On a Roll . . . . a Good One!

Laurie Tibbs and GS Manitou canter during yesterday's dressage test at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals in Nampa, Idaho.  --Photo by Kevin Brown

It's poetic justice, so to speak.  Our sister Laurie is enjoying some better luck these days, especially at this week's Arabian National Sport Horse competition.

Call her the "comeback kid."  

One Friday afternoon, last October, a characteristically "tough" and healthy lady, Laurie experienced a strange drive home from school.

Suddenly, she was aware that she did not know what she was doing.  Maneuvering her VW convertible down the Schweitzer cut-off Road became as foreign as the car.

She had not felt well all week and before leaving school, pulled out her cell phone and set it on the seat beside her. 

When she couldn't figure out how to use her car brake, she picked up the phone and punched in her home number.  Our sister Barbara had just arrived home from her day at school.

"I don't know how to use this 'thing,' " Laurie said to her sister.

"What 'thing'?" Barbara asked.

"I don't know," Laurie replied.

"Where are you?" Barbara asked.

"I don't know," Laurie responded.

From that point, things got intense.  Barbara was able to figure out that Laurie was at the Schweitzer Conoco station because of the word "stoplight."   

She instructed her younger sister to pull in and park.

Laurie had the presence of mind to do that.

Laurie's presence of mind remained alert; her motor skills did not.

People could ask her questions.  She could not answer anything other than "I don't know," "nope," or "yes." 

Within hours of this incident, Laurie was at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene, diagnosed with a form of encephalitis, later determined to be viral.  

Once treatment began, she regained her ability to talk---somewhat.

A hospital stay of three days, two weeks of home rest and several months of additional rest led to a full recovery.  

Humbled by the experience, Laurie made a few changes in her life, slowing down and listening to her body more than ever.  

One thing that never changed, however, was her involvement with horses.  It would take a lot more than a temporary setback to change that lifelong passion.

Laurie set her sights for the summer of 2012, putting dressage shows on her schedule, including the Arabian regionals in Western Washington.

School let out, and Laurie went to work with daily rides on her dressage mount, Mani.  

On June 29, while practicing one the tests for her level of dressage, quite pleased with Mani's improvement in one segment of the test, Laurie relaxed with the big gelding (later saying she should have helped control him through the turn).

Mani slipped on a wet spot in their arena and fell with Laurie.  

"I knew my ankle was badly injured," she said, recalling the moments after when she hobbled around the arena to make sure her horse was okay.  

Later, she used that cell phone again, calling Barbara at the house---this time knowing where she was and precisely that she may need some help.

Laurie had broken her ankle.

Crutches and, later,  a therapeutic boot, prescribed for six weeks meant no horseback riding for most of the summer.

It was a bummer summer, for sure.  

On Aug. 8, Laurie went to the doctor and received the okay to shed the boot and the crutches.  The doctor agreed that the riding motion on her horse would be good therapy for that healing ankle bone.

On Aug. 11, Laurie climbed aboard Mani at a Spokane dressage show, a bit nervous but determined to get past the trauma of falling with her horse.

At the end of the day, she came home with three first places and the highest score she had ever received in dressage:  a 72.

Laurie signed up for the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals in Nampa.

This week, it's been clearly evident that she made a wise decision.

For the past few days, that cell phone has been put to much more favorable use as she has reported back the results of a wonderful experience-----except for that first morning in Nampa when Mani stepped on her toe and destroyed her big toenail.

So far, the "comeback kid" has won two national Top Ten ribbons and plaques in dressage tests, placing 6th (Thursday) and 5th (yesterday).  

She rides again this morning in just a few minutes---at 8:18---in another dressage test and this evening---the last class of the Nationals.  Laurie earned the right to ride in the finals in her first qualifying class Wednesday.  

We know for sure that this morning's class is at 8:18 Pacific time.  

If you'd like to watch Laurie and Mani, go to  http://secure.arabianhorses.org/enews/MAH_Flash_20120917.html
  You will have to log in with just your name and email address.  We're guessing she'll be riding in Dressage Arena One; if not, click to Dressage Arena Two.  We haven't heard for sure. 

The results of these classes are generally announced a few hours later.  I'll put a note later today how she did.

As for this evening's rail class, we don't know the time---just that it's the final class of the show. 

We do know that we're beyond excited as we cheer on our little sister "comeback kid."

Happy Saturday, and thanks, Ken, for your mule story.  I'm planning to share that in a future post.  THIS JUST IN:   Laurie and Mani scored an unbelievable 76.8 in this morning's ride.  One more rider to be scored.  She's in first place so far.  Will report back!  YOWZA!
 AND THIS JUST IN . . . . LAURIE TIBBS AND MANI:  NATIONAL CHAMPS! AND ONE MORE CLASS THIS EVENING!  YEAH, WE'RE PROUD!