Emily Dunn is the head groom for Irish eventer Esib Powers, who, incidentally, is featured in this bit of EN insanity from a few weeks ago. They are based out of Jacky Green’s home base Maizey Manor Farm and little more than that is needed on your resume to be an EN guest blogger. Check out more from Emily and Esib at the Powers Eventing Blog, and follow @ejddunn and @powereventing. Stay tuned for the Irish team announcement on Wednesday. Many thanks for writing this Emily and thank you for reading.
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From Emily:
Hi EN! I’m so excited to have been asked to join the guest bloggers here on Eventing Nation and hope I can keep you up to date, entertained and occasionally educated on the goings on across the pond in the UK via Irish eventing team Power Eventing. John asked me to write a bit of an introduction on myself and some post Barbury thoughts. I asked my good friend Meg Kep what I should say in my introduction and her input was to be arrogant and then tell everyone how I’m very protective over my mucking out tools. Thanks Meg, not helpful.
For those of you who have seen my first couple of blogs I’m very new to this and I’m hoping that the more you practice the better the writing becomes. But anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of reading them, I am head/only groom for Elisabeth ‘Esib’ Power at Power Eventing. This is my second season with Esib, but this past winter saw me spending three months with the O’Connor Event Team in Florida to get a tan, I mean to learn from one of the most successful and experienced teams in the world. Now I am back in the UK with Esib and our 7 horses, working in the glorious English summer and of course living the dream.
If you hadn’t heard this weekend saw the final Olympic selection trials for a few nations, including the Irish, at Barbury Castle Horse Trials, our weekend didn’t quite go to plan with our hopeful horse September Bliss ‘Seb’.….
I was hoping that my first official guest blog for EN was going to involve me going on a lot about our selection for the Games and preparation over the next few weeks. Although as I write this the team has not officially been announced yet, we feel the cross country phase on Sunday has put an end to our Olympic quest. As quickly as Seb jumped himself into Olympic contention with good results at 3* over the past few months, Barbury Castle saw him jump himself out of contention just as quickly, or not jump as the case was at the double of corners. Three refusals at this influential combination made all our hearts sink and several profanities leave the mouths of the Power Eventing support crew.
Although obviously we are all disappointed at the result of Barbury, Seb is fine, Esib is fine, and apparently there is life outside of the Olympics, so we’ll be back to fight another day! Or as Esib put it, maybe a bit too loudly in the vicinity of one of our more veteran riders…..
“It’s not like I’m 60 years old, I can aim for another Olympics, I just probably won’t ever be able to introduce myself as ‘Esib Power six time Olympian’”
So after having six horses out over four days, doing a total of 16.5 phases and what feels like 75 trips to and from Barbury, my caffeine addiction is bordering on ‘concerning’ and I am not only looking forward to a day off but feel it is required. Not just for my sanity but for the people around me, I feel their tolerance to listening to me saying “I’m physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted” is wavering. My post Barbury delirium became especially apparent after locking my sister inside my house on Sunday night, luckily I remembered just before driving off to have dinner with her. I’m hugely relieved that this week is over, Power Eventing has survived and in the inspirational words of Kelly Clarkson ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’
Finally Good Luck to all the Irish in London 2012! Power Eventing will be cheering you all the way!
