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!