PrintThe WEG preparations continue—Robin and Raison d’Etre (a.k.a. Ralee) did their WEG freestyle at the Asheville Dressage show in the beginning of August as a dress rehearsal for the big event, and it worked out great.
The U.S. Para-equestrian Team had a conference call with all participants to inform them of dress codes, where to pick up credentials, housing for athletes, health equipment such as magnetic blankets, equi-massager, etc., which will be available, reminders by the team vet to make sure all necessary paperwork has been received, copied, forwarded to the team office, as well as attached to each horse’s FEI passport.
Robin came down to South Carolina a few days ago for more intense training with Ralee. Due to the extreme heat and humidity we usually start riding around 6 a.m., which means I have to get up at 4 a.m. to feed my 13 dogs (and one cat), as well as feed and hay 12 horses. Then I load up and head over to a friend’s farm where we ride Ralee, along with Robin’s own horses Radetzky (he was her 2008 Para-Olympic Games horse) and Lord Baltimore, as well as my second Grand Prix horse, Harry and Beckie Butler’s Andalusian stallion Oyente’. Robin usually rides Ralee and her own two horses back-to-back—can you say FIT?!
Here's a video of Robin schooling Ralee.
Here are some things I did not realize before:
While it is wonderful to have a horse compete at a prestigious event like the WEG, life at the farm still does have to go on. Stuff like how much feed, hay and shavings are available, when do they need to be re-ordered, will whatever we have now be enough to last throughout the weeks we will be gone or will I have to call in more, which farm/dog sitter is available when, is there enough dog/cat food in the house, what to do with the mail/bills while we are gone (forward it or not), move or leave the breeding stallions at the farm (I decided to bring them to our vet for safe keeping), remember to get the entries to the show secretaries in Georgia and South Carolina for the three breed and dressage shows we are planning to attend before the WEG… Which horses are going again???
I hope the weather gets cooler soon!
Talk to you later,
Elly
