Well, we certainly couldn’t have asked for better weather – it was almost perfect today at the Kentucky Horse Park,
and for the most part, across the board, the courses seemed to ride fair and well.
I was glad to see that bright colour schemes are most definitely not exclusive to the pony club,
LOVE his curly mane and tail – let’s go disco!
There were also, inexplicably, hoofless horses, although perhaps Fran Jurga knows more about this….!
and of course, the inevitable cute dogs…
Jump judging by the water
George
George’s pal Darcy – please, please, please….!
Absolutely not Dr Chris Newton’s Papillon, he wanted to be sure I make that clear, but a member of the Antebellum Team! Our favourite galloping vet rode a lovely little OTTB mare around her first event today in the novice, after a solitary xc school at Masterson, and she is for sale, he tells me. Chris says he is so busy at the moment, now that breeding season is finally over, but the event horses are starting to go lame, and he needs to get the US team over to Burghley and then London next year – never a dull moment!
There’s some footage of her going through the water in the cross country video posted below.
Despite perfect temperatures in the 80’s, if you were standing out in the sun, let’s say, videoing or something, it felt quite hot, which meant jungle warfare was called for. See if you can spot stealth camouflage in action in this picture below!
Come a little closer…!
For once, Leo used his brains and lay in the only bit of shade he could find, while I stood out in the middle of the infield, unprotected. By this time, my darling children, who you may have heard on the prelim/training video have had more than enough and had gone back to the car to play – this means opening all the doors & windows, sliding down the windshield, bouncing on the roof…I despair, but at least the novice/beginner novice video is quieter!
I’d already played the trump card, such as it was, the Western Pleasure Horses which I think was what they were this weekend couldn’t really hold a candle to the real rodeo and roping they’d seen during MayDaze, although Lily was momentarily dazzled – as far as we could tell, the sparkliest shirt wins!
On the whole though, kids and dogs couldn’t have cared less!
Look who we met at lunch!
Today was a fabulous day, but a long day, especially for all the volunteers – a huge thank you to every single one of them as well as the organisation, the event ran like clockwork. Well done to all the riders and their connections, and of course the horses. Show jumping starts at 8 o clock with Novice in one ring, and the Open Preliminary starts at 8:30am in the next door ring. Not sure yet how I’m going to get Lily and Harry there, but we hope to make it; the stadium jumps at MidSouth are amongst my favourite, especially when I’m not jumping!
You can’t see in this photo, but I’ll try and get better ones tomorrow of the butterfly standards and all the pretty decorations – it makes a difference! Rest up, Riders, tomorrow’s another day to go eventing!
