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Manic monday!

Starbucks: 

I just got off from a weekend of binging; so, I was feeling kind of low. To add to my downer mood, it was dark, cloudy and drizzling outside. I felt like the joy of summer was gone and I was in the middle of a bleak and dreary winter.  I knew I needed a Starbucks pick me up. That is when I decided:  “Why not bring some winter cheer to brighten up the day.” So, I got peppermint white chocolate mocha with a chocolate chip cookie - the perfect cheerful winter holiday combination!

Diet: 

As I mentioned above, I just finished a weekend of binging. It seems that I do so well during the week. However, by the time the weekend comes around, I fall off the wagon and get pretty banged up. But then I hop back on and start the week strong! I put all the blame for the binging on myself.  I think my greatest downfall happens when I am working at Steak-n-Shake.  I usually wait to eat at the end of my shift to eat and by then I'm starving and eat a ton of bad food! You all are probably thinking this jockey has some major problems and he keeps talking about his binges. The reason why I talk about them is I don’t want to hide my binges because that will more than likely make things worse. I feel if I'm open about it, I might be able to quit this terrible habit.

Riding:

Monday was not a great day. I over slept my alarm which is a big NO! in the racing industry. Everything runs on schedule and a few minutes off can upset the whole day of training. Because of my tardiness, I was not allowed to ride my horses to remind me that it is unacceptable to be late no matter what. I was granted permission to ride the pony in the first set and Moe in the last. Timing is so important.  Here is a saying that the industry lives by: “To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is completely unacceptable.” Because of my failure on Monday, I lost all my good mounts and was put on some of the easier, less adventurous horses for the week. Other than Monday, I had a great week of riding. On Friday, it was raining.  But, that didn't stop us from going to the track. In our second set, we broke from the gate in company despite the rain! There is nothing like trying to beat the other horses out of the gate when the doors open. I was able to break my horse out in front and keep him in front until the end of the race. After that, I dropped behind and got pelted in mud. I was one wet muddy boy going back to the barn. But, it was a blast and a half!

Racing news: 

On Wednesday, we took Curmudgeon to River Downs in Cincinnati Ohio. The track is right alongside the Ohio River. It’s not the same caliber of track as that at Churchill Downs or Keenland.  However, it is a well-known location where many hall of fame jockeys and trainers got their start. While we were waiting for Mudge’s race, we got to go to the sky box and talk to the race announcer, track manager and the stewards (judges, referrers, police of racing, etc.). Curmudgeon had a better run than he had at Churchill, but it still wasn't perfect. He came in 3rd that day. I can't wait till our next race with the NARA clan otherwise known as The Fantastic Four! 

New drink and riding experience

Starbucks:
I would like to call my self a Starbucks' enthusiast with a culinary mind set! I've been coming so often that I'm beginning to get bored with the usual caramel, mocha and vanilla beverages. To solve this problem, I have begun creating my own drinks :) Last week was the Raspberry Truffle. This week is the Apple Crisp Frappaccino. I asked for an caramel apple spice to be made into a frappaccino with a pump of hazelnut. Although this drink is extremely sweet, it tastes pretty darn close to an apple crisp. If you want that sweet taste of fall, I highly recommend my creation of an apple crisp. Next time you walk into Starbucks, remember you can be adventurous and don't have stick to the traditional menu.

Diet:
This weeks topic is unfortunately the binge. Don't get me wrong. I love healthy eating and the satisfied feeling that goes along with it.  But for some reason, I binge a lot. I guess I have an addictive mindset.  When I go off my diet, I take a huge 1 day plunge into eating more than any human should be able to consume. This is not only unhealthy but quite expensive as well. I mainly binge each time I reach my goal weight. I really need to break this terrible habit.

Riding:
Riding has been going pretty good this past week! I had been riding J. C. who is a filly full of energy and has a very sensitive mouth. She has taught me so much, but I still have a lot to learn. I really need to work on increasing my finesse so I can keep her calm and ride her with a firm hand so she wont run off. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to accomplish this. So, this week I decided to take a break from riding J. C. and will pick her back up next week to try to work out the kinks in my riding. On Thursday, we went to the starting gate for the very first time.  Although we just walked them in and than backed them out, it was incredible to actually be inside the gate on a horse! Friday, we were given the privilege of actually breaking from the gate. It was a beautiful warm morning and the sun was just above the horizon. As I walked my horse into the gate, I was slightly nervous but excited at the same time! There is nothing better then looking over the top of the horse's head, looking through the gate bars at the track laid out in front. I looked to my left and nobody was coming around the turn of the track.  I knew the doors would open shortly! With the ring of the bell, the doors flung open and my horse surged forward. I rose out of the saddle and into the breezing position and down the track we flew.  We went from 0-40 mph in nothing flat. It was the most incredible feeling. I will never forget my first time breaking from the starting gate!

Racing News:
What a week for female jockeys! On Saturday, Chantal Sutherland piloted Game On Dude and became the first female jockey to win the Hollywood Gold Cup in its 73 year history. Female jockeys are becoming more prominent as the industry progresses and are achieving many great accomplishments. A big congrats goes to Chantal Sutherland. Since Game On Dude won, he has claimed a spot in the 5 Million Breeders Cup Classic which will be run on Nov 3rd.  

Till next time 

Jesse Sauder 

Then there were four

Starbucks:
Like I said last time, I will tell you about my new Starbucks creation. I call it the raspberry truffle. I designed this drink because I wanted something sweet yet strong and bold. I chose a mocha frappucino with 1 shot of raspberry flavoring. This combination would be fine but much too sweet for my liking So I had them add an extra shot of espresso and garnish the top with chocolate whip cream so there would be no other flavors besides chocolate, raspberry, and coffee. This combo turned out spectacular. If you want a drink that's sweet but still has a bold kick, I would highly recommend getting my creation "The Raspberry Chocolate Truffle".

Diet:
Some of you may wonder, "How can this kid be getting these Starbucks drinks but still keep his weight down?" The answer is very careful calorie planning. On my blog day I keep track of exactly what enters my mouth and save enough calories back to include my Starbucks drinks. So on my blog days I don't eat as much on other days due to the fact that most of the drinks I get are high in calories. But on the occasion I eat a lot on a blog day, I will opt for a skinny version latte/frappucino or just get a plain coffee or tea. The hardest part is keeping myself from going on a binge after I enjoy this savory treat since my body craves sugar and fatty foods terribly.

NARA:
My class started off with 13 students and now we are down to 3 others and me. The others quit because it got too hard or they didn't like watching their weight; some left to try to make it on their own and others quit just because they lacked the dedication and passion. The people that are left are extremely dedicated and hard working. I'm very proud of what we have all been through and accomplished together.

Riding:
Riding has been going fantastic. We are riding on the main track with the other riders at the training center! It is great being able to ride on the track with everyone else. Last semester we waited until the track was closed to ride on it so we wouldn't bother anybody. Since their are so few students we are able to ride three horses a day! This is so helpful with becoming a better rider and getting more fit. We were fortunate enough to be able to choose who we got to ride so I picked Marble for my first horse. He is a tank and a very strong gelding. I chose him to keep my fitness up and increase my stamina. I next chose JC, a filly who has a very sensitive mouth and has to be ridden with a very soft hand. The reason for choosing her was to develop better hands and develop a softer touch. I then picked Pemmy who is a mix between Marble and JC. She is slightly skittish and always keeps me on my toes because she jumps at almost anything.  This combination is the perfect trifecta that will increase my fitness and improve my riding a great deal.

Till next time!
Jesse Sauder

P.S This blog should have been posted last week. I decided my editor, The outstanding Frank Sauder, needed a well deserved break  so I sent him over to Cali to enjoy some fun in the sun.

I'm on Tv!

Starbucks:
Today as I biked to Starbucks, I contemplated what I should get. I was burnt out on the caramel, vanilla and mocha flavored drinks and was thinking of creating my own combination of flavored beverage. But when I entered the building and was greeted with the usual: "HEY JESSE!  How are you doing today?” something caught my eye on the menu board. There it was in green print: “IT’S BACK! - Mocha Coconut Frappuccino!”  This frapp is one of my top Starbucks drinks. What makes this Frappuccino truly special is the crisp baked coconut shreds that garnish the top of the pillowy whipped cream. It is a definite must have :)

Diet:
Since I reached my goal weight of 104, I'm proud to announce that there was no need to go a month on my raw diet! Man, am I glad!  Although I loved eating all the fruits and vegies, I was getting ready to get back to cooking and add some protein and substance to my diet.  Although the raw diet was difficult at times, I did feel healthy and rejuvenated.  The raw diet is great for a short period of time. It is an excellent way to cleanse the body and would be very beneficial after Thanksgiving.

Riding:
This past week, I've continued to ride Moe to stay in shape for the vigorous summer classes, which will soon begin.  Once they start, I'll be riding three horses a day! While this means more riding time :) it also means a lot more time spent mucking stalls :( But it is well worth it! I'll be writing more in this section when summer classes begin.

Racing news:
Black Caviar barely kept her undefeated record alive by winning the Diamond Jubilee race during the Royal Ascot event in England. This incredible mare extended her winning record to 22-0, which puts her in second place for the largest undefeated record. Unfortunately, she had some complications after the race so it is up in the air if she will be able to continue her undefeated journey. Even if she is unable to race again, ending 22-0 is outstanding and we'll all await her offspring. That's the beauty of racing.  Even when a horse has to retire, we get to look forward to their offspring running and picking up where their sire or dam left off!

TV:
Al Jazeera News came out and did a spot for their TV channel on the Academy. I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by them and they even used some of my helmet camera footage :)! Enjoy

I loved every second they where out and really enjoyed talking to the friendly reporter Kimberly Halkett.

till next time
Jesse Sauder

Curmudgeon!

 Starbucks:

Since I'm on the raw diet and it is a bright, sunny day, I wanted something unsweetened, healthy and very refreshing. I panned over the menu looking for such a drink when I finally spotted it - iced green tea. I felt instantly refreshed after my first sip.  All of a sudden, I found myself transported to my birthplace, Japan. Although green tea is usually served hot, drinking it iced would probably be considered a sin. It still brought me back to my birthplace of gorgeous peach blossoms, majestic mountains and clear blue skies. Even though this doesn't compare to authentic green tea, it was the perfect healthy option that brought me back to my roots and I thoroughly enjoyed every rejuvenating sip. 

Diet:

It will be one week today since I've begun my raw endeavor and let me tell you, I've been tempted many times, especially since I work at Steak-n-Shake. My meal usually consists of a banana for breakfast, an apple and some carrots or celery for lunch, and a salad without dressing for dinner. I substitute different fruits and veggies for lunch and dinner for variety. However, since I love to cook, I get quite bored with the food and can't wait for this diet to be over. Due to the rapid decrease of weight, I might be able to quit early because I’ve almost reached my goal.

Racing News:

This past Sunday, Mike Estes, the owner and trainer of Curmudgeon (a horse the school leases), took his horse to Churchill downs for his second race. The really cool thing about Curmudgeon is that because a NARA student groomed him, another exercised him, and another was his jockey, we view Curmudgeon as Team Nara.  Curmudgeon’s first time to race was back in November and he won! It was very exciting for the school and everyone involved. At Churchill Downs, I had the privilege of following Chris for the day and it was fantastic getting to meet Calvin Borel, Curmudgeon's jockey, and Jon Court.  Unfortunately it wasn't Calvin Borel’s day and Curmudgeon didn't win. This business is a tough one, but the passion and excitement of winning makes it worth the hardships! 

Riding:

I continue to ride Moe out in the field and we have since increased his training, so I've been able to canter him, too. School starts up again on Thursday and since I've been riding over break, I know I will be in much better shape than I was after Christmas break. 

Here are a few photos from the day. Follow me on Twitter or Facebook to keep up with my day to day activities.

 

Have a great week! 

Jesse Sauder