I’ve been thinking lately about hobbies, and how I don’t actually have any.
Orion.
He was a purebred German Oldenburg gelding. Oldenburgs are only bred in a special section of Germany–interestingly enough–named Oldenburg.
Ever since I sold my horse, Orion, when I got to college, I haven’t really had a sport or hobby. I trained and competed in dressage with Orion. I trained him myself from when he was pretty much a baby.
The annual Houston Pin Oak Charity Horse Show was on the news this morning while I was feeding Gabriel, and they had a neat segment with a trainer riding dressage on a Prix St. George Andalusian stallion. (For those of you who aren’t ex dressage queens like me, Prix St. George is a very high level of dressage, and Andalusians are some of the finest horses in the world.)
The pair were so beautiful together that I cried. Like, actual tears. After five years, I still miss riding with all my heart. Well, I guess with all the parts of my heart that aren’t filled up with my awesome husband, beautiful baby boy, fantastic family and friends.
That’s the thing. I’m happy. I’m where God wants me to be right now. I don’t need horses and dressage to make me any happier. But I miss it all the same. And I think that’s OK.
I know that we can’t imagine what God has in store for us in Heaven, but I like to think all the same that maybe Jesus and I will get to go riding together sometimes. And it would be nice to teach Gabriel how to ride one day.
Orion’s registered show name when we bought him was “Al Dente.”
Orion and I showing at Serenity Farms in Covington, LA. This was probably around 2002 or 2003.
One of my favorite things about riding was getting to spend so much time with Mom. Mom had a horse growing up, and so she “got” me and my love for horses. How few horse-loving young girls have a Mom as great as I do!
Riding after school one day
I trained Orion through Introductory, Training, First and Second Level dressage. Not high by Grand Prix dressage horse standards, but for a high school student learning right along with her 1,300lb stubborn horse, it’s pretty impressive 🙂
I think that one point of this post was to have some cathartic reminiscing of my wonderful experiences with horses growing up (I had several other horses before Orion, and started riding when I was 11). Another point of this post is that I think I need something to do–some kind of hobby or something I enjoy doing outside of spending time with my family and friends. (Some kind of regular exercise might be good… 🙂
Well, I’m sure that my Future Hobby will come to me one day. In the meantime, I have plenty to keep me busy!
Oh my gosh–I LOVE that idea!
I miss riding so much! I have a couple of friends on the equestrian team at Tulane and whenever they talk about riding, I sink back into the many years of wonderful experiences you, Mom, and I had together training our beautiful horses. We are going horseback riding in a magical part of the world one day together, Sis. I'm thinking Ireland.