Page 3 - March

March 1	Can you believe that it is already the first of March. I hear that it feels like spring at home! Today felt like mid-summer here. It was 86 degrees and humid, I loved it! The lizards were very active today, must be their kind of weather too. I made sure to ride Q in the morning under the covered arena so that he did not pass out from heat exhaustion. I had him ridden, bathed, and back in his stall with the fan on before 11 this morning. Camillo had a lesson around one but I don't think that he is all that bothered by the heat. George rode him first and I rode for the second half. We worked on keeping him more up and engaged in the trot and a lot of transitions from walk to canter and walk to counter canter. Camillo felt good. I noticed today that even at the end of a long lesson he still feels fresh. When we got down here he was extremely fatigued after a lesson. I am glad that he is so fit. I hope that he is not too fit. After my lesson I ran to red barn to pick up shavings, grain, and fly spray. When I got back Lisa Goretta had arrived and it was good to see her. She is staying through the weekend to watch the big CDI out in Loxahatchee. I hear that the PSG and I1 will be huge this weekend and next weekend at the CDI for the Masters. Next weekend I know that the PSG will have approximately 50 horses and will take a day and a half. So glad that I am not foolish enough to have signed up for that. Can you imagine how tough that panel of 5 judges will be after watching over 40 rides?
March 2	We had a little cold front overnight and it dropped the temperatures down into the lower seventies, brrr. I knew that it was going to be a little bit of a long day because I had a lesson at 3 in the afternoon. I'm more of a morning person and like to get to the barn early and just keep going. However, a lesson at almost anytime is preferable to not lesson at all. I rode Q earlier in the day and then had a chance to watch a few lessons before it was time to ride Camillo. It was time well spent because I got some good exercises for starting passage and I also watched Holly work on her young rider freestyle. George has done so many performances over the years that he seems particularly good at tweaking freestyles. Finally it was time for Camillo. George rode first and worked on getting more engagement in the trot and then started working of flying changes. When I got on I was glad to find that even after some changes I still had counter canter! The wind was picking up as I rode and by the time we were almost done things were blowing around the arena, palm fronds and papers, even the cds from Holly's freestyle. It was a good thing that Camillo was so focused because things could have gotten spooky. Tonight Lisa and I went to our favorite Korean pedicure place for the worlds cheapest pedicures. The massage chairs are wonderful. I feel like most of the knots are out of my back. After having our feet done, we went next door to Sal's for some basic Italian food. I think about the garlic rolls in my sleep.
March 3	Well the wind really picked up and this morning the breeze blowing through palm trees was almost deafening! When I had Q out for grass a huge frond fell just feet away from us and Q spun around me, providing a thorough chiropractic adjustment for my back. The barn was a virtual vet-a-palooza with everyone getting ready for the next two weekends of CDIs with last minute vet tune-ups. With so many vets swarming around I kept my horses in their stalls and away from diagnosing eyes and injecting hands. Once most of the vets had moved on I rode Camillo in the covered arena where we would not be bothered by intermittent rain. Lisa was watching me ride and tried to talk to me but the wind was so loud that I could see that she was talking but I could barely hear a word. By the time I had Camillo put away the sun came out, though the wind did not stop, so I rode Cupido across the street. In the afternoon I went over to Mary Austin's barn for a while to see her and her horses. Apparently I just missed one of the blacksmiths there getting hit in the head with the overhead door on his shoeing trailer and getting knocked out. Mary Austin was still shaken because she thought briefly that the man was dead. He had a huge gash and really needed stitches, which he initially refused to get. This guy seemed to think that being knocked out and having an open head wound was just part of a normal day. His opinion might be skewed as he is also missing a finger, had a few more sewed back on, and has suffered a massive heart attack. Nevertheless, his initial refusal to seek medical care makes me feel that my stubbornness in such matters might be normal.
March 4	The wind, my God the wind. Will it ever stop. This morning on the radio they were discussing "The March Winds" - so apparently this is a thing down here! They were advising people with light weight or high profile cars to be careful on the road. What about those of us who are on high profile horses? Today was the first day of competition for the show at Equestrian Estates so after I fed and cleaned stalls I headed out to the show to watch George, who had a ride at twenty after 8. I thought that the wind was bad in Wellington, but it was nothing compared to the gale force winds out at the show. After about twenty minutes my hair felt like straw and I was sure that I had had an inexpensive micro-dermabrasion from all the grit flying around in the air. George had a very nice ride and though I would have liked to have watched a few more rides, I had to get back to get my horses out. I had a lesson on Camillo scheduled for three so I rode Cupido first. I usually go for a trail ride on Saturdays but Q convinced me that today was a good day for a trail. What was he thinking? Our trail was interesting, nothing like garbage day and a huge windstorm to liven up a hack. In addition to all of the garbage cans there were recycling bins everywhere which meant that there were plastic bottles and cardboard flying all over the street. On our way back we were followed a little too closely by a very large and loud garbage truck. Thank goodness I was on Q, what a trooper. Just as I was getting started with my lesson my "entourage" showed up. Mary Austin, Tami, Shannon, Wade and Soapy (a darling jack russell) were all there to watch me. Camillo and I felt very important and he tried to be on his very best behavior. We had a good lesson and managed not to embarrass ourselves in front of the guests.
March 5	Yet more wind this morning. I heard that it is suppose to stop late tonight but then we will get more rain. It rained off and on most of the day so I rode both horses in the covered ring. After making sure that the boys had clean stalls and plenty of hay I headed out to the show. I wanted to do some window shopping since there were a lot of great shops at the show but just as I got there it really started to rain and most of the vendors covered their stuff up. Oh well, I couldn't buy anything anyway. Fortunately there were tents to stand under to watch the rides. I stood in a tent in between the two main CDI rings and was able to watch both the Grand Prix and the I1 at the same time. I felt bad for all the riders who were getting soaked and blown away while riding their tests. Elizabeth Austin lost her hat in the beginning of her Grand Prix and had to ride past it again and again as her test went on. I watched Betsy Rebar Sell in the PSG and then saw Lisa Wilcox and top Pan Am Game contender Heather Blitz riding Paragon. Paragon has an incredible hind leg and huge range of motion in his shoulder. I ran into the Smiths and chatted with them until it was time to watch George ride Wilhelm in the I1 in the open show. After his ride I had to rush back to the barn because Cupido's dinner was already late and I was worried that he would faint from hunger. He was still standing when I got there but he was desperate for dinner.
March 6	Finally the wind slowed down! Out at the show it was still blowing a bit, but not nearly as bad as it has been. I got there in the middle of the afternoon in enough time to watch the last of the Grand Prix Freestyles. The Sweedish rider Tinne had a lovely freestyle to music by The Eurythmics. I also saw Jim Kofford's Batman freestyle as well as rides by Pierre St. Jacque and Shawna Harding. While they were doing the awards for the freestyles I took a quick peek into the stores. I have been so good this year and have not bought a thing, not even a jacket (jackets are my downfall). But today I was really tempted and could not make myself leave without a jacket. I am trying not to have buyer's remorse! While I was shopping Steffen Peters came in and bought something too. Well if he is shopping I should be too, right? Things are going to be getting exciting around here this next week as all the riders come in for the Masters next weekend. It will be like a European invasion.
March 7	Today it was 80 degrees and no wind. Now this is more like it! I started the morning by discovering that both horses had completely drained one bucket each and had each left his other bucket full to the rim. Drat, now I will have to get soaked getting that full bucket off the wall. I am pretty sure that they do this on purpose. As today was their day off I let each horse have a little longer hand grazing this morning. Cupido was thrilled that I let him stay covered in manure stains. He undoubtedly grows as weary as I of our daily pre-walk trips to the wash rack. George was off today and there was nothing much happening in the back ring so I grazed by the front ring and watched Ryan ride. I am fairly sure that Ryan never takes a day off, ever. He seems to ride about 20 horses each day and still his hair is never disheveled. After making sure that the horses had plenty of hay I ran some errands (the feed store and the grocery store) and even had an hour to sit by the pool. The lizards by the pool seem to be getting much bigger. Before they were cute but now they are getting a little intimidating. One took up residence on my book and I thought it best to let him read first if he so desired. Fortunately the lizard moved on before it was time for me to go back to the barn and walk the horses again. I tried to let them graze for a shorter time this afternoon, but Camillo embarrassed me by refusing to move when I tried to bring him back to the barn. Kathy's dutch horse sales partner Twan was looking right at me as my horse planted his feet and refused to move away from the grass. He probably looked like a mule and I am sure that horses do not do such things in Holland.
March 8	A lesson day! Camillo may not have been quite as enthusiastic as I was about it but he got on board. With my lesson scheduled in the afternoon I had plenty of time to graze and groom the horses all morning. They might be growing weary of all of the bathing, mane pulling, hoof polishing, and whisker trimming, but I tell myself that they secretly like it. I rode Cupido before my lesson, he was such a good boy, then it was time for Camillo. We are still working on changes and baby half-passes and he is doing well. Camillo seems to have adjusted to George riding him sometimes and I think that he actually likes it. After my lesson I hacked around the farm. Up by the front arena there were several trailers and lots of stuff, like people, chairs, dogs, and strollers for Camillo to look at. He always seems interested in seeing new things. Usually, he wants to touch the new things and make them fall over, but we did not do that today. In the later afternoon I watched the final quadrille practice. They perform on Saturday night out at the International Polo Fields. It always amazes me how the ride comes together at the very last minute. It seems that one day they are all running into each other and the next they have a fairly seamless performance. The big excitement, of course, is still the World Masters five star that gets started on Thursday. I hear that they have turned the Jim Brandon facility into Provence, France. Lynda told me that they brought in potted cypress trees and everything. I'll have more details after I see it.
March 9	Somehow Cupido managed to loose a shoe today in the big open field across the street where I will never ever find it. I called his blacksmith who was just on his way out of town but said that he would send his friend over to put a new one on. Thank goodness there are so many blacksmiths down here. I did everything quickly this morning so that I could go to the show this afternoon. The CDI five star does not start until tomorrow, but the three star started today and there was a lot to watch. The venue does look great. I can't believe the way that they have transformed a rather industrial looking covered arena into a European arena with old world charm. The atmosphere was really electric as all the big players, riders, trainers, judges, sponsors, and FEI delegates are all here at once. Then there is the shopping. Just a few things were open today but it looks like there will be a lot of things tempting me this weekend. I already want a jacket with the five star logo on it. See, I should not have bought the jacket last weekend. I watched a number of PSG rides from the three star including Jen, a student of George's and I also kept and eye on warmup. I did not see Stephen and Ravel but I did see a lot of great europeans. You can always pick out the Dutch because they are just so tall! Tomorrow, starting at one, will be the Grand Prix for the five star. I can't wait!
March 10	Such a fun day at the horse show! I explained to my horses that it was going to be a quick day so that I could go and watch the show. Camillo and Q did not understand and were immediately annoyed that I cut their morning grazing time short. Despite their disapproval I finished just after noon and was able to get to the show around one. I sat and watched all the great horses in warmup until it was almost time for the five star Grand Prix to start. The horses looked nice in warmup but not extravagant. Most of the international horses warmed up in rather small regular trots and were gradually made more and more expressive as they went. At two I went into the indoor to watch the tests. There were riders from the USA, Canada, Italy, The Dominican Republic, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Poland. All of the rides were very strong. The Americans had a great showing with wonderful performances by Pierre St. Jacques on Lucky Tiger, Shawna Harding on Come on III, Elizabeth Austin on Olivier, and Todd Fletrich on Otto. The Italian rider, Valentina Truppa on Chablis, wore her military police uniform which had red stripes down black pants, a black jacket and gloves, and a very different top hat. Ashley Holzer and her very long time partner Pop Art were the first duo to break the 70 barrier with a clean and seamless test. The Danish rider Anne Van Olst looked very tall and statuesque on her horse and a friend told me that she is six foot three! In the last group of riders Tina Konyot on Collecto V (USA) took the lead away from Ashley scoring a 72. Of course the most exciting ride was Steffen Peters and Ravel who took everyone's breath away. Everything they did was so correct and so elastic. Watching the pirouettes was nerve racking as Steffen took the canter right down to zero and made such a tiny pirouette that it seemed that the horse could not help but break, but Ravel made it look easy. Everyone was on their feet to give Steffen and Ravel and standing ovation and as the final score came up over 80 we were all very excited. I felt so fortunate to have seen such a great ride in such an intimate setting. I can't wait for the freestyles tomorrow night.
March 11	This afternoon I went back to Provence to watch the Grand Prix Special. Overnight the arena had once again been transformed and now all of the tables were set with beautiful linens and decorated with lovely flower arrangements. The riders in the Special were those from yesterday's GP who did not advance to the Freestyle. Of course, at this international level, all of the rides were very good but Pierre St. Jacques on Lucky Tiger and Michal Rapcewicz on Randon really stood out. Shannon Dueck's mare Ayscha and Valentina Truppa's gelding Chablis both became spooky in the arena and gave their riders hard times. Elizabeth Austin on Olivier had a nice ride marred only by being momentarily off course (no wonder, the Special is very long and very confusing). In the end it the winner was the Polish rider Mihal Rapcewicz who won, beating Pierre St. Jacques by a tiny margin. The victory gallop was fun as Michal and Randon really enjoyed it, galloping around to great applause. Pierre's horse, Lucky Tiger, was excused from the gallop as he was becoming unmanageable, but Olivier who finished in third handled the excitement well so Elizabeth joined the first lap of the gallop. This evening was truly fabulous. Betsy was kind enough to invite me to one of her tables so I enjoyed a four course Provence inspired meal, complete with several different wines, while watching some of the worlds best horses. With all of the decorations and seeing everyone dressed up I did feel as if I had been transported to France. The people watching was delightful. There were women in everything from jeans to cocktail dresses to designer originals. While we drank wine and ate dinner Dutch rider Hans Peter Minderhoud conducted a short clinic with demo riders Mikala Gunderson, Susan Dutta, and Janne Rumbaugh. Hans Peter is very tall and very thin and looks a bit like Ichabod Crane. He has an unusual way of walking, leaving his back ram-rod straight and unmoving while he lifts his legs high in the air with each step. The impression is like he is a marionette and not a man. The noise level and his accent made him hard to understand, but from what I could gather he wanted everything to go more forward, what a shock! Finally it was time for the rides to start. Todd Flettrich was first with Otto and had a nice ride. Sadly the second rider, Anja Ploenzke of Germany, was eliminated when her horse bit his lip. Next came Christa Laarakkers from Holland and Anne Van Olst from Denmark. They both turned in very strong performances on lovely horses. After a dessert break where we were fed a chocolate shell filled with custard and a champagne infused and hand painted pear, along with yet more wine, we were entertained by a man on giant spring shoes wearing a lime green unitard who juggled and breathed fire. Is this a common entertainment in the south of France? Then it was time for the last four riders. Tina Konyot on Collecto V was first and delivered a real crowd pleaser with her "Big Black Horse in a Cherry Tree" Freestyle. I think that her ride was one of the best I had seen from her all year. The crowd was very supportive and the judges rewarded her with a 76. The next horse was Pop Art ridden by Canadian Ashley Holzer. This pair has been everywhere and done everything and they are always consistent. Tonight they were again on top of their game and ended with a 74. Sweden's Tinne Vilhelmsson Silfven was the penultimate rider on Favourit. They had a nearly flawless ride with music by The Eurythmics and Tina Turner. Favourit scored a 77 and set the bar very high for Steffen Peters and Ravel who were the last to show. After having such a strong Grand Prix the previous day the expectations were high for Ravel and he did not let us down. Steffen and Ravel entered both looking unnaturally relaxed given all of the pressure. The ride was so good that it brought tears to my eyes. The music was wonderful! He entered on Viva La Vida by Cold Play but also used Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones and, my favorite part, Safety Dance by Men Without Hats in the Canter. The freestyle were so challenging, there were frequent changes in the music and the timing and transitions had to be so precise. There were one or two brief moments where there was a lack of communication but overall it was one of the best freestyles I have even seen. Peters and Ravel just make it look easy and beautiful and there was not a person among us who did not wish to ride that well and to ride such a wonderful horse! I was inspired but also a little sad to see how harmonious it can be and to realize that it rarely is with any but the very best of riders. Steffen and Ravel scored an 84 and won decisively. Go USA! We now clearly have a horse and rider who are as good as anything Europe has to offer. If you would like to see the videos of these rides, they are posted here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/wdm2011/ Some pictures I took today:   Barn 1    Barn 2     Barn 3     Barn 4     Dinner1     Dinner 2     Dinner 3 These photos are of the barn and surrounding area, and of our lovely dinner we had while watching the Grand Prix special.
March 12	Tonight was the breast cancer benefit where the Americans, and two other teams, performed their quadrilles. The event takes place each year at the International Polo facility and tonight the festivities kicked off with a charity polo match. I know nothing about polo, but I know there are four chucker (quarters I think). After the polo match the quadrilles started. The first team was the Canadian team who came out wearing blonde wigs over their helmet. Their performance was a little muddled but they had a good time and the crowd enjoyed the wigs. The Americans were the second to go and hit a home run with their New York inspired freestyle. When the music started their was a voice over announcing that the performance was dedicated to those who died on 9-11. The music included jazz and also the popular New York song by Jay-z. The horses had red, white, and blue pom poms braided into their manes and wore red, white, and blue polo wraps. I have to say that they did a very nice job, even better than their last practice. The final team was the International Team. Each member of this team had pink letters taped to the backs of their coats. At first the letters appeared to be a jumble but when they all lined up at two points during the freestyle the letters spelled "Save the Ta Tas". Their performance was also very well done. In the end the Americans won but it was not by much.
March 13	With all of the weekend's festivities over today seemed so quiet and peaceful. I worked the horses and then had plenty of time in the afternoon to watch lessons. Observing is so much fun here. Not only do you have a chance to learn new exercises and see how different trainers work through a variety of problems presented by different horses, but you also get to see what is new in equestrian fashion. For instance, this year it seems that brown and grey are the new black. Brown boots are in, though not yet in the show ring, and sometimes you can couple them with a brown helmet. Grey is in even as a color for a shadbelly or a top hat/helmet. Jennifer Baumert, who rides Don Principe, has been showing in grey coat and helmet (she looks great and Edward Gal can definitely pull it off but I am not sure about trying it myself just yet - I think that you better be pretty darn good to draw attention to yourself that way). I am not seeing much in the way of crazy color for breeches, as has been the case in previous years, but a more muted palate and very little plaid. Breeches that look like jeans are still somewhat popular but only in a very specific dark wash this year that looks much like a regular navy breech from a distance. Helmets are pretty hot this year, not only in brown or grey, but also in Navy to match your normal tailcoat. I have seen quite a few FEI riders wearing them in the show ring. Patent leather boots are still in style and sometimes you can have a line of rhinestones along the top for a little bling (not my taste but it looks good on some). Around the barn it is de rigueur to wear shorts with welly boots while mucking stalls and moving hay. It looks funny but as the young riders are all doing I know that it will be the next big thing. Thank goodness that down here in Welly World going anywhere in riding attire is perfectly acceptable. I will have to keep in mind that when I go home I will have to change before going to dinner.
March 14	I realized today that there were a few comments about style that I forgot to mention yesterday. It is essential that you text and check your e-mail while riding. While at times this becomes more dangerous than doing so while driving, you do have a second set of eyes paying attention to where you are going. Generally this means that you need to become proficient at texting with one hand while you keep the other on the reins. If you are a hunter rider, as has been the case for a few years now, you will need to wear you helmet (strap undone) while you drive your golf cart and sometimes while you drive your car. Yes, it looks strange to the rest of us, but if you are in hunters you will think that you look cool. It is best to sport this look with either a GPA or a Charles Owens helmet. Kind of a challenge to pull it off with a IRH or a Troxel. For dressage riders Kingsland merchandise is hot, including breeches, polos, baseball hats, even accessories like tote bags and helmet bags. As for the horse, some things have changed. For years the Europeans have ridiculed us for shaving our horses whiskers off. It was offensive to them that we would cut off their "feelers'. However, this year it appears that the Europeans are into the clean shaven look. Don't get too clipper happy though because it seems like clipping the tops of tails is out. I am not sure if there is a little subtle trimming or none at all, but I am holding off on trimming anything until I figure out where this trend is going. It takes longer to grow tail hair back than it does to grow in some whiskers!
March 15	Cupido and I had a wonderful trail ride this morning. First we met Mary Austin and two of her friends from her barn and headed out to the canal. We saw few strange things along the way but the horses were all willing. There was horse in a field with his fly sheet twisted around and hanging in front which seemed to alarm all of our horses but they kept it together and walked on by. However, at one point we had to ride through a barricade and one of the horses did not think that was a good idea so we turned around. After dropping off the other two riders at IDA, Mary Austin and I continued on around Cindy Circle. Both Q and Dali really seemed to enjoy the walk. By the time I got back to the barn I just had enough time to run to Red Barn to pick up shavings and then it was time for my lesson with Camillo. I have really started to notice how fit the horses have become down here. At the beginning of the season Camillo was absolutely exhausted at the end of a lesson, but now he barely seems winded. All the horses look like they have been training for an Iron Man competition. They are all rippling with muscles! This evening I attended a birthday party for Laura Noyes along with most of the other Ohio people at the barn. Laura and Jesse have rented a house on Cindy Circle for the season. The house is great and just about a one minute drive to the barn. I could tell how happy they were to be living together and also to be living so close. We had great food and two kinds of birthday cake, what could be better.
March 16	I got to the barn early this morning because I had a blacksmith coming at 8 and I wanted to make sure that the horses were fed, walked, and had their stalls cleaned before he came. This time change has been a real drag. I was enjoying going to the barn with the sun already up in the morning and now here we are back to feeding in the dark. The blacksmith was done around 10 and then it was time for me to ride. The covered arena was packed with people and horses as the front ring was being used for a video shoot for a Kathy Connelly Clinic. I think that it was really good for both Camillo and I to ride with a lot of traffic in the arena. It is easy to get used to riding by yourself or with just one other person that you forget how to work in a crowd. Then, when you go to a show, you feel overwhelmed in the warmup. Camillo handled all the horses well and I think actually liked the company. By the time I got him put away and got Q tacked up it was just George and Ryan riding, but Q does not need as much practice riding around other horses. Even though I forgot to pick up my whip on the way out of the barn, Q was excellent and really forward. I had about an hour to kill before it was time to feed so I watched a couple of lessons. Tonight I am having dinner with Lynda Clement, Betsy Rebar Sell, and Mosie Welsh. Lynda is cooking so it should be good!
March 17	Happy St. Patrick's Day! I remembered to wear a green polo shirt today. I had a lesson in the afternoon so I let the horses have a little extra time eating grass this morning. They thought that I finally had the right idea. I ran over to see Mary Austin for a while in the late morning. I will miss being able to see her and her horses all the time. I really like having them right across the street. I had hoped to watch her lesson this afternoon, but as luck would have it her lesson was scheduled for the same time as mine. I went back to my barn and took Q for a hack around the property then I rode in the covered arena. It was actually getting kind of hot this afternoon, but it felt lovely in the shade of the covered where you always get a breeze. In my lesson we worked on flying changes and trot lengthenings. George rode first and he and Camillo seemed to be having a good time together. Camillo is now more comfortable with George and he really gets soft and lets his big ears flop. For his part George seems happier with Camillo and frequently pats him and tells him how good he is (I think that Camillo trained him to do that). After our lesson we had a nice little hack around. I hope that when I get home the weather is warm enough to ride outside. I can tell how much happier the horses are to be out and about in the sunshine.
March 18	This morning I thought that there was a snake in the hay in Camillo's hay, but it turned out to be a lizard with very short legs. It is amazing how much of a difference those tiny little legs make when determining the creepyness quotient for a critter. No legs means scream and run, while legs means that it might almost be cute. Actually, I was a little disturbed by this lizard. It was long with red and white stripes and it moved in a slithering motion, way to much like a snake for my liking. This afternoon Mary Austin and I took Camillo over to the horse show to school. Is there anything more fun than taking a young horse to a trailer-in show? This show offers only very little stabling and is designed primarily as a trailer-in. It is just no fun to be tethered to an over-stimulated youngster while you try to tack him in the middle of a big open field. I did longe him before I tried to ride, and it was a good thing because he thought that it was important to leap and buck for about 20 minutes (better on his own than with me on him). After he settled down, I rode for about half an hour and hacked around the grounds. He was very alert but behaved well and I think that it was a good thing to get in an outing down here.
March 19	I got up really early so that I could take Camillo back to the show for a little more exposure. Mary Austin (what a good sport she is) and I planned to leave my barn around 7:15, so I got there to feed, hook up, and clean stalls at 5:30. Q was thrilled that I finally got there to feed him at a reasonable time in the morning. Both horses became much less enthusiastic when they realized that their regular schedule of morning walks and grazing was going to be disturbed. Camillo seemed sad when he saw the horse trailer, but got in willingly and off to the show we went. I started again with a little time on the longe line but quickly decided to get on and tackle the busy warm-up arena. Having Mary Austin there was great. I often forget how easy it can be if you take a groom. Things were a little exciting in warm up but soon enough Camillo settled down and got to work. By the time I got back to the barn Q was beside himself and feeling very neglected. I had to drop everything and take him out for grass and a nice hand walk to make him feel better. I am sure that he did not want to go to the show himself, but he was angry that I left and did not do all the things that he likes in the morning. After I cleaned out the trailer I rode Q and then left the barn to spend time with Oliver who is in town for a couple of days. On the way home we saw an absolutely enormous lizard, an iguana maybe, sunning himself on the side of the road. It seems, all of a sudden, that the really big lizards are out and about. Where have they been all winter? Do they hibernate? Wherever they have been, they are out now.
March 20	Another really early morning to get to the show. Nothing like the alarm going off before 5 in the morning to let you know that horse show season has arrived. We pulled out of the barn with the horse trailer just after seven this morning and we were back home by half past nine. Camillo was great today. He was much more relaxed right away in warm up and he was a trooper in the ring. There was a lot to look at but he stayed focused. Oliver came with us and had a few interesting comments about Loxahatchee on the way home. Seeing semi-starving horses out in a front yard enclosed with a chain link fence just a block away from the White Fences Equestrian community which is filled with million dollar barns really makes you think. We passed a bunch of people walking pit bulls and other hard-to-get-insurance-for breeds (you might need something aggressive out there on your walk). Then, in the blink of an eye, we were back in Little Ranches. Mary Austin invited Oliver over to see her horses at IDA and see Dali do all of his tricks. Oliver was very impressed (well not really but most people are) to see that Dali can answer yes or no to any question you ask him. He is like a living Magic Eight Ball! We gazed adoringly at Dali for a while and then I went back to ride Q and clean up everything from the show. I think that I will have an early night tonight. Too many really early mornings this week.
March 21	One week to go. The weather today was perfect, just perfect. When I left the house at six this morning to take Oliver to the airport I was able to wear shorts. While it ended up being about 80 by the afternoon there was a lovely breeze all day which kept everything very comfortable. The horses were off today so I let each of them stay out extra long grazing this morning. I packed some non-essentials and then waited for Cupido's blacksmith and the vet who was coming to do health certificates, both were late. By the time both vet and blacksmith were finished I just had time to run to Red Barn for supplies before feeding dinner. I think that today was likely my last supply run for the season. I think that Q and Camillo are going to be sorry to go home and not have me all to themselves as their personal assistant. It is always nice to be down here and bond with them. Camillo will miss checking at the base of the kumquat tree each morning to look for fallen fruit. He would like to eat the fruit off the tree but I can't afford to replace the tree if he damages it, so we have agreed that he will just eat the ones which have fallen off.
March 24	This morning I wen to look at a horse out on Flying Cow road. Don't you just want to know how it go that name. The last time I was out there, a couple of years ago, the road was not paved and driving on it felt like you were on a four mile long rumble strip. You can tell that progress has come to South Florida because not only was the road paved but it even had lines painted on it. My parents arrived yesterday. It took them all Winter to finally decide to flee the snow up North. Today they came out to the barn to watch the horses go. They have not been here for three years and were very impressed with how great the place looked. They had not seen the covered arena and all of the new landscaping. I settled them in the comfortable chairs on the patio by the arena and was shocked to find that they were still awake when I came back with a horse. Under the covered arena it is so quiet and breezy that almost everyone nods off a bit. They gamely sat through my rides on both horses. Who says dressage isn't fascinating. Both of the boys were really good, I think that they might have been trying to show off. Many people at the barn were leaving to go to the show this weekend. Betsy is showing and so are Matt and Holly. It is suppose to be in the high 80s this weekend so it will be a hot one out out in Loxahatchee. I can't believe that this is my last weekend here this season. I have talked to a bunch of people who have decided to stay for the month of April. Not possible for me. I think that it is time to go home.
March 25	It was a hot and breezy day for the horse show today. I went out to watch Betsy show this afternoon out in Loxahatchee, at Dressage at Equestrian Estates. Thank goodness that there is always a little wind out there or else it would have been unbearably hot for the riders in their wool coats. Betsy stayed cool by wearing a cooling vest under her shadbelly and had a nice ride with Wilhelm. After Betsy's test I watched a few rides from the CDI PSG. Lisa Wilcox and Chris Von Martels had nice rides. I think that the PSG was going on all day today but I could not stay. After the show I ran back to the barn to get ready for my lesson. George rode first and worked Camillo a really long time. Then I got on and we worked even longer. It really amazes me how fit the horse has become this season. A couple of months ago he would have been absolutely exhausted after George rode him, but today he was still fresh even at the end of my ride. Today, we worked on changes, half passes, and medium trot. We used the lateral work to get him more supple so that he could be more expressive in the trot. After working on the changes we went back and worked on maintaining the counter canter and also making easy canter-walk-counter canter walk transitions. I hope that I can keep all of this up when I go home.
March 26	Last night my parents and I had a great dinner with Betsy, George and Roberta at a local place called Oli's. This restaurant is one of the places in Wellington to see and be seen. It was very crowded and very loud but the food was great and the people watching was outstanding. As the evening got later the outfits got better and better: short dresses, lots of cleavage, very high heels. Evidence of plastic surgery abounded as well with breasts way too big and way too high to be real anyway. There was also a lot of collagen. The women with collagen in their lips look very uncomfortable, like they are recovering from an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Today I rode the boys early before it got to today's high of 87 and then I started packing. It is always a challenge to pack as much ahead of time as possible without packing things that you will need before you leave. Julie Taylor is leaving tomorrow morning and she has packed up almost all of her stuff. Our tack room looks so empty! I feel like I am going to have lesson withdrawal when I go home. Today, even though I did not have a lesson, George had a few comments while I was riding which really helped. If money was no object I would have five or six nice horses and take at least two lessons everyday. I like riding on my own too, but if I could rotate the horses that I took the lessons on I would have the best of all worlds. I feel like I have accomplished a lot this season but I can also see more clearly how much I need to do to move forward. Tonight we are meeting Mary Austin and her Father for dinner at the Mexican restaurant. I don't think that the people watching will be as exotic as last night but it will be fun!
March 27	The last day in Florida for the year. Leaving is always so bitter sweet. I am looking forward to going home and seeing everyone, but I love being down here and it is hard to leave. I rode the horses this morning before it reached the 90 degree mark. Camillo was excellent. I think that he might miss working in the big covered arena here, going back to the indoor will be an adjustment (hopefully we will be able to get outside soon). After our ride we had a great hack all around the farm, we will miss that too. I took Q on a final trail ride for the season. He is such a good trail horse. He knows all about waiting for the mechanical gate to open so that we can come and go, he knows that we have to stop before we cross the street, and he really seems to appreciate our great walks around the circle or through the big field. Today we were buzzed by a whole flock of green parrots, how tropical. While I think that Q might be happy to go home and not have me bathe him and ride him every day, I know that he will miss our hacks. I spent the rest of the afternoon packing all of the horses' belongings and all of my belongings. It took about an hour to pack up all of my stuff while I have been packing for them for days and days and still there is more to do. At least there is no hay to load for the way home!