It’s been a crazy COVID summer.
When everything shut down in March, I went home and hit the reset button in Colorado. I did a lot of schoolwork, reconnected with friends and family — and dreamed of what was ahead. At the end of April, I traveled to Virginia to start riding again and moved my life into a camper parked at my trainer’s farm in Middleburg.
It was an amazing month of riding, with no pressure of competition, perfection, shows or traveling. We jumped in and out of the arena over the railings and brushes, we went on hours-long trail rides, we rode all the horses and then let them all have long lingering turnout in the big grassy fields. Everyone took a deep breath and the collective health of the horses and people was tangible.
In June, we packed up and went to the Split Rock Jumping tour in Lexington, KY. With little experience at 1.40m, I was apprehensive but my mare, Delia B, gave me confidence. With every day and every jump – I became faster and bolder. With Douwe, we clicked as if there had never been a pause from the last winning ride and he was right back to his sharp turns and snappy feet.
However, plans kept changing because of COVID cancellations. Everything turned upside down for the summer competition schedule and our penciled plans were repeatedly erased. Outside of horses, three times my ACT exam was cancelled along with all my college prep plans… So, I wonder, what does the future hold?
From Spit Rock, I left the jumpers and went with Beacon Hill Show Stables to Tryon, North Carolina for several weeks. And from there to Traverse City, Michigan and back to the jumpers. Delia helped me learn the ropes at 1.45m and so many times we were close to a winning round – but I’d take down the last oxer on course. Finally, at the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament in early September — I was double clear at 1.45m in the High Jr/AO Jumper Classic. We won the class out of 66 and earned the champion title for the division. I accomplished the same results with Douwe – a win in the NAL Low Jr/AO Classic and Champion of the division. It was a big milestone to earn blue ribbons in both divisions, and finally go double clear and fast at 1.45m!
Rewinding… at the end of July, I left Michigan for Kentucky just for a week to do a 3* USET but in between the departure from MI and arrival in KY, the horse I was to ride was sold. I was able to ride another favorite of mine in the equitation, Clover, so it was well worth the trip. On the last day however, the show was cancelled due to positive COVID cases on the KHP showgrounds. We were packed up and ready to return to Michigan when we got a call that I wasn’t allowed back on show grounds because I had been at the KY show. I was devastated. My horses, dogs, camper – all my stuff – was still in Michigan because Kentucky was only supposed to be a quick trip. I ended up driving 10 hours with my younger sister from Kentucky back to Beacon Hills Show Stables in Colts Neck, NJ and my mom drove back to Michigan to collect all of our things. As far as we knew, everything was cancelled – Pony Finals, Derby Finals, Junior Hunter Finals and Gladstone Cup. I just planned to lay low, and head back to Michigan for the fall series of jumpers in September.
My mom was about ½ back to Colorado driving from Michigan when it was announced that Junior Hunter Finals and The Gladstone Cup was relocated to Traverse City – where she just left! We quickly reorganized and a week later, we were all back to Michigan. My sister ended up 4th in the 3’3” Small Junior Hunters 15U and I was 4th in the Gladstone Cup (equitation). We each scored in the 90s and have tremendous pride in what we accomplished, but at the same time some regret for the mistakes made – those endless “learning opportunities.”
We both stayed on for the fall series, which has been great so far. The weather is changing, and I can feel the fall equitation finals approaching. I hope they will happen, and I wish everyone the best of luck. This is a season like no other.
Delia B & Dominic Gibbs: $15,000 Jr/AO High Jumper Classic at Silver Oak Jumper Tournament (9/6/2020)
Douwe & Dominic Gibbs: NAL Low Jr/AO Jumper Classic – Bonus Points (9/6/2020)