[RC] 2005PAC: Back In Pinamar - John TeeterWe're back in Pinamar (actually, we arrived yesterday after having met Leonard (Liesens) and Carol at the BA airport. Nice to see them ... nice to be back in the country - as compared to in the city. Our friendly internet cafe which serves great coffee! and to see all the friends and acquaintances cluster yet again for another endurance week! It is Argentina - It is the 2005 Pan American Endurance Championship! Steph is at her siesta. An early ride this morning (and a brief early air flight as El Gordita has developed a bit of an attitude!!). The flight was brief - thank goodness for all the (DEEP SOFT) sand of Pinamar as she landed well - but the impact force was a disaster for the only pair of levis she brought with her -- Bombachas for the rest of the trip I think! We today toured Haras Las Cortedaras - home of Estanar Endurance! Steph and I had the pleasure of staying there earlier and to return in the beginnings of autumn with friends from afar (Grace Ramsey, Jan Worthington, Sheika Madiya and her brother along with Lenoard/Carol and Steve and Dianh Rojek) and to see again this years crop of foals - grown older and bolder and not needing their mares nearly as much as only a short 3 weeks ago! And the PanAm venu is coming together. The horses are pretty much all stabled now. A bit spread out and a little chaotic. The biggest problem (by far:( has been the difficulty faced by people getting horses into Argentina for the competition. Team Brazil, with 18 horses on board, made the 3000 km trip --- but all the horses are in questionable shape because of negligence by the Argentine immigration authorities. I'm sure more will be said later - but they were 30 hours w/o food/water during the final phase of the trip! Dr. Henrique Gonzoles and his crew have been day/night working out the problems this caused with the horses. A bad situation. Other countries made the entry with less difficulty, but all I've spoken with ere negatively impacted in some way it seems. It was not intentional on anyone (connected with the events) part. But the immigration bureaucracy (including their vets) really did not do their jobs it seems. I hope that any ill effects of this will not color the competition but do feel for the Brazilian horses!! On a lighter not - the hay at the facility is good and there is plenty of water. The trails are marked. The weather is early fall (@70df and sunny when it's not foggy (early morning) or raining - every 4-5th day). It' is as yet a little early to know what to expect (rain or shine) on race day -- tomorrow.... A starters list and a few picts later tonight - more coffee!! less partying!! everyone here says hig to everyone there!! john (and steph too:) (p.s. although this is horsey week in Pinamar this is still Argentina and the other room in the cafe has the tv full blast with the weekly football match! it's a packed house and very vocal! great fun! They think me a bit strange to be working away in here while there's a game on....) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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