Mexico, spectacular coffee, and diet explosion

This week, I’m not updating my blog at Starbucks.  I’m not even in the country!   I’m in Mexico!  Some of you may be wondering why I’m not in Kentucky. I am missing the High Hope Steeple Chase because family takes priority.  It is the week of my brother’s wedding and his bride happens to live in Mexico.

At this moment, I am drinking a delicious white chocolate mocha at Café Sed in Magdalena Mexico! This mocha is absolutely fabulous! The other night, I had a Nutella frappe and let me tell you, it puts Starbucks’ secret Nutella Frappuccino to shame.  The frappe from Café Sed is made with real Nutella like a Nutella drink should be! Café Sed is a one of a kind coffee shop.  It is warm and cozy with comfy chairs. One of the coolest features at Café Sed is their enclosed courtyard surrounded by an old brick wall. The landscaping is fabulous with green grass, an abundance of flowering plants, and a stage containing a palm tree that’s used as a fantastic focal point.   Café Sed is owned by the bride’s maid of honor and will be the place where the wedding reception will be held.  That means more delicious coffee!

                

            My last day of riding at NARA was bittersweet.  My boys, Marble and Gus, worked so hard and really put their hearts into the gallop, but unfortunately I will miss their run in the High Hope Race. Even though I’m enjoying my time in Mexico with my bro and new sis I can’t wait to get back to Kentucky and get back into the swing of things!

                

            Diet wise, this trip has been a disaster.  Every time I head back home, I tell myself I won’t go off my diet. I do so well in Kentucky.  I am very disciplined at maintaining my weight. But for some reason, whenever I come home, I go way off my diet. This time I kept telling myself I wouldn’t go off my diet.  But sadly, I didn’t do as I was telling myself.  When I put on my vest for the wedding, the buttons were bursting.  I’m afraid to even step on the scale to see how much I’ve gained.

Strong - than there's jockey strong!

I decided to take a break from all of the calories I consume at Starbucks and go with the basic Pikes Place coffee with sugar-free vanilla syrup. Sometimes it’s good to refrain from all the sweets and calorie laden Starbucks indulgences and reconfirm that I do have control over my diet.

All week we have been training the horses for the High Hope Races which involve NARA graduates competing against each other. I trained Marble and Gus all week.  Not only did I keep them in shape but they without a doubt kept me in shape, too!  At times, it was hard to keep them at the correct speed and I was sore and tired at the end of each day.  Instead of breezing the horses on Friday, we had to breeze them on Saturday due to the poor weather conditions. Once again Chris had a surprise for us.  We would not only be breezing on the upper main track, but we would be doing it when other riders where out on the track. In the past, it had been only us on the track. It was a fantastic surprise and great fun riding with other exercise riders on the main track. It was a totally different feeling and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't believe all the progress I have made since August. I am extremely blest and grateful to be attending Nara.

If we had a phrase of the week, it would have been “Strong - than there's JOCKEY STRONG!” This past week has been extremely tough, not only physically but mentally. Between my online classes, NARA and work, there has been little room for sleep.  Although I am completely physically and mentally drained, I'm perfectly happy because this is what I want to do and know it is where I belong. My struggles appear minute when compared to a colleague of mine.  Her horse was out in front of mine when all of a sudden both of them crumpled into the ground with her horse almost falling on top of her. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen happen at NARA. My attention immediately focused off my ride and on to her to see if she was ok. Then all of a sudden my horse "propped" - stopped abruptly, and I was thrown off my mount but was able to hang on to the reins so he didn't run off. My colleague, without hesitation, got back up.  Holding her shoulder with one hand she ran back to the barn after her loose horse. I was very impressed with her quick action. Back at the barn, she begged to get back on her horse.  When she was told she should rest, she begged to ride her second horse in the next set. She was very determined to get back in the saddle. While we were out riding our second set she was still holding her shoulder but started doing some of the tasks around the barn. After the ride was over, she was forced against her will to go the doctor to get x-rays. It was there she found out that her collarbone was broken. It wasn't just a small fracture; it was so broken it required surgery with a plate and 7 screws! Her determination to continue despite her broken collarbone defines JOCKEY STRONG! Major props go out to my colleague for her dedication, hard work ethic and eagerness to ride even when she’s hurt. 

Hoping everyone is enjoying the summer weather! 

Jesse

First Saturday in May!

This afternoon at Starbucks I'm enjoying a tall ice coffee with sugar free mocha syrup. I plan on going out to dinner with some of my Steak 'n Shake co workers, so I sadly have to cut back on the Starbucks calories :( For my treat I chose the reduced fat cinnamon swirl coffee cake. Instead of eating the whole thing, I withstood the urge, cut it in half, and will be eating the other half in the morning. So instead of consuming the 340 calories of pure sugar goodness, it's only 170 :).  Even though I'm on a strict diet, I just have to be careful with the portion size and am still able to try some indulgent treats :).

Classes at NARA have sadly come to an end until June 22. However, I am still getting on some of the school's horses in order to  maintain not only my fitness but the horses' as well, since last year's graduates will be riding them in a graduation race on May 20th at the Kentucky Horse Park. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the race because I'll be heading to  Mexico, where I'll be looking fly in my brother's wedding! It is very important to keep your priorities straight even when it comes to following your dreams.

This past Saturday was the one and only KENTUCKY DERBY! It is held the first Saturday in May and it is what this blog is all about. On the Monday before the Derby, Mr. McCarron took us to Churchill Downs to witness all the Derby excitement. There were TV crews everywhere trying to get interviews with the different trainers in the Derby as well as the jockeys. There was this buzz of excitement in the air that is very hard to describe. Everyone was a lot more pumped up than usual because it was Derby week. There were tents and extra seating being erected to handle the mass amounts of people that would be attending the Derby. At Churchill we will privileged to get to meet D. Wayne Lukas, as well as Garrett Gomez (who was going to be riding Daddy Nose Best in the Kentucky Derby) and Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day! It was such a wonderful morning getting to visit with these incredible individuals before the Derby, as well as being able to see the Derby horses doing their morning workouts on the track :)

Sadly, since I'm a broke college student, I was unable to attend the Run for the Roses at Churchill downs but did go to see the running of the 138th Kentucky Derby at Keeneland! It was such a different atmosphere than your normal race day. They had a live band playing, there was an enormous bar that was erected and people were everywhere milling about and standing in line to place their bets. There were also large groups of families and friends that had set up tables with different kinds of food to snack on while they watched the races leading up to the Derby. Keeneland had set up big screens all throughout its spectacular grounds as well as had it streaming on their large screen in the infield of their track. When I arrived I went immediately to the betting window and placed my bet on Union Rags, ridden by Julien Leparoux, to win. As the Derby neared the crowd got more and more excited and the noise increasingly grew; but as soon as the legendary "My Kentucky Home" came across the speakers, there was an instant silence as everybody listened to this famous song that is sung before every Derby. Once it was finished and they started announcing the different horses and jockeys that would be riding,  cheers went up for the crowd's favorites, while others booed when they heard a name they didn't like. Once the gates where loaded there was an instant hush over the crowd. But as soon as the bell sounded and the doors flung open, the crowd erupted in a row of "Come on, 6," "Come on, 4," "Let's go Union Rags (or insert horses name here)." It lasted for the whole 2 minutes and all of a sudden it was over. I'll Have Another won the race! What made it even more incredible was that this was his jockey's, Mario Gutierrez's, first time in the Derby and he won! I can only dream right now of achieving this feat! Sadly Union Rags got trapped early and didn't have enough time to make up the lost ground. Even though I lost my bet, it was a great experience to be in Kentucky for the Derby and it will be a day that will never be forgotten. I can't imagine what it's like to actually race in the Derby and then come out the victor. My mentor, Chris McCarron, was able to win the Derby twice! The first Saturday in May is one of THE greatest days in racing! It is My Life, My Dream, and My Race to be able to attend the Kentucky Derby not as a spectator, but as a jockey aboard a fantastic thoroughbred that has raced its heart out to be able to be one of the fortunate 20 in the Run for the Roses on that glorious first Saturday in May. Here are a few pictures from my day at Keeneland.

Looking fly for the Derby :)

My bets

Waiting for the derby to start

The 138th Kentucky Derby at Keeneland