Shark Tank

I love the ABC show "Shark Tank". I think it is genius! It is the very best reality show on television now, and maybe ever. Why, you say? Because it is entertaining, educational, and inspiring.

I also love the "Sharks". They are real. What I mean by that is they are real people, with personalities that they are proud of and don't mind sharing with the audience. I know that there is a lot of prep work and auditions that we don't see, and that we only see a staged glimpse of what goes on in the real world, but what separates this show from the other reality shows is that every other situation is contrived--it is not really the way things would happen. Not the case, here. I have a feeling that this is very on-point with the way things happen on this level of the business world.

It is hard to pick a favorite shark, but I actually like Kevin O'Leary best. I identify with his style of business approach. Unemotional (and I will talk more about this later) is the only way to do business--any business. But I also believe that he shines (for me) as much because of the interactions with the other personalities in the room as anything else. I love the way their characters have developed over the course of the series so far, and I think this show has unlimited potential for subsequent seasons, as I think the American entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well--and in this economy, searching for alternative funding and capital investment. The banks surely aren't our friends anymore (were they, ever?).

I do have the entrepreneurial spirit, in spades. My business is successful, in its niche. My business certainly wouldn't be attractive to the sharks, because it is a niche-business, and is wholly based on in-person services at this point. That doesn't mean that it might not evolve into something that would be attractive to them, as I am always thinking, planning, assessing and adjusting my business model to keep bringing added-value to my customers and keep my business fresh and interesting. I believe I have made the correct business decisions and am constantly researching and re-assessing every aspect of my business. This benefits my clients, and when I benefit my clients, I benefit my business.

I would LOVE to hear from you guys and gals who are reading this blog--do you watch this show?, what you think of it?, and do you see any correlation between what is happening for the people on the show and how YOU do business? Please leave a comment! I would love to hear your take on this, and if there is enough interest, maybe I will do a poll......

In subsequent posts, and based on any feedback I get from the posts, I want to talk about the relationship between what we are seeing on the show, and how it relates to and can benefit YOUR business to watch this show, not only for the entertainment value, but for the educational value that is imparted from both sides of the negotiations...and yes, I believe it DOES relate to our horse BUSINESS, too. After all, business is business. Stay tuned for my take on.....how.

Dressage Blogs

I love blogging.

It builds a community of conversations among diverse people with a common interest(s), who may never have crossed paths otherwise. And I appreciate the people who read my blog regularly and/or who subscribe and/or follow.

As a matter of fact, if you find it difficult to figure out how to subscribe or follow, please let me know. I am rather new to all this, and there are a LOT of gadgets and widgets and add-ons and plug-ins, and I am still sorting through it all! LOL

This blog will change in layout, design and color from time to time, but it will always be about dressage and things having to do with horses and the business of horses. I hope that is part of what will keep it fresh. I also would love to build the community of readers that subscribe to or follow this blog. I am extremely grateful to the 11 people who currently subscibe--thanks, guys!

I love the fact that you can enter a search word, and basically have the world's opinion at your fingertips.

I think the biggest challenge is filtering ALL the information into the specific realm of interest that you really have. For instance, if you submit the word "dressage" (which sounds specific to those of us that do it), about 4 million results pop are listed in the results. If you narrow the search by submitting "dressage videos" you get down to 3 million results. Oy veh.

I would love to know, and as always, I encourage you to leave a comment about how you:

1. submit your searches for blogs

2. filter your results

3. decide what you will read

4. decide what (blogs) you might be interested in following, and

5. do you ever actually sign up to follow (or subscribe to) a blog

5a. if you don't ever follow, why not?

5b. if you never comment, why not?


You may always post to my blog anonymously (it is very easy to post a comment!), I never ask you to identify yourself if you don't want to, and even if you do sign in and post publicly, I will never pass on your information to any other entity or individual. I may reference your comment, but will never reveal a source.

I have received comments on several posts on this blog (even though it is fairly new) and I appreciate you more than you can imagine!

One of my goals is to build this blog into a community of dressage enthusiasts who would like to learn, teach, discuss and debate all things dressage, and occasionally something rather off-topic or indirectly related, but no less timely or important.

I am currently subscribed to a blog called Blog for Profit and they are doing an email series called 31 days to Kick Your Blog in the Butt
It is very helpful if you are writing a blog, even if it is not a "for profit" blog. We are 13 days into the project, and I am finding it incredibly useful! It gives you a lot of guidance on what to include, what not to include, (layout and settings-wise); it explains how to organize the community you build, to interact with your readers, how to find content, and much, much more! I have to thank the blog author, Grant Griffith! If you write a blog, or are thinking of writing a blog, check it out!

As I learn more about all the ins and outs of blogging (ad-ons, gadgets, subscriptions, re-mailing, newsletters, linking to other pages and websites, etc.) I will make use of these very cool things. I am learning more and more every time I blog. I also want to learn from you, the people who take the time to read my posts. I am not moderating any comments, and as long as I don't get any comments which are unethical, illegal, or immoral I will continue to allow posts to be immediately available without my interference. I will delete spam, however, but that hasn't been a problem yet.

Wellington Dressage Fall Classic results for IRIDE

On August 17, I posted that I was renewing memberships and planning to enter a dressage show down in Wellington this month.


Well, we showed at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington over the weekend at the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge Series' Wellington Fall Classic. This is the first show of the series each year.

September in Florida is really iffy weather--on occasion it can be wonderful, or more often it can be blistering hot; feel like you are drowning when it is not even raining; lightning and thundering, or all three....it is also the most active month for hurricanes. So I sent off my entries for the show....this is what we Floridians do. LOL

We had a bit of lightning early on Saturday, and they called a lightning postponment for 20 minutes. Most of us took it in stride, and by the time the break was over, even the riders who had their horses all warmed up and ready to go literally "20 minutes ago", sucked it up and made their classes. A few of the horses were disturbed by the hiccup, but unfortunately that is part of the chance you take when you choose to show (not to be callous to the plight of those riders)....actually, the timing of the warmup is probably the most frustrating part of the whole show experience for everyone (if they are being honest), because you can be as prepared as you can possibly be at home, and then you get to the show and everything is going super, and you get to the warmup, and if things don't fall into place, you may either not have enough time to warmup, too long to warmup, etc. and the performance isn't as good as it could be. Depending on your particular horse's nerves and/or prior show experience, too, it may be a disaster to not have good timing for the warmup.

Luckily, Bogart is patient and resilient. He is also used to the heat (as much as any horse can be), and is a real steady-eddie, not needing too much of the warmup to settle his mind. I also had some wonderful help in the grooming department from one of my young rider students, and his mother (who is also my student). They were a huge help, and I am so glad that they were there! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

So, the results are:

Saturday--

Training Level, Test Two-- 67.500% which tied for 1st place, but we lost the tie breaker and ended up second. Funny thing is, at the first turn in the M corner, something caught his eye, we lost the power-steering momentarily and he actually stepped out of the ring with one foot--LOL. He recovered immediately, but that one small bobble (which was as much my fault for not being more prepared for it as it was his for losing concentration) cost us first place....but that is quite all right. Remember, this is his first rated dressage show EVER, as far as I know. He was an open jumper before he was imported.

First Level, Test Two--65.000% which put him second...if I hadn't gone off-course (went the wrong way in the first leg yield, DUH), again, we would have scored well enough to be first. Those 2 little error points--totally my fault (and it was a great leg yield, too! LOL). But also, I have to say here, that that ride felt SO good...he was lively in his trot work, lighter on the forehand in his canter work than usual, and totally on my aids...I believe this was actually the best test (for us) of the show.

Sunday--

Training Level, Test Four--66.000% for fourth place out of 18 rides! I was really proud of him, but I could tell he was starting to get tired, and it was supported by the comments in the test, too. This class also had the most entries of the whole show, since it was the qualifying class for the Regionals, so I was very proud of both the score and the placing!

First Level, Test One--65.000% for second place. I almost scratched this class, because he was tired, but we had a long break (3 hours) between TLT4 and this class, and he still looked perky and interested when he was resting in his stall, and in the warmup he was still willing, although not quite as lively. Basically, the warmup consisted of 10 minutes of walk on long rein and then 2 transitions from halt to trot to halt, and 2 transitions walk/canter/walk. I am glad that I made the decision to go, because Bogart proved just what a special horse he is. He gave everything he had, even though I know he was honestly tired. I could not ask for a more willing, giving, special horse. I was ecstatic!!!

Also, I really like the new Jim Brandon Equestrian Center facility! The stalls are wonderful, the footing is good, even when it is soggy, the rings are convenient to the barns, the show staff and the facility staff are very nice and helpful; they are very well-organized, entries are a breeze (online!), and I will definitely show there again.

Regional Championships are there October 22-25, 2009. It promises to be a great time! I will be there, will you?