Staging an event like the Olympics in a city plagued by economic woes can only be described as a challenge. For the athletes, for the horses, for us, for the organizers, it’s tough.

But, our accommodations here at Deodoro are actually OK. We are on an enormous military base, about a half hour from the city activities. The stables are very comfortable, all the volunteers extremely helpful, supplies easy to get, lots of riding room. And some grass.

Valinski snoozing in his stall. Gives you scale for size. Much deeper than wide, but really large and airy. Like them a lot!

The grooms apartments are spartan, but OK—cleaned daily, linens every other day. Not bad. 

The walk to get there, however, goes across a temporary bridge that crosses a nasty stream filled with refuse and who knows what else, judging by the horrible odor. Not nice. And the surrounding areas are poverty ridden. We see the military housing (which our residence will become, once we leave), and it is dismal. We walk by it, as well. It is an eye opener for anyone that has never been to a country with less resources. Like me.  

Our complex has been a bit challenging to figure out, but I think I’ve got it!  The food is, and I am a very easy-to-please eater, not great. Besides not knowing what 90 percent of it is and not being able to eat salad (because you don’t know what water it was washed in), it just isn’t great. I have been mainly just eating dinner and drinking gallons of bottled water. Coca Cola is a main sponsor, so there is plenty of soda and water to drink, all free to us.  

But, it’s the OLYMPICS!!!  So you learn about other cultures, make new friends from all over the world, and immerse yourself in the EXPERIENCE.  

Oh, and I have yet to see a mosquito. Or any other insect except some gnats out on the grass. And one fly. So, rest well tonight. I will not be contracting Zika.

Laurie Pitts was all ready to groom at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games with her horse of a lifetime, Balbuco, who was ridden by Conrad Homfeld. But the U.S. boycott of those Games kept her home and missing a line on her grooming resume. Laurie spent a few decades doing non-horsey and horse jobs before after 36 years, the chance to groom at an Olympic Games came up again—this time for U.S.-based Australian show jumper Matt Willams. 

You can read all about it in Groom Spotlight: Laurie Pitts Is In Rio To Complete A Dream Deferred. And make sure to follow along with her as she blogs for COTH from Rio about her adventures. 

Part of the Australian stables. On the outside of one of the square barns, with stalls outside on two sides, and then all around the inside with a central core that is filled with modular tack/utility rooms.

The American shed-row.

Stable access, where credentials are presented and bio security is used (hand sanitizer, foot bath/mat).

Watching the eventers at their horse inspection.

The hand-grazing area. 

Inside aisle of our barn. These stalls are directly behind us.

The Germans on the opposite inside wall.

The schooling areas—there are two large ones with three dressage rings in each.

Ingate to stadium, with sand approach from all the warm-up areas.

Lane to schooling/warm-up areas that provide access to stadium.

The main stadium.

Misting fans under a tent near the stadium.

The U.S. team’s tackroom.

Shades used to shelter from sun. Variety of countries behind it.