Joanie Morris hacking out Titanium for Buck Davidson – don’t they make a nice couple! Buck was accompanying her on his other ride Absolute Liberty, and also Laine Ashker on Anthony Patch, and we were going to try and get a group photo with Ty in the middle, an Oreo cookie, but Al was the only one who would pose (like mother like son!) so we had to make do with individual shots, except Absolute Liberty wouldn’t stand at all, so sadly none of Buck although I’m sure we’ll be able to make up for that later on during the week.
I had a long chat with Heather Morris while she was grazing Slate River, and she was explaining how he’s become much more inclined to have his picture taken. She told me he used to be very shy, but now he even quite enjoys it, that he just did a big photo shoot to raise money for her local Area Young Riders, and they’ll auction off a signed poster next week, and how glad she is to be able to help out in some way. I’ve always liked this horse, and he looked great this morning, calmly grazing and taking things in, as Heather also gazed out over the cross country in the distance wondering about this year’s course, and determined to go one better this year – she’s still kicking herself for a silly mistake at the coffin. I saw Heather at Galway last autumn, and in the spring in Florida, and she told me she drove from Texas, via Louisiana yesterday, “12 hours is nothing for these guys, they travel so well”, and I’m always impressed by her down-to-earth, no nonsense attitude. Although not too no nonsense to have her fingernails done in her colours! I’ll be rooting for Texas, as well as England, New Zealand, Florida, Australia..!
Loughan Glen looked super this morning for Clark Montgomery working early while it was still quite chilly, but very well-behaved, and much less frisky than he was at The Fork. Buzz, or Universe, who belongs to Clark’s wife Jess, and who is being aimed at Bramham in England came for the week to so as not to miss too much work, and Clark worked him next, and he was pretty fresh!
Linda Zang was busy all morning teaching, here helping Sharon White on Rafferty’s Rules (don’t forget you can walk the cross country for Just World with Sharon and Doug White during the Friday Lunch Break). Having watched Erik Duvander help the kiwi riders last night, and Linda some of the US riders this morning, I just want to buy a horse and give the rest of my life over to having lessons with gurus like them – lovely soft-spoken people with senses of humour who will guide you, suggest things, praise you, improve you, if only my whole life could be a riding lesson! Linda is wonderful, asking Sharon at one point, “Are you happy, Sharon? You should be happy, he looks wonderful!” I melt!
Who’s making a reality show? Or Big Camera, Little ….Horse?
Go all these wonderful horses and riders, and all the hard-working grooms, volunteers and organisers – it’s Rolex Kentucky time! Go Eventing!
