c/USrgB2h9WAI/AAAAAAAAF2A/0hpNEdFNdWw/s1600/BE+JH+RH.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) They were standing around in the rain and cold, looking miserably frigid just like the rest of us mere mortals..... [![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5agT8uWRIc/USrhariHQ8I/AAAAAAAAF2M/DVmc7MPzD1w/s320/RH+DOC.jpg)](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5agT8uWRIc/USrhariHQ8I/AAAAAAAAF2M/DVmc7MPzD1w/s1600/RH+DOC.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) What's this mythology about Florida being WARM????? ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wieY2l0CjkY/USrhue4t8lI/AAAAAAAAF3A/j3niVQBCmLI/s1600/snow+florida.jpg) 35 degrees and raining is NOT my idea of a good time. ![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dp_rOJ19umc/USrjgDFTZ9I/AAAAAAAAF34/d0hc-RW8hd0/s1600/sleet.jpg) But here I was......... ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9PxozvGzda8/USrj-H3--eI/AAAAAAAAF4A/eYT4-tz0kfE/s1600/cold+girl.jpg) and in TRUE Bad Eventer style, I had a total fail on packing rain gear. ![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lNpXqQnQhPk/USrkfmeK5_I/AAAAAAAAF4I/ypB-uOCd5rA/s1600/muddy+legs.jpg) You see..... this was my first...... ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Tl1lBWCUu4/USrkutq5Z6I/AAAAAAAAF4Y/UlioWMNN3DM/s1600/hitch+hiking.jpg) and last..... horse show where I hitched a ride. My rain gear lives permanently in my horse trailer. It has a special spot so that I always have it. ![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GZu8CkQcF8/USrk81HDn7I/AAAAAAAAF4g/ougmmpYr9Js/s1600/tough+mudder+1.jpg) Problem was......... I didn't HAVE my trailer. To add to the epic fail, I always WEAR my water proof boots to the show......... ![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSQ3K3wpc74/USrmKY88VCI/AAAAAAAAF48/khbVvY5C9-Y/s1600/boots.jpg) And............ as it happens, I flew to a work conference first..... where this....... ![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UfbwmNKTP2o/USrma0TYpcI/AAAAAAAAF5E/1evfJ2I1lIk/s1600/heels.jpg) was my standard attire....... I guess it would have been a statement walking around in them........ ![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQJ_i25NRPM/UStaDuJRYcI/AAAAAAAAF9A/fd2VDEcBtzU/s1600/heels+in+mud.jpg) The only boots I had packed in my trunk were my show boots..... ![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3BgjZfGGsM/UStaiFhVfuI/AAAAAAAAF9I/jsC-vxj_ccQ/s1600/eek+mud.jpg) which I have a serious prissy princess-ish objection to walking around in..... Here I was...... at the venue with no transportation (a friend was kind enough to come get me), no boots, and no rain gear. ![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gNJnlwFIr90/USrmwrStp8I/AAAAAAAAF5M/sQVB-k_aAcw/s1600/scared+face.jpg) I rode my horse in the rain & cold the day I arrived. I'm not sure what I expected..... I hadn't ridden him in a week........ it was freezing and raining........and he'd just ridden in a strange trailer for 20 hours......a recipe for success if I ever heard one. ![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yoa_bkSQSXo/USrnMvssJxI/AAAAAAAAF6A/nIwRLa3kLQA/s1600/dont+worry+be+happy.jpg) In spite of this we put in our very best dressage test to date. It was a personal best. ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FSQ_re-JbRc/USrncP7hu2I/AAAAAAAAF6I/uiB4ME-Q0eA/s1600/cheer+1.jpg) And then I saw my score. ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQzOhPh6cWk/USrnnSRquAI/AAAAAAAAF6Q/asHH0WWGBGU/s1600/devastated+face.jpg) Don't get me wrong..... Bad Eventer is more than used to bringing up the tail end of the leaderboard. I have even received THIS........ ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pzus-m85Vcg/USrn5CmmLUI/AAAAAAAAF6Y/g5nS-LA-8RU/s1600/please+pass+wide.jpg) for being last.....repeatedly. I have an entire collection of last place "awards". But! I was riding the Wonder Pony's Evil Twin. [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6lUbyrfbLHU/USrodX_eXvI/AAAAAAAAF6g/R0xtb8yFRgM/s320/Jester+RH+3.jpg)](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6lUbyrfbLHU/USrodX%5FeXvI/AAAAAAAAF6g/R0xtb8yFRgM/s1600/Jester+RH+3.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) This horse is FANCY. And STEADY. And a WARMBLOOD. [![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7WjbAjvOCVo/USrotApqnDI/AAAAAAAAF6o/n5PRN0jWKIE/s320/Jester+dressage+head.jpg)](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7WjbAjvOCVo/USrotApqnDI/AAAAAAAAF6o/n5PRN0jWKIE/s1600/Jester+dressage+head.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) Dressage judges LOVE HIM. I can ride backwards, forget my test, put 3 feet out of the ring and still get a 30 on this horse. But not this time. ![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FnBu2WlaxY8/USro4GAllFI/AAAAAAAAF6w/eJiTSKAXsU0/s1600/Cartoon+what.jpg) Welcome to Area III. Bad Eventer did the best test we'd ever done on a fancy warmblood, to solidly secure LAST place in her division. And it wasn't even CLOSE, there was a 25 point spread between my spot and 1st. ![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R-G37nWYUI4/USrpIA3X8lI/AAAAAAAAF64/Pm-wrfrr4EY/s1600/sad+face+2.jpg) I kept telling everyone I was used to bringing up the rear........no biggie. but that's not really true anymore. I had the most amazing 2012 (a BLUE ribbon at Prelim, and a successful outing over the red numbers)............ I trudged on, and told everyone a NUMBER is always better than a letter! Afterall, I am Bad Eventer! [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t_rER560M7s/USrpTiqKO8I/AAAAAAAAF7A/03tAxxX-IJY/s320/BE+Logo+8.jpg)](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t%5FrER560M7s/USrpTiqKO8I/AAAAAAAAF7A/03tAxxX-IJY/s1600/BE+Logo+8.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) We had another best ever stadium round. yeah, yeah, we had 3 rails... ....... but we had STEERING...... for the first time ever. It was a huge success, but not without a Bad Eventer moment....... This face is what happens............... [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bA6JgORd3H4/USrrMl9RUDI/AAAAAAAAF78/x7YKsofLmrg/s320/BE+face+triple.jpg)](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bA6JgORd3H4/USrrMl9RUDI/AAAAAAAAF78/x7YKsofLmrg/s1600/BE+face+triple.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) when you get a long spot going into the triple!!! Then we had a terrific SLOW AS CHRISTMAS cross country round, where the Evil Twin acted like a grown up....... [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P6K_Rsr3l00/USrrbKxFBxI/AAAAAAAAF8E/XkEQx6BmgLk/s320/Jester+RH+14.jpg)](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P6K%5FRsr3l00/USrrbKxFBxI/AAAAAAAAF8E/XkEQx6BmgLk/s1600/Jester+RH+14.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) even jumping the skinny chevron coming out of the water.......... though he didn't actually see it......... it was a definite Bad Eventer moment! [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueczASAwrBs/USrP8oj32eI/AAAAAAAAF0Q/wPUuLgREz0s/s400/BE+JRH+1.jpg)](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueczASAwrBs/USrP8oj32eI/AAAAAAAAF0Q/wPUuLgREz0s/s1600/BE+JRH+1.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) What a good boy. [![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFHrNPO2fM0/USrQMOnMu0I/AAAAAAAAF0Y/Os-2tM22bzo/s400/Jester+RH+15.jpg)](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFHrNPO2fM0/USrQMOnMu0I/AAAAAAAAF0Y/Os-2tM22bzo/s1600/Jester+RH+15.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) In the end..........a number is better than a letter. [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KgB6jKfAhOU/USrQXtobYaI/AAAAAAAAF0g/oHxdWIRPfO4/s320/Jester+RH+16.jpg)](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KgB6jKfAhOU/USrQXtobYaI/AAAAAAAAF0g/oHxdWIRPfO4/s1600/Jester+RH+16.jpg?ref=myvirtualeventingcoach.com) Always. Blog by Bad Eventer @ www.BadEventer.blogspot.com