Lisa Marie Fergusson and Smart Move, winners of the Jersey Fresh CCI2* this spring, were aiming towards the Fair Hill CCI3* and the Bit of Britain Challenge. Unfortunately, they had to withdraw just hours before the competition due to a foot abscess. Their season is not yet over, however. The pair is now headed West for the Galway Downs CCI3*. Lisa’s unsinkable spirit shines through in her latest blog entry:
A CHANCE FOR SMARTIE TO TOTALLY REDEEM HIMSELF
We’re Back! Well technically we never left but the nature of our blog is a little different. Lisa and Smart Move back at you now getting ready for a coast to coast blog,more a Bill and Ted’s excellent Adventure type road trip to the Galway Downs CCI3* Nov 3-6. Smartie was down for the count at Fair Hill after coming up with an abscess 3 hours before jog but in the words of another great road trip movie, Dumb and Dumber, he now has a chance to “Totally Redeem Himself”. Smartie’s bad timing left us with one CCI3* option for 2011 …Temecula California and yes we are just about crazy enough to do this.
Planes, Trains and…..Horse Trailers?????
Now when I say “Road Trip” and “crazy” I should be clear. Smartie did not rack up enough credit card air miles to fly first class like several other East Coast horse and rider combinations so he/we will be slumming it, 3000 miles and 3 days, trailer park style….nothing could go wrong here….right? Smartie however, will not be alone, he will have a side kick for this excellent adventure. Laurel had Hardy, Abbott had Costello, Harold had Kumar and Smartie will have Calon doing the 1* and if anyone would like to come with us or just fill up the last two spots in the trailer, you also can partake (yes I said partake) in what surely will be a classic road trip.
SMARTIE’S GOING TO HOLLYWOOD …ERR TEMECULA…WEST COAST BABY!
I am originally from the West Coast and have competed at Galway several times, in fact I did my first CIC 3* there but have not been there since they added the CCI 3* so I am really excited to see the changes. This event has always stuck out in my mind as one of the events that you get the feeling, as a rider, that you really matter…no matter the level. This was re-enforced when we called the Event Director Robert Kellerhouse to ask if a late entry might be possible, he asked what level and who the rider was. When he found out it was me he said “I remember you guys, you used to come down with your Dad in the Motor Home,” it’s been 5 years since my last visit and he still remembers me and my Dad….maybe that’s a bad thing…but point is, they really seem to care.
Where The Rubber Meets The Road
I am sure everybody has a tall tale to tell. Smartie and Calon’s first road trip was from Vancouver B.C to Minnesota where we saw the temperature in Montana change from 50 degrees during the afternoon to minus 50 the next morning we got up. It was the first time in Montana’s recorded history that there was a 100 degree shift in less than 24 hours and the minus 50 was without the wind chill… winds were 30-40 MPH…of course we were prepared with all the right blankets and everything we needed for a 100 degree shift….right, of course we did….did I mention that it was so cold the truck wouldn’t start….fortunately we were too cold to feel any pain…I think we thawed out around Bismarck, ND. So what does the drive from West Grove, PA to Temecula, CA have in store…nothing but smooth sailing I am sure and perhaps a tale or two.
Field of Dreams
“If you build it, they will come”Apparently Robert watched the movie and it is true. Competitors will come if you build a world class venue. Galway will have two horses from as far away as Holland and a wack load from the East Coast. Check out the entry list but it is a “Competitor Field of Dreams” stacked with great riders and horses. Coming from the East, Buck will ride three, including Ballynoe Castle, Michael Pollard 2, Nina Ligon 2, Nate Chambers 1, Ronald Zabala has three and we haven’t begun to list the already great contingent of west coast horses entered. The field is stacked and as competitive as any. Really excited to have one more kick at the cat (why are people kicking cats and if you miss, why is it phrased as a good thing to attempt to kick the cat again), the cat being a CCI3* and the kick being what I am sure will amount to a great 3 day event. They say everything happens for a reason. Not entirely sure the reason Smartie came up lame with an abscess 3 hours before jog and is back to 100% 2 days later or why it is in my stars to travel 6000 miles round trip to do a CCI3* but I will trust it is for a good reason and I will be sure to keep you up to speed on all our wild adventures.
Till then GO EVENTING….Lisa Marie Fergusson
