Countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy! (WEG)
Well after the excitement and hassle of our trip to Valkenswaard it was decided to head back to the main yard in Ireland to regroup and school a little - and of course get all the laundry done!! The homeward trip was the usual WKD calamity - with one truck getting delayed at Calais due to the vet having stamped Sally the jack Russell's passport incorrectly....Entailing a quick trip to the local vets with police escort to get all sorted and a transfer on to the next boat - but luckily all was fixed - as I could imagine poor Sally getting abandoned at the port by the driver!!
Back in Ireland last week was spent unpacking, sorting, and cleaning horses, tack and clothes - one of the drawbacks of endless trips away!
The horses all enjoyed getting out in the fields everyday and Sam and I spent the time concentrating on the three main horses for the next few weeks....we’ve decided with the WEG and now the Calgary Masters at Spruce Meadows directly after, that the best approach is to basically give all our other horses a break and focus on preparing for the two biggest event’s in Sam’s sporting career so far - which just happen to follow each other! If we come through these two without either one of us having a breakdown or me murdering someone it will be an impressive feat!!!
So the pampered ponies at the minute are WKD Pepperpot, Lady's Queen and Sumas Zorro. Our plan at the minute - (but regular followers of this blog know how our carefully thought out plans often change) is for Sam and I to compete Pepperpot and Lady's Queen at the CSI 2* LGCT London this week, (shopping and show jumping how could that possibly not be a hit!!), then Sam will jump Zorro at her prep show for WEG CSI 3* Macon in France. I will compete Lady at the same show, in appropriately enough, the ladies class - and then we will head to a yard near Caen to await the nerve wrecking week before the WEG kicks off and of course, the following week the fabulous Masters at Spruce Meadows where Sam has been invited to compete in the 1.5 million dollar Rolex Masters Grand Prix!! Not too bad for our boy from Cairo and our little yard in Co Antrim!!!
At that point (if my plans all work out ), we will have two teams of horses in France to coordinate, two sets of nervous parents and sponsors, two sets of staff, two different locations, and only one Sam and me!!! It should just be a case of getting Zorro plus all her equipment into the WEG - and Pepper and Lady plus equipment on a plane to Calgary.... and of course making sure that the jockey and I are at the right location at the right time.....
Do we like a challenge??? Would anyone else attempt to do both these things??? Of course not but that's why we are the WKD Show Jumping Team - and that's probably why you are reading this blog looool !!! The first part of the whole crazy trip starts tomorrow on the road to London - let's hope it's really paved with gold!!!
Photo 1: Sally the jack Russell
Photo 2: Next stop London
Photo 3: Checking out the horses at home
Photo 4: Sycamore Horse Farm
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