We arrived at the park Thursday afternoon and settled in to very clean stalls.  There is a major EHV scare going on right now in California.  We signed in to the show our healthy horses and are taking temps 2X daily and posting the results on their stalls.  The horses have no contact with any other horses other than from Arroyo.  Two empty stalls between barns.  No commercial shippers allowed at the show.  A good protocol for a horse show with a risky virus around.

We had a good day yesterday to school.  They have new footing in the large oval ring (waxed felt) and it was good to ride on it before show day.  They all schooled well in the morning before it got too hot.  My truck said 29C yesterday afternoon.  Lovely.

Ivars had a great bike ride in Griffin Park and then caught up on some tasks around the coach.

Barb arrived last night and Curtis should be here today.

This morning is Lindsey and Lance’s first Grand Prix.  We’re all staying calm and carrying on…  Fred and William are competing at PSG today after Lance’s ride.

And finally….A big congrats to Steffen Peters on his Grand Prix win at the Masters yesterday, 81.3%, a record breaking score!  Yeah Steffen, yeah Ravel!!!

Off to feed our ponies..

V

All three horses worked so well yesterday!  We’re ready for Burbank.  Hopefully today or tomorrow we’ll be able to get into one of the big rings at Arroyo and run through a test or two.  Fingers crossed the sun comes out today.

Ivars arrives today.  As his flight connects through LAX, I’m going to drive up and a meet him there.  We should beat the traffic both ways, north and south.

We’re taking the coach back to the repair shop in Temecula again tonight.  They are going to check out a couple of things starting at 7:30am .  We’ll take it up today and plug it in there.  That way we’re not leaving in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.  Lindsey and I will head to Arroyo from Temecula tomorrow and leave Ivars there to deal with the repair (and take his bike for a ride!!!).  Did I mention how happy I am to have Ivars here!!!!  Hopefully they’ll have the repair finished tomorrow night and Ivars will bring the coach back to Oceanside for the night.

We leave for Burbank on Thursday after lessons with Shannon.  Ivars will take the coach to the Equestrian Center and Lindsey and I will follow with the horses.  We show on Saturday and Sunday.  The ride times are not posted yet.  Maybe today.

Another strange day for me…I’m still in the coach and Lindsey is in the truck, headed to Arroyo!

Whoo hoo…I get to see Ivars today!!!

Mmmmm…another cup of tea…

V

Yesterday the horses had a walk on the treadmill, got back into their winter blankets and enjoyed their day off napping and snacking.  Today is a light ride day getting ready for tomorrow’s test day with Shannon.  Test day may have to be postponed depending on the rain.  We’re in the covered arena during rain days and the covered is small 20 X 40ish, much too small for a Grand Prix test.

Sunday’s at Arroyo are quiet and low key…off to a full, slow day…

V

William and Fred will show Prix St George and Intermediare 1 level.

Lance will show his first Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special.

We are very lucky to have 3 very special horses here in training with Shannon.  This year there is a lot of pressure on Lindsey and Lance with the Olympics in August.  Having the other 2 horses going well, working hard and progressing, has diffused some of the pressure but not any of the hard work with Lance and Lindsey.  We are very fortunate and very grateful.

Today is the horses day off.  We’ll head to the stable feed them, put them each on the treadmill and make sure they are toasty warm and happy. Before heading to the barn, Lindsey is going to start the day at the gym and I’m going to head to the beach for a short run.  We were expecting rain and wind last night but haven’t seen a drop so far.  Good.  When they predict rain around here, it normally pours!  Good thing we have the truck for transport in the rain…the little car might drown.

Ivars will fly into LA Tuesday afternoon, Curtis leaves Camrose on Wednesday to drive south, Barb flies into Burbank Friday afternoon.  We’ll have lots of help for the Burbank show!

Better check out low tide times for today…

V

Anne Gribbons is at Arroyo today and yesterday for a USET clinic.  It’s a closed clinic but we can audit with permission of the riders.  Ravel is amazing and will be right on his game for the Masters in Florida next week.  Go Steffen, yeah Ravel.

I hate waiting.  Lindsey left for Arroyo an hour ago and I am stuck here waiting for the satellite repair man to arrive and tweak the motosat satellite finder thingy, technical term…the zoomer.  It was “fixed” at the RV repair shop last month but failed again when we had it in Thermal.  We have cable TV in the park but nowhere else.  It’s much easier to find techs to work on things on the coach here in the US than in Canada so here I am…waiting.

The little car is in at the BMW dealer for a yearly work up.  Oil, filters, rear tires, some brake work and engine tensioner???  It should be finished this afternoon, fingers crossed and I can get to Arroyo for Fred’s ride this afternoon.  Did I mention, I hate waiting…

Sitting around just chilling is not a strong point in my personality so this is a learning situation.  Another cup of tea, finish the blog….clean the coach? laundry? organize closets?  Ohhhhhmmmmmm…another cup of tea….

Sitting here looking out the window at the palm trees and the sunshine makes the vision of home and -32 and snow very surreal.  Sending warm thoughts northward.

I think the floor needs to be washed….

V

Fred warmed up (braids and all) each day but just wasn’t there the first couple of days so we decide to scratch her for her tests day one and day two.  Day three  was a great warm up and we decided to test her concentration and put her in the ring.  PSG, 67% and first place.  Way to go Fred…growing up!!!

Lance, Intermediare 2. day one 65% (1st place…he was the only one in the class!!!), day two 66% (3rd place) and day three 68.9% (1st place).  Lance is figuring out how to move that big body around that little ring doing very difficult movements.  He’ll be ready for the Grand Prix test next show.

Thank you everyone for all the good wishes, we could feel every one and appreciate them so much!

Thank you Shannon, ringside coach at our first show.

Lindsey’s ride on each horse, each test was well thought out, well executed and half halt to half halt, appropriate.  I’m so proud of her.  This has been a very big learning year and she showed it in the ring.

We’re both pooped and good tired.  We’re going to haul home to San Diego this morning, unpack and park the trailer, drive the coach to Oceanside, park and hook it up and then I think a glass of wine in the sunset is called for!!!

Getting ready for our next show (Burbank)…

V

Lindsey rode so well; tactful, aware and strong. So proud of her.

Thank you Shannon for all your help!

A wonderful start to a great weekend.

Three more tests today, on to day two…

V

Gonna be a busy day…

V

Willam, concentrating in his lesson with Shannon

Lance, starting pirouette

Lance on Friday in a lesson with Shannon…

Sooo…Yeah!!!! Peter arrived Saturday morning as we were working with William!  Such a wonderful surprise!  We were expecting him sometime Saturday but not in the morning!  He made such good time.  He left Wetaskiwin Thursday noon with the truck and trailer and arrived at Arroyo Del Mar Saturday am.  Thank you so much Peter.  We now have wheels for our horses for the show season.

Peter also has enlightened us as to the speed limit in California for trailers.  The state trooper was a very nice man who let Peter know that 55mph is maximum for truck/trailers.  We’ll remember that next week driving to our first show in Thermal California.

So Peter arrived and he gets to man the camera!!

Fred, Lindsey and I

Working with Fred

Lindsey and I re hashing the ride, Fred chillin'

Next is Lance...

Lance

Thanks Peter for the great shots!

Today Peter will be out on the bike and Lindsey is taking the day off (much deserved!!!).  She and Peter are going to be tourists and head to the zoo for the day (after the bike ride).  I’m going to head to the barn and handle the horses for the day.

My truck is here!!!  I love my truck!!!

Off to fire up the diesel and head to Pannikin before pettin’ my ponies!!!

V

Fred, warming up.

Lance

Lance

Soooo…at home our horses are turned out daily for 4-5 hours.  They walk and graze and occasionally gallop and buck about.  Soooo…here not much turn out and my goodness they are enjoying the down time!  Snoozing and munching and a good afternoon nap.  And guess what…fat horses.  So on the treadmill you go my fat friends.  Of all the crazy things we make them do; according to each of them, this is by far the most bizarre.  “Trust me Lance, you’ll thank me later.  A couple of 100 pounds lighter will make that Grand Prix test a lot more pleasant for you!”

Fred, on the treadmill.

I love my horses.  They are all working so hard and introduction to the bizarre treadmill was so easy; they are amazing animals.

Peter is on the road with the truck and trailer.  He spent last night in Great Falls, Montana.  He should be in San Diego later Saturday.  Save travels Peter.

Double overhead 18′ braking waves today…don’t know what that means but it sounds like we need to check it out later to today.  (they are warning everyone inexperienced to stay out of the water) (we’ll be staying dry dear!)

Gonna be a wonderful day…

V