Hurray for Canada, I made it: FYI, you DO need a passport! Bromont is brilliant, everyone is raving about it, with good reason. The courses are fabulous, the entries are chocka, the weather has cooled down now, and once these thunderstorms roll out later today it’s going to be fabulous! Dressage has already started, and today is a full day of one and two star entries with the three star rides tomorrow.
Karen O’Connor rides the lovely mare Veronica in the 2* after the break at 12:50, she looked really on the money warming up this morning, and last night I caught up with Sharon White after she worked Rafferty’s Rules, aka Reggie. After I remarked on how good he looked, she told me that she started working with Linda Zang last fall, spent a month with her down in Wellington during the winter, and all credit is solely due to her. I’m not sure about that at all, but they both looked superb working last night.
As I watched them work I reflected on how so much depends on those five minutes or so in the ring – dreams can come true, or all that hard work can sometimes be for naught, horses will break your heart in so many ways! It’s so difficult to produce your best work in the arena, I feel for all the riders today and tomorrow, and I know that however their tests pan out, they’ll all be looking forward to attacking the cross country tomorrow.
A subtle reminder of what’s to come! This is how close to the arena the fence is!
Derek has designed four terrific courses, all universally praised, (so far!) and gorgeously built by Jay Hambly. Of course EN John has already shown you the 3* course jump by jump, because he’s incredibly efficient and all business, but because I’m the opposite of that I can now show you all the amazing accessories!
I think there may be a competition between all the course builders between who can carve the most extavagant wildlife at their events. I certainly couldn’t pick a winner, although the French-Canadians do have a certain je ne sais quois! Check out their ducks!
and it’s not limited to wildlife!
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s longing to know who was the model for this particular sculpture!
Love this horse head that looks like a chess piece.
It seems like the toadstools, magic mushrooms, call them what you will, pop up everywhere in some shape or form. Here they’re decorating the water jump, at Badminton they were also around the pimples, but at Gatcombe they were the jump themselves. Snails too are popular, I’ve seen them crawling over quarries at Badminton, Rolex, and now here up in Canada, but have yet to summon up the courage to eat them.
You know I can’t resist adorable dogs though, on or off the leash! These are french, I did find out their breeding but promptly forgot, I will be sure to take notes next time and relay it properly. Also adorable…Liam Law, the hardest working coach at Bromont, and as we know, all coaches survive on coffee,
Leslie told me Liam keeps it simple: “faster, slower, rounder”. He also shared that Liam may have a future in Demolition Derby Formula One race car driving after taking Caden Holling’s buggy for a spin yesterday!
Due to the wind, and toddler energy I managed to catch a few words with Leslie, but sadly not Lesley or Liam!
Rehy Lux does his dressage with Leslie in the CCI 3* right before the break tomorrow at 11:50, and he looks good, he’s put on a bit of weight since I last saw him at The Fork, but still looks as fit as a flea, so if anyone can challenge one of the hot favourites, Clark Montgomery, Leslie will certainly give it a go. Talking of Clark Montgomery…
The thunder you hear in the video has now passed, and it’s shaping up to be a gorgeous day, so I really must go and take in some dressage. Much more later, EN John will have all the proper news, and keep everything in shape, I’ll see what else I can find! Did I mention Bromont is the bomb? Friendly people, terrific internet – very happy! What a great place to go eventing!
