As we’ve become accustomed, it was quite chilly this morning in the Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, but perhaps it was the afterglow from yesterday’s glorious sunshine and matching day’s sport, or the fact that I was already beginning to mourn the end of the week, ( I hate sunday nights, especially after three days!), but I didn’t feel the cold as much today. In fact, it was just a good excuse for everyone to bring out their best blankets; and some even chose to match their horses.
Along with the sunday morning nerves, there’s also a tremendous sense of pride in accomplishment, pride in your beautiful horse dolled up to the nines, and also wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible!
Without a doubt, the O Connor Event Team know how to turn a horse out: their horses looked immaculate at all times, but especially this morning. Special mention also to Team Pollard and Alison Springer.
I thought it might be too early in the season to see quarter marks with most horses still having pretty closely clipped coats, but as usual, horses will prove you wrong every time!
Not sure if that’s technically a quarter mark, but anyway…!
I don’t think EN gave out any best turned out awards, but if there was a TD division you’d have to award it to our very own Eventing Safety John.
Becky Holder has found another beautiful flea-bitten grey, Can’t Fire Me, who eventually finished 6th in the CIC 2*. I find his resemblance to Comet almost uncanny, he’s perhaps a bit bigger, and absolutely lovely.
and I’ve saved the best for last. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for eventing’s very own Enrique Iglesias – Jose Ortelli. If Oli Townend can hock calendars, then I see absolutely no reason why Jose shouldn’t either, I can’t think of a nicer way to try and keep my day in order than have him help me, albeit by proxy!
Jos Aladar finished fifth in the CIC 2*, and is having a somewhat quieter year in 2011, with the London Olympics next year in mind. Jose always has nice young horses, (look for the JOS!) and has to juggle Jos Aladar between his traveling back and forth between the States and Argentina because of visa restrictions.
Only Will Coleman’s Nevada Bay was spun from the CIC 3*, and then it was on to the show-jumping. A quick thank you to Ali Casserley who announced the trot-up, with some wonderful foreign pronunciation, and of course the ubiquitous English accent that’s becoming a trademark of Red Hills ( Nigel Casserley and John Kyle); she later explained to me it’s all down to her being a diplomat’s daughter and growing up in all sorts of exotic places. As always, thanks for reading, hope we brightened your sunday evening spirits a little, and go eventing!
