First, here’s a little backstory: Rally Camp in June wasn\u2019t just about learning and bonding but also about qualifying for the Nationals. I was happy to qualify, and being named team captain was such an honour. I couldn\u2019t wait to step into this leadership role and take on the adventure with my teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Surprise Reunion<\/strong> Seeing her happy and thriving made me so happy. Of course, it was a little strange watching someone else ride her, but I know that Kins loves her just as much as I do. That was definitely a highlight of the trip for me.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Challenges and Adventures<\/strong> Even with the cancellation, we didn\u2019t let the weekend go to waste. My teammates and I made the most of it, finding ways to stay cool and have fun together. We spent our downtime swimming and even taking baths in the wash bay at the barn (desperate times, right?). It was such a blast and brought us all closer as a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gratitude for the Experience<\/strong> This trip reminded me of why I love Pony Club so much\u2014it\u2019s not just about the competition; it\u2019s about the connections, the growth, and the moments that make it all worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks for following along on this wild adventure. Here\u2019s to more surprises, challenges, and memories to come!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Love, Dolls<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" July was unforgettable as I headed to National Rally as team captain for Alberta North Pony Club. Despite the competition being canceled due to wildfire smoke, the trip was filled with meaningful moments, like reuniting with Opal in her new home and bonding with my teammates through fun and creative ways to beat the heat. It was a reminder that Pony Club is about more than competition\u2014it\u2019s about the friendships, growth, and incredible experiences along the way!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"nfd_image_url":"","nfd_onboarding_generated":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[41,77,81,48,44,80,82],"class_list":["post-456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dolly","tag-alberta-north-region-canadian-pony-club","tag-canadian-pony-club-alberta-north-region","tag-debden","tag-equestrian-lifestyle","tag-influencer","tag-national-rally","tag-saskatchewan"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/9de4d03b-f557-4910-8ec8-3f869cc9f2d4.jpeg?fit=1600%2C1200&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":500,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456\/revisions\/500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
When we arrived in Debden, knew there was a possibility I might get to see Opal. Debden just so happens to be where she lives now. I couldn\u2019t believe it when I saw her! It was such a happy moment to be reunited with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/opal-at-nationals.jpg?resize=493%2C659&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>
The week wasn\u2019t without its challenges, though. The weather was absolutely scorching, and the air was heavy with smoke from nearby wildfires. The smoke got so bad that the competition had to be cancelled for safety reasons. It was disappointing, but putting our horses first is more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nicolemarie.photo\/ainsley_lynn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/168f3c44-6217-4780-b87f-aad1ca8dc735.jpeg?resize=1200%2C1600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Looking back, I\u2019m so grateful for the entire experience. Nationals may not have gone as planned, but I learned so much about teamwork, leadership, and rolling with the punches. I couldn\u2019t have asked for a better group of teammates, and I know we all left Debden with memories to last a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n