Samara Heinrichs Prak

Ten days later and it seems a little surreal. For all that time spent training, preparing, and getting ready for the derby, 177 seconds in the ring passed by in the blink of an eye. For those of you who've always thought that people who do derbies are a little crazy... we probably are. Funny enough, it wasn't really the bank that I thought would be hard. The morning of the derby was when someone reminded me we had to jump the double liver pools, which was when I actually realized what I was in for. The worst moment for me was standing at the gate waiting to walk. Once you're out there in the routine of walking a course and making a plan, it gets easier to remember that it's just another day. Cantering at the first jump made everything else disappear.  This is going to sound very odd, but my "Social Media Correspondent" Bridie insisted I had to write about it, so here it is: I have the strangest thoughts as I'm on course competing, almost as though ...

It's been a couple weeks since my last blog, but I haven't had a lot of spare time recently. This week has been a week of firsts for me. I participated in my first FEI jog at Spruce Meadows this past Tuesday. The following day I competed in the 1.45m Recon Metal cup, finishing in ninth place, my first ribbon in the FEI division at Spruce Meadows. Friday was a big day for me. I stepped foot on that hallowed ground that is the Spruce Meadows International Ring for the first time. This has been a lifetime dream and such an incredible feeling to have reached it. As amazing as all of that has been, I think my next journey will be even more exciting, when I embark on yet another "first" experience. Tomorrow I am jumping off a figurative cliff and tackling the bank in the International Ring. And will that ever be the experience of a lifetime. For the incredible people I have in my life that have supported me every step of the way, thank you. I have no idea what the e...