I have a plan!

I believe I have hit upon the perfect method for completing the upcoming horse trials happily, relaxed, and with a number not a letter.

I will do my dressage test (because that's the phase I have the least worry about) at the appointed time.
And then.....

I will drink a bottle of this:

And then I will go and do my stadium round, and then my cross-country round, and I will not care how I get to the end of each round, just that I will. And I will be so relaxed that I will probably stay in the saddle because I will be plastered, literally and figuratively, to it.

Never mind that it will probably be 9:00 in the morning, oh no, I will drink the beer and be happy. And completely without a care.

(that beer is Dogfish Head's Sah'Tea, one of the Ancient Ale lines, redacted from the ancient recipes for  various cultures' fermented beverages. Midas Touch is my absolute favorite.)

Oh my god, this beer is so good, it's like my favorite ever. I would drink a case of it, if I thought I could stand up after. I'm drinking enough of it now to float my back teeth.

Have I mentioned how much I love beer? Well, I do. I'd rather drink beer than hard liquor any day, except for maybe a gin and tonic at a fancy party where I have to look like an intelligent, sophisticated woman. Not that I don't, drinking a good Belgian white ale, but still. Occasionally a gin and tonic is needed.

This is probably not a good plan, though, since, as the the oldest member of the riding team that is attending these horse trials, I should set a good example for the two teenagers and the nine-year-old who will be with me.

But it would be more fun if I had a beer.