WHOA.

August really has been an amazing month for this amateur. Some big changes, some small changes, and lots of overall general greatness!

General Greatness:
I blogged already about my trip to VT with two of my equine. The trip only got better from the last post, as my horses went like champs the second week! They both brought home lots of great ribbons, but that's just a bonus. They went so well, I couldn't find enough treats to reward them with! Good boys!

Small changes:
Notice that amazing looking granite behind those ribbons? Yep, that's right, I came home from my trip to find those gorgeous counters installed! The kitchen isn't quite done, but it's almost there! Here are some photos:

I can't wait to see what it looks like with cabinet doors... I also can't wait to have the entire contents of my kitchen off my dining room floor and in said cabinets where it all belongs! All in good time I'm sure...
Big Changes:
I welcomed a new family member when I returned home from VT. That's a BIG change for sure!

His name is Arthur Fonzarelli. He's 3 years old, part pug and part something else (not sure what). He's 18lbs of happy dog! He came from Double Dog Rescue. He was found as a stray in Alabama, went to a shelter that has a high put-down rate, and was rescued by Double Dog and transferred to CT. He is a GREAT dog! Already house trained, loves to play with toys, loves to give kisses, and (most importantly) respects Pia and her personal space. I'm not sure if P is super happy about the addition, but she seems to be coping at least.

 Rough life they lead, huh?
Double Dog Rescue is a great organization if you're looking to bring a new friend into the family. Check out their website if you're interested! The process was really easy, and they only want what's best for the dogs. If things don't work out for ANY REASON, they will take the dog back and place him/her in foster care until a new home comes along..

A little more overall greatness:
This is a biggie for me. This past weekend was the CHJA Medal Finals.
For my non-equine readers, I'll give a little insight into what that means. First off, this is judged on my riding, and what I look like on my horse. So my horse's form isn't judged necessarily, but if I don't do a good job, neither will he. So really it all counts. The finals are split into different age groups. I was in the older adult section. To qualify for the finals, riders need to accumulate 12 points in the CHJA medal class which is held throughout the year at horse shows in CT. I showed in the class two times this year, and was second both times, resulting in my 12 points. I chose to take Rio to finals because he's the most experienced of my horses.
The final consists of up to 3 phases. First we are given a course of 10 jumps to navigate. There are two judges, and together they give you one score. After my course, I was given a 79.5. This is an OK score generally, but the class was not scored particularly high. After everyone had jumped, the high score was only an 86. This put me in 5th place after the first phase.
Phase 2 is a flat class. Which means the top 12 riders (there were 18 at the start this year) all return to the ring at once to show together without jumping. We show at the walk, trot, and canter both directions. After this flat phase, the top 4 are called back for more testing. I knew I was fifth coming back to flat, so I waited anxiously to see if I would be called back to test. And I WAS! I only moved up one place, so I was in 4th going to the test.
Phase 3 is the test. They generally have you test in reverse order, meaning the lowest rank goes first. That was me. This is actually a good position for me, I hate waiting around. The test was fairly simple. Canter directly to fence 8, trot fence 5, canter fences 1 and 7 and return to line. Rio was PERFECT for the test. Good boy! I watched the other three go, each with a little mistake. But had no idea where I'd be at the end of it.
Once the test is complete, the top 12 are all called back into the ring for presentations. They do this in reverse order too. I was ready to collect my white (4th place) ribbon, but it wasn't my number they called. WHOA! Top three! Again I was ready for the 3rd place ribbon, but that wasn't me either! I finished up in the second position. AMAZING! So proud of my Rio. I really feel like I can't take any credit, he's THAT wonderful! Sorry for all of the rambling, but this is a huge deal for me! Generally, I hold my own in the ring, but a top 2 finish at finals was not something I ever expected. I shall leave you with some photos from the day, including all the awesome swag they give to the second place finisher!