So far all the stereotypes about California seem to be running true – it’s beautiful weather, warm and sunny with zero humidity, everyone is friendly and helpful, and Lily and I are never going home! I bumped into Stephen Bradley this morning collecting his packet, and he was inclined to agree that it’s pretty marvelous here; he’s on his first trip out west, and reports that In the Fog (CCI***) traveled out here well and arrived on monday. A very nice girl, native of Las Vegas but who lives here in California now told us that the strong winds were the Santa Anas, and they would be gone tomorrow, as if it were a bad thing, and although they did whip up the dust quite a lot, as Stephen said, at least it’s a warm wind.
Everyone here is rather laid back! The facility got busier throughout the day today with trailers arriving, and horses working on the flat in the sand arenas, or hacking around the area, some of them taking advantage of the training track for a pipe-opener or just a leg stretch.
Perfectly colour-coordinated for the landscape: Tonje Kearney on Kodiak
With a training three day and a CCI* with Steeplechase on the docket there are lots of horses, and seven different cross country courses laid out, almost ready to be walked. Lily and I walked around most of the CCI***, and were delighted to be almost run over by Ian Stark in a golf cart. Driving almost the same way he used to ride cross country he had Ground Jury member Angela Tucker, FEI Technical Delegate Patricia Clifton and his wife Jenny hanging on for dear life, and I caught up with him for a few brief words later,
Ian will also do a Training Three Day Steeplechase School tomorrow afternoon, and the CCI*** course will be officially open at noon so we’ll post our jump pictures online then.
Although Christina Gray does a brilliant job as Director of Rolex, she seems to be losing to a magnetic lure of these Western events where she honed her trade, and it’s always a lovely surprise to see her smiling face in the office, as Secretary of this event, and as well at Rebecca Farm a few months previously, but I’m embarrassed to admit I think I’ve now seen her more this summer at away games than in Kentucky!
Much more to come from Galway, perhaps later, but definitely tomorrow and all weekend. Thanks for visiting Eventing Nation, and go West Coast eventing!
