Bill Olson: Stuck at Work Waiting for Galway

Thanks to Athletux, we have several exciting guest bloggers lined up to bring all the action from Galway Downs.  Bill Olson has been a regular West Coast contributor, sending photos and updates to Eventing Nation from Twin RiversCopper MeadowsWoodside, and more.  We’re pleased to have Bill on “official” duty this weekend at Galway, where he’ll be competing at Training level with his 5-year-old gelding Leo.  Thanks to Bill for writing, and thank you for reading.  Go Galway!  [Read Blog 1]

 

Bill and Leo, photo by Sherry Stewart

 

From Bill:

Just like 95% of the people reading this blog, I am stuck at work today… and yes; I’m completely & ridiculously distracted.

 

You see, to afford my very expensive addiction to passion for horses, I am forced to spend Monday through Friday in an office.  I live and work in Los Angeles and Leo (my 5-year-old event horse) lives at Kingsway Farm in Temecula, which is 95 miles south east of L.A.  Unfortunately, that means I am relegated to being just a weekend rider/competitor.  Of course, Leo is in good hands during the week; he is ridden by my good friend and HB Eventing teammate, Emilee Libby (who has been to Rolex twice and is running the CCI3* at Galway this weekend) and they are never far from the watchful eye of our trainer, Hawley Bennet-Awad (whose 4*, WEG and Olympic record needs no introduction).  Temecula is also the site of this weekend’s Galway Downs International Three Day Event. The biggest event of the year in CA and the only CCI3* on the west coast!

 

That brings me back to the point of my blog today.  Galway Downs is gearing up and I’m still not there!  Many of my friends (real and Facebook alike) are arriving and settling in, the trade fair (with all things dangerous to my credit cards and bank account), the food, the hospitality tents, the wine & beer gardens…it is all happening without me.  *sigh* It is probably for the best…the last time I had a few celebratory Bloody Marys after Hawley’s amazing cross country go at Rolex, I walked through the trade fair and bought a new saddle.  Oops.

 

So naturally, I am stalking Eventing Nation today.  I’m checking out the photos of Boyd Martin’s broken arm (OMG).  I’m constantly refreshing Facebook to see what all my friends are up to at Galway.  I’m texting my friends at Kingsway asking them how things are going for the 15th time, which I’m quite sure is annoying.  I’m checking out the photos of Boyd Martin’s broken arm…again (speedy recovery, Boyd!).  I’m watching video from the CCI4* in Pau, France.  I’m planning my next blog installment, which is tentatively titled “Name Dropping from Galway;” wherein I will stalk politely ask some of the CCI3* riders for their thoughts and impressions of the event at Galway Downs.

 

So, until the jog inspections on Thursday… GO EVENTING!

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