I spent some of the lunch break watching a few of tomorrow’s horses working in the arenas up by the barns. I hadn’t seen Snip, Joe Meyer’s NZ Thoroughbred, in person before, and I like him a lot.
Bettina Hoy, who’s here until tomorrow, was helping Michael Pollard again, this time on Wonderful WIll, who couldn’t be a more different horse to Icarus, but still looked impressive.
However, the horse that really blew me away was Rebecca Howard’s Riddle Master; he’s improved again even since The Fork, and looked like a real dressage horse – cadence, softness, impulsion. I was practically drooling, and hope they can bring it into the arena tomorrow. Once again, my photos do not do this pair justice, oh where is Nico Morgan when I need him?!
Meanwhile, this couple were getting a jump on saturday’s cross country, studying Jimmy Wofford’s Rolex form,
The course is definitely drying out with the help of a cool breeze and sunny conditions, although Derek Di Grazia told us there will still be water in the sunken road on saturday, not as much as there is now, but definitely some. The ditch in the coffin at fence 7 is overflowing currently, despite a pump running 24/7, and the ground by the double of corners is very, very wet, and Aaron Rust was busy digging a trench there to try and divert some of the standing water. We do have one more day of similar conditions tomorrow, so it’s a game of wait and see. In the meantime we have some great combinations to look forward to in the dressage arena on Friday, so settle in and go eventing at Rolex 2011!
