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> From Steph:
Finally a moment to reflect, and write a little. I'm bumping along in a
taxi, leaving Miguel Pavlovsky's clinic in Buenos Aires, headed to Ezeiza
Airport to catch a ride back to Saladillo - I'll meet Mercedes and Eduardo
(who is catching a plane for Chile to evaluate a thoroughbred race filly for
a client) and Mercedes and I will go together to the Mercedes-Benz dealer
near the aiport to pick up their new hauling truck. They (Estanar Endurance)
are trying to put together a horse hauling/travelling rig for the Endurance
events. Gooseneck trailers and truck combos are mostly non-existent here.
People hire big hauling vans to transport horses, or pull the horses in
small bumper pulls with SUV's or small trucks. And folks don't camp here.
The horses stay in stalls or corrals, and the people stay in hotels (except
some of the grooms and a few others). So they have a 5-horse gooseneck LQ
trailer waiting delivery in Brazil - they still don't have it at El Reparo
(6 months later, the government still hasn't figured out how to deal with
import regulations and taxes - is it a trailer, or is it a home? both... and
they don't have that category, so are at an impasse. pretty ridiculous!)
So... after we meet up, I'll drive the car back, Mercedes will drive the
Mercedes. that's the plan.


To back up a little...


After the Sprint Cup I spent the week in Saladillo at El Reparo. Sorting
through the zillions of photos, writing a little, riding a little, sleeping
a lot, shopping a little, enjoying the company of friends, and the peace and
quiet of the Saladillo countryside. Monday I sat at the computer all day,
too many photos and a slowish internet link, too much sitting. Tuesday
morning Mercedes and Mike Foss (here to vet the ride) and I went into Buenos
Aires to be tourists. Mike wanted to (had been commanded to) pick up some
things Argentine for family and friends. We went to my favorite store in the
world, Arandu. (I should own stock). It's a saddle shop, tack shop,
clothing/boots shop, leather and silver artisan shop. Fantastic things, very
'gaucho', and wonderful craftsmanship. and the pervasive smell of leather
and wool. Wonderful jewelry, argentine knives - cuchillos - ponchos of wool
and alpaca, new ones, and old ponchos from the north of Argentina. Blankets
and saddle pads of fleece, woven wool, cotton, belts, matte cups, you name
it. And gorgeous horse tack - finely woven leather halters and bridles,
lariats of braided leather, silver and leather headstalls and saddle
adornments - old and new. Wonderful stuff!! We spent a lot of time there.


Afterwards a nice lunch at a Patagonia style restaurant at the shopping
Galeria, good food, bottle of wine, great company. Lots of talk about
horses, rides, the state of Endurance, the state of FEI, where we're headed.
The rapid growth of the sport in some countries, how to regulate the sport
and protect the horses. We solved many of the world's problems. Mike caught
a plane back to the US that evening, with hopes of coming back for the next
Sprint Cup in March.


Wednesday we rode in the morning (I rode the amazing Kasal, such a great
ride), later we did some shopping in Saladillo and ran errands. Nice
relaxing day to catch up on stuff. Rained the next morning, but soon
followed by more glorious summer sunlight. One of the partners of Mercedes
and Eduardo came by (Gonzalo Pieres) to see the Cazon Endurance Village. He
was passing through on the way to his farm a few hours from Buenos Aires, to
rest and recouperate after the weekend's polo season finale. Games, sales,
business, horses, horses, horses. He toured the Endurance Village with
Eduardo, looked at a few photos from the ride, they talked about the
weekend's event, and about future plans.... expand the trotting/vetting area
a little, open up the forest for more space, it needs a restaurant or
cantina for meals, lots of ideas.


I got a note from Hillorie Bachman - we were hoping to spend some time
together being tourists, or riding or something. But somehow the days were
too full for both of us. She was in Argentina visiting a polo player that
she had met earlier. He arranged a horse for her for the Sprint Cup, a polo
horse owned by Josephina Chas (one of Argentina's top riders) - so was able
to come and ride. She had a blast, I could see the 'ohmygodIloveArgentina'
look in her eyes! I put a few photos of Hillorie together at
http://www.endurance.net/sprintcup/gallery/11%20dec%20Hillorie%20gallery/ . 
She's
planning on returning, and is inviting the new friends to come ride in the
US at our Owyhee 100 ride - I hope it works out, would love to see everybody
in Idaho next spring!


Friday I got a ride into Buenos Aires with Mercedes. She had to go to the
race track - San Isidro - and return the fluids they had borrowed for the
ride (but no horses needed treatment!) and I took a taxi from there to
Miguel's clinic downtown, planning on going home with Miguel that evening to
spend the weekend with he and Celina.


(this is getting kind of long... will send this and finish later)

Steph 


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