Now that’s a bookmark!

For every dressage show except a Championship Show, you are allowed a reader.

Someone who stands beside the ring and reads your test to you, feeding you the next movement as you need it.

It is comforting to rely on someone else to instruct me on where to go as I’m riding through my test.  So for a Championship Show, because I have to, I memorize my test.  But for a schooling show I rely on a reader.  At least I used to, until this one time …

It was late spring, a schooling show.  I was walking through the stable looking for a reader when I saw Richard further down the row of stalls.  Perfect choice for a reader.  Richard has a good yelling voice cultivated from years of teaching and has ridden hundreds of dressage tests himself.  He would know how to read and have the vocal chords to see it through.

I forced my way through a gaggle of girls to pose my request.  Understand, there are very few representatives of the male gender in the dressage world, so when one does turn up, he stands to become very popular.

“No problem.  You ride at 10:14?  I’ll be there.”  He promised.

Richard showed up at 10:13.  The bell rang and I started my test.  I was right, Richard was a good reader.  Fed me my next movement exactly when I needed it.

About half way through a very good ride, I was going down the long side of the ring about to start a 20 metre canter circle.  From the corner of my eye I noticed this girl approaching Richard.  I noticed Richard notice her.  She brushed back blonde hair and beamed a perfect smile at him.  Uh oh.

I started my circle and waited for him to tell me where to go next.  Silence.

I was almost done my circle and beginning to panic.  I had no clue where I was supposed to go next, never mind what gait.  So, in the absence of information, I did another canter circle.  And another.  Richard was far too busy flirting with Blondie to notice me steaming with anger as I grew dizzy circling X.

Finally the judge had had enough and rang the bell.  Off course.  With a deduction of two marks.

The bell startled Richard into remembering what he was supposed to be doing.  He found his place and read me through the rest of the test.  But I was mad, my focus was gone and the rest of the test was mediocre at best.

At the end of my ride, I stopped to thank the judge.

“You had a good test going until you went off course.”  She said.

“My reader quit reading,” I whined.  “I didn’t know where to go.”

She shook her head.  “That’s no excuse.  Knowing your test is your responsibility and your responsibility alone.”

Clearly I would find no sympathy from the judge’s booth.  Worse, I knew she was right.

I led JJ back to his stall and settled him into his lunch.  I flipped through the pages of my Omnibus to the test I would ride later that afternoon.  My frustration started to cool and I realized I had actually been lucky.  This was just a local schooling show and I had definitely just been schooled.  It could have been a much more expensive lesson.

And then I thought about God’s Omnibus.  The Bible.  A collection of letters and historical stories chosen by God to give me direction for life.  When was the last time I’d memorized scripture?  Prepared myself for life by having God’s instruction and promises at instant recall.  There so I could apply them to my life in the very moment that life was happening.  Instead I’d chosen to rely on the direction of friends, parents, books, teachers or anybody else who would offer me their guidance.  Have you ever noticed how many people there are eager to give their opinions and advice for your life?  Most of them are well meaning, and some are wise, but they are only human, easily swayed by their own experiences, biases and motives.  No, best to get direction and advice firsthand from a God who knows me inside out and desires the absolute best path for my life.

Richard came over to apologize.  He promised to do better for my next test.  I waved the Omnibus and smiled.  “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.  I’m going to start treating every show like a Championship Show and memorize my tests.”

He nodded.  “Good idea.”

Beloved, life is a Championship Class.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3: 16&17