Boing boing boing--oops, there goes my arm and my dignity

Yep yep. This is the long awaited (or not) post regarding the jumping competetions that took place on Saturday and Sunday. Well...I guess I'll start at the beginning. I was on Gabelou and was third from the first rider. Lots of hecticness (I hereby declare that a word) took place, I didn't have a helmet, I needed a helmet, the course was complicated, yadayadayada. Anyway, Caroline was wonderful and let me use her helmet, I figured out the course, and I started warming up on Gabelou. As I warmed up I realized that something was different about his gait. Miss Soraya came over later and told me that Gabelou would be riding without shoes for...well...the first time in a long time. How comforting. Then Miss Soraya reminded me that Gabelou's canter is terrible... Well... Yeah. So I attempted a few practice jumps, which he cantered through leaving me very uncomfortable, then the competetion started.

The first one up was Rebecca, riding Achador. Achador threw her, but she got back on and finished the course. The second rider was Kristine, she did very well. Then it was my turn. I trotted out to the judges, saluted, said everything I was supposed to say, and started the course. Well...it was a disaster. I went over the first jump at a trot, but Gabelou started to canter. My reins were too loose and I couldn't stop him from cantering over the second jump. Well...Gabelou, jumping, cantering...no. So, to sum it up, it went boing boing boing and then I was sliding off his neck. My first thougt was "Oh great, falling off in a show" then I was on the ground. I jumped up immediately. To have stayed on the ground was too humiliating. I instantly felt that my arm was sprained, but I would be able to ride with it. I got Gabelou, listened to Miss Soraya tell me that it was ok if I didn't complete the course--it was over for the day--and got back on. Miss Soraya told me to trot around the arena once before going over the next jump. I did, then I jumped, he cantered, I tried to bring him to a trot, went over the next two jumps at a canter, and then promptly almost-fell-off. Just lovely. Well...Miss Soraya told me again that I didn't need to finish the course, but I remained my stubborn self and said I was going to finish. I walked around the course once, trying to get my breath back. The head judge asked the audience to give me some encouragement, I could vaguely hear some clapping, and then I trotted around, then went over the next jump. He cantered. I remained in the saddle. I brought him back to a trot and was told by Miss Soraya to trot him around once again before going over the last jump--I was annoyed. I had fallen off in front of who-knows-how-many people and wanted, more than anything else, to get off and cry. But I was going to finish the course. Finally, Miss Soraya let me go over the last jump, the crowd cheered, and I rode back into the training arena. Once out of the view of the others, I started to cry. I hate it when I cry. I don't cry a lot, but when I do I can't stop. Embarrassing. Humiliating. Gah. Well, I got off, gave the reins to Caroline (who I vaguely remember was being very nice and comforting), gave Caroline her helmet, humiliated myself more by crying in front of the very sweet Caroline, and walked off to the edge of the arena where I sat down and cried some more. Rebecca and Emma came over to me and asked if I was ok. I was like...umm...no? But they were sweet. And my arm killed. Oh well... All the other riders came over and asked if I was ok, then mom came over and brought me water. I complained about my sprained arm, tried to stop crying, and eventually wandered over to watch the other riders. My wrist started to hurt even more. Anyway... the rest of the day went by well, Maddie was first (yay!), Emma was second (yay!), and Kristine was third (yay!). My arm still hurt. And I was embarassed. I had fallen off in front of soooo many people.... Oh well. Later that night my arm started to stiffen up and hurt even more until finally we went to get an x-ray. Now, let us take a little break from the story and examine all the x-rays I have ever had in my entire life. What did they tell us?

X-ray #1: I am missing two adult teeth

X-ray #2: I do, indeed, have a brain

X-ray #3: When you stick your hand in a ceiling fan, it doesn't break

X-ray #4: I am missing two adult teeth. But we knew that already

X-ray #5: I have never yet broken a bone

And those are all the x-rays I have ever had. Yayness. But anyway, my arm wasn't broken, that was good. Well...the next day, Sunday, I finally accepted the fact that I couldn't ride with my arm all stiff (I couldn't bend it at the elbow) and it hurting, so I went and cheered on my friends. I would have been riding Radical, but oh well... Everyone did wonderfully. Hannah won, Maddie was second, and Kristine was third. For the overall championship, Hannah came first, Maddie was second, and Emma third. Yay for everyone!! Except me. Oh well, so I wallowed in a pool of self-pity, took pictures, and was greatly comforted by my wonderful teacher, Miss Soraya, giving me a bag of French mints. Yep, that was Sunday.

So thus ends what could be my last jumping competetion in Cambodia. What did I win? Nothing. What did I lose? My arm (which still won't move) and my dignity. Alas. Well, enough of the self pity-ness. I got some *great* pics!!!

Ok, ttfn, I must be going... Let's hope that my arm actually moves by tomorrow (ok, so it'll move more than it did).... So... yeah. Wow, that was a very...um...whiney[?] post... Ah well, I need to sniffle to somebody, even if it is my never-read blog.

Oh oh oh!! Did I mention that Dad got me falling off on film? Mwahahahaha!! Er, yeah... Oh, and guess what is very good? Even if my arm won't move, my fingers will, so my life is saved. I can type!!!