American Pharoah Settles in at Ashford Stud

Yesterday, American Pharoah arrived at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud near Versaille KY. I think it was like, 8 miles down the road from Keeneland in Lexington KY. American Pharoah raced his last race, the Breeder’s Cup, in Keeneland on Saturday. He won decisively. Since he won the Belmont Stakes making him the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, American Pharoah has actually raced three times. Many may have retired him right after that Belmont win, but American Pharoah went on to win the Haskell Invitational, then came in second at the Travers, and then finally won the Breeders. In his short three years of life, he has raced 10 times, winning 8 of those races. American Pharoah, Victor Espinoza, Bob Baffert, and Ahmed Zayat will be a team that my generation won’t forget. This is the first Triple Crown winner in my lifetime. I watched Secretariat the movie on Sunday, a Triple Crown winner from 1973, and got a little misty eyed thinking about all the work that goes into these horses and how amazing it must feel to see that horse race and win.

American Pharoah’s story has brought great press and lots of warm and fuzzies to the horse racing world. A quick google search will tell you that the horse racing world has had it fair share of scandal over the years, so its nice when there can be some positive press there. Unfortunately, because of the amount of money to made or lost in horse racing, there will always be scandal.

American Pharoah was born to do this. His father was Pioneer of the Nile, who came in 2nd in the Kentucky Derby back in 2009. He also has Unbridled as a great grand sire, and Northern Dancer blood on his father’s side. His mother’s side has Native Dancer blood, an almost Triple Crown winner. He settled into his stall at his new home yesterday where he will now be the sire, grandsire, and so on to many babies. Stud fees will likely by in the six figures, but many will pay that hoping that they are creating the next Triple Crown winner. So much careful planning goes into breeding these racehorses. There are people out there that think horse racing is cruel….well I don’t agree but sadly there are cruel people out there. Seeing horses run and play in their paddocks when their young, you just have to know that they love running. Some are just better at it than others.

American Pharoah surrounded by his team arriving to Ashford Stud to his stall which was last used by a horse named Grand Slam, ha
American Pharoah surrounded by his team arriving to Ashford Stud to his stall which was last used by a horse named Grand Slam, ha
A tender moment between Bob Baffert and American Pharoah
A tender moment between Bob Baffert and American Pharoah

There are so many pictures of American Pharoah’s last race. His jockey, Victor Espinoza is the first jockey of Latin descnet to win the Triple Crown, and his trainer Bob Baffert is the oldest trainer at 62 to win the Triple Crown. Remember him racing, the excitement of watching him win. Thank god he is still healthy through these post- Triple Crown races. Also, remember now that its about his legacy. He raced only a couple years, and made history, I can’t wait to see what the first generation of American Pharoah babies will do!

Heres the article from Bloodhorse about American Pharoah’s arrival at Ashford Stud, there are some very nice pictures.

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Halloween Mt. Major Hike

This past weekend we headed up to NH for a hike and an Oktoberfest/Halloween get together. Its true we are past peak with foliage in NH but its still gorgeous out there. Past peak still means a lot of yellows and rusts and browns. Its still so colorful out there. Mt. Major is a little guy, and there are a couple ways up. There is a steeper & quicker route and then a more windy & gradual route. We had my future inlaws with us so we decided to take the more gradual route. Our pup was staying with them while we headed to the party, so we had to make sure Mizpah was tired and not crazy for her babysitters.

Nice wide trails here
Nice wide trails here
Golden morning
Golden morning
Lake Winnipesaukee, amazing colors
Lake Winnipesaukee, amazing colors
We forgot my LLBean backpack but thankfully Jon had his from elementary school ha
We forgot my LLBean backpack but thankfully Jon had his from elementary school ha
Girls on the summit
Girls on the summit, wearing my LLBean Sweater Fleece pullover, so comfortable and a great top layer for this hike!

I don’t know, I feel like the leaf peepers miss one of the best phases of foliage after Columbus Day weekend. It was so gorgeous Saturday. After the hike my amazing fiancé made homemade soft pretzels for the Oktoberfest/Halloween party. I bought pumpkin bread from my favorite country store and he made homemade perfect pretzels, he’s definitely a better cook haha.

Homemade Oktoberfest Pretzels
Homemade Oktoberfest Pretzels

For the party I wore an old Oktoberfest beer girl costume that I got years ago, and my fiancé Jon wore his waders as waderhosen with a fishing buddy and they both had the German hats with the feathers. It was fabulous.

It was a great weekend. The hike cost us nothing but gas, we didn’t have to buy anything for our costumes, we just bought stuff for the pretzels, the pumpkin bread, and some German beer which was delicious.

I hope you all had a lovely Halloween weekend! The last horse I wrote about was a tragedy. Tomorrow I will write about a horse that is an inspiration, and a triumph, and thankfully has a very happy ending coming to him 🙂

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Brand new to me: Equestrianista

This week instead of investigating the latest prep craze to buzz across my social media, I am introducing a brand that I have been checking out. The brand is Equestrianista. The woman that started the company, Julie Frykman, is an equestrian who worked in high fashion in NYC, returned to Chicago to settle down with a family, got herself a beautiful OTTB (off track thoroughbred), and turned her love for fashion and horses into Equestrianista.

Sadly,  I don’t know if they have made it out my way for any horse events. I think they are hanging more in the midwest, and they do have a setup for Rolex in Kentucky every year. Girlfriends should come on out to Equine Affaire in MA! This would be a hot booth there!

Here are my personal favorites…..with the disclaimer that due the nature of a smaller company, items and sizes do sell out. If you fall for something that is out of your size, contact them, they will probably be able to tell you if more are coming! They also have some items for girls on the site, and some saddle pads/ear net bonnets for the horse in your life.

Snaffle Bit Blouse for $75.00

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Fox Hunt Sweater for $110.00- This is such a cute sweater with the foxhunter jumping over your shoulder to find the elusive fox on the back! This piece is a little out of my price range, but might be nice for a gift, a splurge item, or to watch if it goes on sale!

Tartan Plaid Poncho for $45.00- This item has already sold out at least once this fall!!

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Riding Boot Sweatshirt for $60.00- This looks like such a comfy piece to wear over your show shirt to keep it clean or just around the barn/town!

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Navy Herringbone Scarf for $25.00- I get so used to really only seeing black/gray herringbone, its so nice to see it in navy!

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Check Wrap for $45.00

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Riding Sport Black Shirt for $52.00, final sale

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Stock Pin for $18.00- I love this! It would make such a nice addition to your own wardrobe, but also an awesome gift for someone too!

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Equestrian fashion is not just for equestrians anymore. The popularity of many equestrian themed items has some out there saying that many are living a lie. I say wear what you like, like what you wear, and honestly I think the only item in my list that is really more for the sport than the style is the Riding Sport long sleeve. Its going to be 70 today in Mass, so I am hanging on to summer in my sperrys, sockless…..oh and Sterling stepped on me so hard last night, my sperrys are really the only shoes I could put on this morning. #horseprobs.

Which items above would you consider for yourselves or a friend?

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Down the Cape: Wellfleet Oysterfest 2015

I love Cape Cod and get down there every chance I can get! During the summer, I wouldn’t really ever do a day trip because of the traffic, so I am super fortunate to have some friends with houses down there. In October though? No traffic. Saturday we breezed on into Dennis, and carpooled with friends over to Wellfleet. We were really lucky and got a free parking spot with this view……

View from our parking spot #capecodlove
View from our parking spot #capecodlove

….and then we caught a shuttle to the action!! It was warm for October on Saturday, high 50s and sunny. I wore my J Crew Factory navy vest, a Woolovers cashmere/merino cable sweater, and a button down with jeans and sperrys. My best friend wore a cream Irish knit sweater and an Emily Bond Barbour jacket. It has a beautiful equestrian scene like wallpaper on the lining. Her friend got it in the UK for really cheap, some girls have all the luck 😉 She also wore her Dubarry Galways in walnut. This two outfits basically encompass what everyone wore to this!! It was really funny, so many quilted vests and Barbours.

Cheesin in front of Winslows
Cheesin in front of Winslows

This festival is put together every year by SPAT, an organization that promotes sustainable enjoyment of Wellfleet’s aquaculture. There were definitely some craft/jewelry tents there, but for many of us, it was all about the food and drink! We had clam chowder, lobster bisque, fried dough, french fries for food…..and then we had beer, wine, and hard root beer from the alcohol tent. There was seafood, sausages with peppers, pulled pork, chewers and bisques, lobster rolls….just everything. OH and there were oysters ha. The line for oysters was kinda crazy so unfortunately we filled up on other stuff while we were waiting for it to die down, oops! We did get oysters later at Chapins though, one of my faves in Dennis. It was so dead there compared to the summer, it was like being in a different restaurant ha.

The whole day there was an oyster shucking tournament going on up on a stage set up, some really fast shuckers!!! It was such a fun day, but very crowded. You have to go in there with the mindset that finding people is hard, waiting in lines in a given, and you will more than once turn around and start talking to someone who isn’t friend because the crowd is nuts haha.

All in all, it was an amazing day! They don’t allow dogs at the festival, so we left around 6 to get home to Mizpah and get ready for the Head of the Charles on Sunday. I would have loved to have stayed over the night, I am sure the crowd at the Woodshed was crazy!!

We definitely spent some dollars on food and beers, but it wasn’t too bad. Tickets for entry to the festival are $5 which goes to SPAT, and then we got free parking. Gas of course has to figure in, but we drive just as far to go hike for a day as we did to get to the cape and back, so its not crazy for us at all. Tomorrow I will post about my lovely but cold Sunday at the HOCR!!! Made it through Monday everyone, woo!

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Prep Craze: Dubarry Galway boots & alternatives

Ok, so I am just starting to see these make an appearance in the blogger/instagram world. In the world of riding, there are riding boots or paddock boots for riding, and then there are rubber wellies, and finally there are basically leather wellies. People call them country boots sometimes? Some people do actually ride in them, but they usually don’t hold up to that because the leather is softer & easier to damage than riding boot leather.

Dubarry carries the most expensive and most enviable options. I have a few friends from the barn that have the Dubarry Galway because they literally wear them every day in the mud, mucking stalls, walking miles in the ring teaching riding lessons, they pretty much live in them. For that kind of wear, the price tag of $489, I can see. Where I live the best place to get these is Dubarry Galway Boot, but they sell them through Tuckernuck & Dubarry too. I would just choose to support a tack shop if I was going to get them. Here they are, one of my friends has them in black too, really nice.

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Here are the Dubarry Longford Boots, slightly higher price point at $529.

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Dubarry’s are popular among some of the bloggers. Sarah Vickers of Classy Girls Wear Pearls and Rachel Timmerman of Something Delightful have featured them. Alright so now that we have addressed some boots that are a few car payments, let me tell you about some alternatives!

Here are the Dublin River Boots at $189. A lot of women at the barn have these, they are really nice and come in black too.

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Dublin also makes the Dublin Ria Boot for $169.99.

There are also boots from Middleburg, the Middleburg H2O Country Boot for $159.99 but honestly the reviews for Middleburg boots aren’t great, so I can tell you they exist, but I wouldn’t recommend them.

Finally, the boots that I own!! Save the best for last right? I love the dubes, but I knew I couldn’t spend that kind of money on boots, and I wanted something different than the Dublin boots. I found Toggi! Toggi is popular in the UK I believe, but really isn’t seen around here much.

Here are the Toggi Canyon Long Leather Boots for $150. I got the brown ones, and I love them. I wear mine around the barn, when I groom for people at shows, and walking the cross country course with friends before it starts.

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The Canyon Boots in action!

I like these ones too, the Toggi Berkeley Country Boot . They are little more expensive though at $199.00. They look pretty similar to the Dubes huh!?

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Toggi Berkeley Country Boots

I love my Toggi boots, and I do get a sense of satisfaction that they were within my budget, they are great quality, and they are pretty much unknown around here. The Dublin boots are awesome too. If you want to splurge and get the Dubarrys, go for it, they are beautiful, BUT know that they aren’t the only option for a nice waterproof leather country boot. Tack shops like Smartpak & Dover have awesome stuff, and Country and Stable has great stuff too that sometimes hasn’t become popular yet in the US.

Dubarrys are awesome, but they aren’t everything, don’t let someone who got their pair for free tell you different 😉

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Volunteering at my barn’s last three phase of the year

The barn that I ride at has 3-4 schooling shows a year. There is usually one in April that is just a two-phase, dressage & stadium jumping. The cross country field is usually not ready in April. Then there might be one in June, then a three phase in August, and then in the past they have done a three phase or a cross country derby in October.

I don’t own a horse, and I don’t have a lease currently, so I am happy to volunteer at the shows. The clientele at our shows are usually middle school to college age, and then people in their forties/fifties who are financially secure, have kids that are older. Riders in the middle like myself are usually trying to save money for other things and can’t own or show a horse OR they are showing at a higher level. Volunteering is so much fun, and its an awesome way to learn more about how shows and judging works.

In the past I have scribed for the dressage judge (which is so cool), judged at xc jumps, timed for xc, and been the ring steward for stadium. I always learn a ton and have a lot of fun with everyone. Scribing for the dressage judge is hard work but you learn a lot about what they look for. Cross country is exhilarating and beautiful to watch. Watching horse and rider gallop through fields, and through water, (hopefully) effortlessly leaping over coops and walls is breathtaking. Stadium jumping is great too, sometimes I realize I am actually holding my breath while one of the girls who I have watched from pony camp to now jumping 2’6″ zoom around the course.

The dressage arena- a square/rectangle space marked with letters around the perimeter where riders do a series of movements called a dressage test
The dressage arena- a square/rectangle space marked with letters around the perimeter where riders do a series of movements called a dressage test
Autumn decor at C in the dressage arena
Autumn decor at C in the dressage arena
Stadium jumping
Stadium jumping 

I think I will probably make the cross country fields its own post, there are so many fun things to photograph out there, from the jumps to the water feature.

Volunteering at horse shows is an awesome way to get involved in the horse world. I used to volunteer for MSPCA’s Nevins Farm in Methuen MA. I mucked stalls, filled waters, and volunteered at events like Groton House Farm Trials and the Fidelity Jumper Classic (now held in NH) in Hamilton, MA. Definitely a cool way to be present and involved without necessarily having a horse. Plus you are donating your time to others to help, which always feels good!

I just recently started jumping again after doing just dressage for a year or so. I was at the point where I was out jumping in the xc field and doing in that 2′ area in the ring. Here is what I was jumping recently, this beautiful little cross rail haha! I will get back there eventually….

Oh hai cross rail!
Oh hai cross rail!

I love Monday holidays because it means only a four day work week! I am really looking forward to this weekend already, Oyster Fest on the Cape Saturday, Head of the Charles Sunday…..we just need this rain forecast for Sunday to change!

Hope you all had a lovely day!!

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Prep Craze: Flannel Shirts

Ok folks….the way some of the fashion bloggers I follow have been talking up flannel this year you would think this new trend came straight out of NYFW….maybe it did….I doubt it. My father and grandfather wore flannel as a uniform from October to April every year. It was what my dad threw on to get wood for the stove, and what my mom wore over turtlenecks in the winter. My grandparents owned a farm in Maine so lots of outdoor work even in the cold. There were flannel shirts, shirts that were insulated with long underwear, flannel lined with quilting, flannel lined jeans, flannel hats with the ear flaps…and us kids all had flannel shirts, pajamas, nighties, shorts, and of course sheets. I had a set of mocha flannel sheets that came out in the fall and I would have my mother wash and dry them in the same day so I didn’t have to use other sheets 🙂

This year, flannel shirts seem to be on everyone’s fall essential lists, in everyone’s instagram posts. This was all well and good until I clicked on a particular blogger’s link to their flannel shirt and found out that it was $168…..it was under a sweater, under a Barbour…..only the collar and tails of this shirt were showing…..$168. Was it free? I don’t know, I didn’t see the tell tale c/o after it.

Guys, please don’t spend that much on a flannel. If you spend that much, you are doing it wrong. These shirts are soft on dry chapped skin in the winter, and I love them, but if you are paying that much for one, it should like….also massage your shoulders or something. These are casual, comfy shirts…save that money for a nice dress shirt for an upcoming occasion/interview, not on a flannel. Oh and just an FYI, not all plaid shirts are flannel, and not all flannel shirts are plaid 😉

Here is my small collection of flannels:FullSizeRender-7

Top two shirts are from Old Navy Classic Flannel. They are all less than $30. They are very lightweight, which some people will like, some people won’t. They fit me ok, but the button over my chest kinda pulls which is crappy, but going up a size would make it too big. That being said, for the price, they are awesome under sweaters and under vests. A lot of us are wearing these shirts like that anyway.

Third one down was a present from my sister, the Eddie Bauer Stine’s Favorite Flannel Shirt. These fit me perfectly, they are on sale right now for $45, some great colors (I love the Atlantic!), and they are a little more substantial than the Old Navy shirts.

Finally, the bottom one in one of my favorite plaids, blackwatch, is the LLBean Scotch Plaid Shirt, Slightly Fitted. They are $44.95, great price for the quality. They also have this shirt in a relaxed fit. Pay attention to the size chart for LLBean because I go down a size for their clothing. This is a heavier weight shirt, closer to a true old school flannel shirt. I will definitely get more of these in future years.

Oh! Here is the J Crew Flannel Shirt I mentioned earlier. Its from the Thomas Mason for J Crew collection, so I guess if you are into that, then maybe $168 isn’t bad. J Crew does have other flannel shirts in the $80s, Orvis clocks in at $79. J Crew Factory have the Factory classic button down in flannel for $41.50, but a bunch of colors are backordered already.

Flannel came from the British Isles, worn by people who worked outside and wore these to stay warm in the rough weather often found in that area. If all you want flannel shirts for is to wear under a sweater or a vest, go cheap and lightweight, better for your wallet and your body temp if you work inside.

Annnnd to end this prep craze post, here is a beautiful pic of the Nashua River today from my trail run with the pup. Such a nice afternoon run.

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Happy Wednesday everyone! We are almost through the work week to the Columbus Day weekend!!

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Prep Craze: LLBean Boots & Alternatives!

So today was just meant for me to write this post. I wore my Bean boots for the first time this year today thanks to this rain in MA and Bean boots made the news this morning. That’s right folks, there is already a shortage of Bean boots even before the Christmas rush and here in New England, that makes the news!!

Here are my boots. I have the 10″ Maine Hunting Shoes boots because I liked the all brown leather look AND the sole of the hunting shoe is a little more flexible than the traditional Bean boot.

This pic is from this past winter, oh hey Mizpah!
This pic is from this past winter, oh hey Mizpah!

So feel free to check out the LLBean Boots, there are quite a few options and prices from $89 to over $200 depending on the style you pick. If you can ever get to New England, the outlet store in Freeport ME has a few racks of discounted returned Bean boots. Good deals there!

The popularity of the Bean boot which I remember just calling duck boots growing up, has brought about some awesome alternatives. The Sperry Duck Boots look beautiful, lots of colors and fabric combinations. Prices range from $120-150 for the taller boots, $100 for the slip ons, comparable to the Bean boots. They don’t have the same story of being handmade in Maine of course, but Sperry is a great company too! Lots of retailers are carrying these too from Zappos, J Crew, Country Club Prep to department stores. My next pair of duck boots will be the slip on shoes like these from Sperry:

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Ok, here are some other alternatives you all might not know about!

Steve Madden Tillis Leather-Accented Duck Boot at Lord & Taylor for $79, also available at Zappos & Belk.

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Harlequin Duck Boots from GH Bass for $128, and they do a 20% off coupon for signing up for their emails (I believe these are gone now, here is a link to their selection of duck boots)

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Another great boot that is a slightly different style for $150 is the Sorel 1964 Premium LTR Boot. These look very sturdy and warm, probably more than just a rain boot.

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If you are just looking for rubber duck boots, then think about some of these alternatives for not only their price, but to be unique with different colors/fabrics AND because of availability. If they have to be from LLBean, I get it, but you may have to wait.  They are an amazing company that really guarantees their products. I mean, the first 90 pairs of boots Leon Leonwood Bean sold in 1912 were defective and he refunded all of them, fixed the problem, and carried on. That kind of customer service is what the company is built on.

Maybe at least buy them when they are giving away the $10 gift cards? I think the Bean boots might be coming back out tomorrow with this rain, I hope you all have nicer weather where you are!

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Sunday Funday at Myopia Polo

Yesterday a few girlfriends and I ditched football and spent that afternoon watching some polo! Myopia Polo is the oldest active polo club in America, the grounds are beautiful. They host matches for Harvard, Boston Polo, international matches, and they have quite a few family teams from the area that play in tournaments for Myopia. Yesterday’s matches were between some of the Myopia teams in remembrance of Patti Lahey who passed away from cancer in August. She was an amazing woman in Massachusetts’ North Shore horse community. They had her friends come up and tell stories about Patti during breaks in the match, it was very sweet and touching.

One of the Myopia teams is called Stage Hill Polo and they also do lessons. I am planning on doing a lesson with them in November thanks to an awesome Groupon!  Other places in New England that do lessons for polo are Newport Polo in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, which also does matches and tailgating, and then Patch Wood Farm in Sandown NH does lessons for other riding disciplines too. I did a lesson at Newport Polo and it was awesome, but its just too far a drive. I am so happy I saw the Groupon for Stage Hill. I love finding new things to do with horses 🙂

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It was a lovely fall afternoon. They charge $10/pp for admission, and we grabbed some champagne, OJ, Boursin  & crackers from the grocery store. My friend brought some smoked bluefish caught right off Martha’s Vineyard. Like our table?? Its a cooler with my friend’s horse’s Baker sheet over it ha! Not too shabby!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and got outside to enjoy some fall weather activities!

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Alumni Crew Race!

I went to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester MA and was a member of the women’s crew team for all 4 years. We had a fall and a spring season, and it was the best thing I did in college. I started rowing the summer after my junior year of high school during a week long camp. Up until then, I had been playing tennis and competitively Irish Step Dancing annnnnnd my knees had just had it. I have patella femoral syndrome. Its really common in women who sorta grew really fast causing their hip/knee angle to be off. Basically my kneecap tracks diagonally, outside to inside, so there can be swelling & pain. My orthopedic dr did crew and actually suggested I do it in order to strengthen my quads. That summer, I fell in love with rowing at a camp at Northeastern University. Senior year I drove myself to CRI on the Charles 3 days a week after school to row with a program. College crew wasn’t something I randomly found at the activities fair during orientation, it was something that I looked forward to my entire senior year.

My senior year, I was captain of the crew team with my best friend. She was in my sorority, we studied abroad in Thailand our junior year together, and spent soooo many hours together for crew, we practically shared a brain. She passed away in 2008 from a heart problem. She just died in her sleep, very peacefully. My world was rocked, I was devastated. Those first two years out of college, we went to races together, supporting our team as alumni. We raced in the alumni race, hung out after for the cookout and then headed to campus for the rest of the homecoming activities.

After she died though, I couldn’t bring myself to do it anymore. The loss of her was so pronounced at crew activities. When we fundraised enough money to buy a boat and name it after her, I went to the homecoming race as a spectator and went in to the dark boathouse to visit her boat like a grave. This year though, I got dragged into the alumni race. I didn’t even have clothes, but people had spandex and a tshirt for me to borrow. It was so fun. I still cried when my former coach along with my best friend’s family announced the amazing endowment in her name that states there will always be a boat named after her for WPI crew. Grief is a strange thing. It sharpens and fades, like changing the focus of a photo from the foreground to the background. I am going to watch some of my fellow alums race at the Head of the Charles this year. It has taken me a long time, but my feelings of loss and sadness are starting to fall to the background and I am able to love crew again.

Here are some pictures from the race. It was an awesome morning 🙂

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