MER Eventing: I work out!

Last show of the year, so it's gotta be good.
Let's take a quick look back at my first show this year:
It was the starter trials at the VHC.
It snowed.
Do you see where I'm gonna be going with this?
Started the year in the snow at VHC, and finished in the same way. What can I say, I like patterns.
Now that I live in Lexington and the walk to my car takes longer than my drive to the horse center (yeah, it really stinks at 630am when it's snowing) I have found that this is become my favorite show of the year, even MORE so. I get to sleep in my own bed, and...yeah i really just like the whole "my own bed" part.
So the show stuff started for me on Thursday. Headed out to the center to buy some shavings and throw them in my stall. As I was walking down one of the aisles I spot an adorable Chestnut. Let the squealing and screaming like a little girl begin.

I love me some Freddie

You're probably asking yourself who this chestnut could be, well if you remember back, (or just read my old posts) you might remember a 4 year old gelding I fell in love with in North Carolina. That's right, it was FREDDIE!!!!! I love that boy so much and I'm really not even sure why. But after realizing it was Freddie and ~~squealing my lungs out~~ expressing my excitement I realized that Holly's newest working student Kelly was standing there wondering what the heck she should do in this situation (sorry Kelly!). Explained really fast then went running to go find my favorite people. Saw Holly riding Stewie while Maxine held Hailey (aka cutest baby ever), more squealing, this time more controlled and at a lower octave.
Eventually got out to Oak Hill to walk my course. There's another back story I should tell you:
four years ago when I first competed at VHC I was running BN and decided that I was going to one day get to a level high enough, that I could compete on the other side of the road. It's been my short/long time goal ever since (yes i also dream of rolex and olympics but baby steps here!)
So I'm standing at the top of the hill in the brisk fall air realizing that I did it. I'm here.
Getting back to the show now,
Dressage warm up warm up was really good, he was moving really fluidly. Came back and got the news that because of the impending snow I, OP and PCH were going to be running cross country that afternoon. So much for going to calc class.
Dressage warm up was good until 10 mins before I go in, it starts to sprinkle. Not enough for anyone else to be bothered but my ~~wimp~~ sensitive horse noticed and was not going to not react.
We actually got through the dressage test fairly well, and it would have been awesome if he hadn't been twitching throughout it, but c'est la vie.
Now on to the fun parts. Preparation for a show involves listening to music while braiding for dressage and getting one stuck in my head so I have a rhythm for the day. This weekend was no different. So before cross country I listened to "I'm sexy and I know it (I work out)" by LMFAO on repeat. Well pumping up for cross country also involves dancing around. So I'm sorry people down the aisle from me that were subjected to my crazy dancing, but let's face it: i'm sexy and I know it ;)
Cross country warm up was fun with a big narrow table like ones I had on course included so that got my confidence up.
Walking around the start box Apollo starts jogging, he knows this is gonna be an exciting course. We take off, and of course right as I'm going over the first fence I hear that the rider in front of me has had a refusal at 6. Crap. Quickly shake that out of my mind and focus on what's in front of me.
Apollo was amazing the entire course. He ran when I let him and came up when I asked. By jump 8 I realized that he didn't need as much preparation time as I thought and I could save some time by preparing a stride or two later. And he did so perfectly. We get to the last combination, a coffin, and coming off the last fence of it I check my watch, 25 seconds left. So we book it. I fly up the hill over the last fence with 3 seconds to spare. God I love my ex-racehorse.

That would be me checking my watch as I'm over a fence. Yay multi-tasking

It was probably the best cross country ride I have ever had.
He got Saturday off because it just didn't seem fair to tack him up just to walk around in the slushy snow.
Saturday afternoon is when the pressure hit me. I finally looked at the scoreboard (I was over by Wiley to watch my friend and teammate Jennifer Friberg do dressage and show jumping, and she was AWESOME).

Jennifer before dressage, while I give Jasper a pep talk

I check the scoreboard and I'm in fourth, with Sharon White leading the class, and I'm one pole away from 3rd and 2nd, and 2 poles and some time away from first. If I go double clear. Let the hyperventilating begin.
Sunday morning while eating breakfast I watched the intermediate show jump. Let me just say that it wasn't the easiest course and a lot of rails were pulled. More panic.
Braid, tack up, attempt to tie stock tie, fail, run a pin through it any way and hope no one notices.
I trot on into the warm up because it's so cold. Take maybe 4 or 5 jumps with Apollo feeling super and then hear them calling that they NEED someone from OP to go.
Heck, why not. It's not like he's going to get any cleaner over theses fences.
Trot straight into the coliseum pick up my canter and go. And let me tell you, we went.
I was so determined to go double clear that I think Apollo picked up on it and he understood that he was not to even THINK about touching any of those poles. We had an amazing double clear round, and I don't think I have ever been prouder of him.
So how did we do? let's just say we were TWO cool for fourth. That's right: 2ND BABY!!!