There comes a point in a gal’s life after you’ve “settled down” when you ask yourself “am I really ready for kids?” As a career-driven professional, I never really thought about it too much, and the thought of kids screaming and “getting in the way” of life really didn’t seem appealing. However, the thought of teaching little ones to ride and grow up training ponies is very endearing… So, I knew eventually having kids would turn up, I just thought we would plan for it.
And then, there are those times where you can’t really plan for it, and it just happens.
That’s just what happened to me.
After years of battling health issues with Lyme disease and more, I really thought I wouldn’t be able to get pregnant. At the age of 32, most of my friends are already having to do fertility treatments, or go through adoption agencies, so I really thought I was “safe”. Then, I have my best friend (we go way back to Kindergarten) chirping in my ear, “You have to get pregnant with me!” And I said, ehh if it happens, it happens…
Then, that same month (in January), boom. The test came back positive.
Now, we’re in the middle of the Winter Equestrian Festival season, and I was not ready to give up my riding. I was riding anywhere from 4-7 horses and ponies a day and I was going to continue as long as possible. I researched online of stories about riders training and competing well into their 3rd month of pregnancy, so I knew I would be good. I’ve been riding since I was 2, so this activity was considered normal for me. Doctors will tell you they highly discourage it. But, I was riding safe horses and ponies, so I wasn’t worried. I immediately told my husband, who somehow “already had a feeling” I was pregnant (go figure). Then, I told my mom and my sister for support. This was just after one of our beloved retired small pony, Sam I am, had just passed away a week earlier. When one life passes, another one is born, right?
So, I rode through the season with my trainer of over 25 years, Jennifer Bieling. There were times where I hid snacks in my car and ate gluten-free pretzels in between my rides when I started getting super hungry after riding just a couple. I had one goal this winter: to show at the Deeridge Derby at the Palm Beach Masters. I told Jen long before this was my goal, and I was not going to let a simple little pregnancy get in the way.
One day I come home, and I’m having a conversation with my husband Andy, and out of nowhere, he says, “Babe, you’re going to have twins! We have to plan for twins.” I thought, ha, what a joke! “Hun, I’m not having twins, but that’s cute you think so,” I said.
After my first appointment with the dr, it was confirmed I was having one baby. The heartbeat was present at six weeks.
During 6-7 weeks I was insanely hungry. I craved tacos. I probably ate two tacos every day after riding. I felt like I was starving, pregnancy really takes over…
Then, my eight-week appointment came around, and Andy came with me. As I’m laying on the ultrasound table thinking we are just going to see one baby on the monitor, I was wrong.
“Well, look at that…I don’t see just one heartbeat, I see two! You guys have twins,” said Dr. Patel.
I literally thought I was in a dream.
So, now we are having twins. Just like Andy had predicted. February was full of surprises… But, the twins didn’t stop me from riding just yet.
The Deeridge Derby was Saturday, March 3, 2019. It was my goal all year to compete at this exquisite venue on the lush grass field.
About ten days prior, my trainer found me the horse “Some Kinda Wonderful” to show. She is a big warmblood grey mare that has a great show record and loves a Derby job. I rode her only a handful of times and mostly flatted her up until the horse show day. Each day I could feel myself loosing more and more steam due to being pregnant with twins, but I knew I just had to do one course on Saturday and then spread the news!
There’s something so magical about being riding at Deeridge, and I think even the horses can feel it…
Friday was the “official warm-up” class for the hunters, and our trip went great. I treated it as if it were the actual round, even though it was just “schooling”.
Can this mare be any cuter? Seriously…
We had a great course and she loved galloping across the grass field jumping these artistically crafted jumps. I even had fun looking at the jumps! It was my first time back jumping 3′ in a few months because the horse I was going to show during the Winter Equestrian Festival got hurt. So instead, I had been riding and schooling ponies for weeks instead of riding normal size horses. But, this horse was so easy and smooth it was like riding a dream.
Then, it was Saturday. I’m not the type to really ever “get nervous” for horse shows. But, It wasn’t that I was nervous for the horse show, but I was actually nervous about sharing the news that I was pregnant… let alone pregnant with TWINS! So, I tried to keep my cool as best as I could. Which really means, I’m quiet and focused. As I walked the course with my trainer, she asked, “So, what are you thinking for the options?” (meaning, the low or high option jumps throughout the course). I responded with, “Jen, she jumps so much better over bigger jumps, why not do all the highs?” Sure enough, we both agreed. When we walked out of the ring, I shared with my mom that I was going to do all the high options, and the look on her face was sheer panic. I assured her that everything would be fine, and it would make for even better pictures. “But, you’re pregnant with twins, are you sure?” she said. Ha! “Of course, this mare jumps so well over big jumps that it was really the only option in my opinion,” I said.
We were ready, but the sun was beating down and I felt my energy diminishing by the second.
As soon as I walked in the ring, I realized I needed spurs. My strength had completely gone out the window. I was squeezing her so much around the course, and I just wasn’t getting her normal forward reaction. So, I had to make a few minor adjustments due to that, but overall we had a decent round.
And, instead of boring you with words, I’d like to share the video with highlights…
While my course wasn’t absolutely perfect, We ended up with a score of an 80 and just missed the top twelve cut off by 1 point! The best part? It was the twins’ first horse show!
From the look on my trainer’s face after we told her, to the laughs and celebrations after my round, it was truly an unforgettable event. I will never forget this day, and I will always remember my first Deeridge Derby event.
