Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Well, we are ready to go!

All six U.S. horses paraded their stuff and trotted down those lanes  
on wings - our horses looked terrific, our grooms are excited and we  
riders are just plain ready to go to work now that we have passed the  
first test. First let me back up a little and tell you what I forgot  
to mention about our ride home last night from opening  
ceremonies....Tom, Deb, Flavia, Val, me with Alfredo driving left the  
stadium in the mash of cars and vehicles trying to get out of the  
parking lot. Right in the middle of all this confusion with no police  
direction (although there were tons of police around), the King and  
his entourage left the place - with the full police escort,  
motorcycles, motorcade and flashing lights and sirens. Well, Alfredo  
puts the 4-way flashers on Val's gold colored Land Rover, and moves  
into the middle of the motorcade, and like magic we were on the  
highway rolling away from the stadium. We were laughing and praising  
Alfredo for his quick thinking when a policeman on a motorcycle pulls  
up along side us and motions us to move over. Alfredo took a quick  
turn into the breakdown lane of the highway, and off the motorcade  
went...I wonder what tipped them off? Maybe the huge CREW stickers  
all over the windshield and side of the Land Rover? Or maybe all the  
blondes in the vehicle? or maybe that the Land Rover didn't look like  
a mercedes or beamers???? ah well - it got us out of the parking lot  
in record time and back to the hotel way before anyone else was...!!!

so, back to vetting in - we all got to the stables bleary eyed from  
our late night, but saddled up the horses to take them out on a warm  
up ride before bathing and getting ready for our call to march down  
to the vetting area. We had the obligatory trot-outs and our Chef and  
Vets (Jim and Todd) had their heads together and discussing all of us  
as we went back to the stables. We were informed that our stable  
should be ready by 10:00, and it was around 9:00, so we all brushed,  
washed, toweled and whatnot all of our horses and then changed our  
clothing to our navy riding tights and USA competition shirts, with  
our grooms in the USA shirts and most in shorts - we have our spiffy  
new pinnies on (sp?? I never know if that is penny or pinney - it's a  
rubberized bib with a number, that's all I can tell you - it might be  
waterproof, but it's hot as hell to wear) and proceeded to sit and  
wait for the Steward assigned to our stable to lead us to the vetting  
area. It's quite a little hike, so we loaded all our tack into the  
truck to have someone cart it down for us so we could weigh in as we  
vetted in.

About 10:45 the rush came - and we all left the stables with Canada  
and Japan - a big procession of very excited horses - this is the  
time when we all worry a bit about Theatric and whether he'll explode  
somewhere along the walk (Justin and Steve - you know what I'm  
talking about!!! Heather and Jeremy - you know too!!!) so we had his  
bridle on, a chain lead shank and a big sturdy rope and Tom wore  
gloves. Horses were prancing and walking but all were pretty well  
behaved until we got to the infield and the vetting area and had to  
go through the huge fans and misters into the vet lanes. Flame  
decided to show everyone she can stand on two legs, and Flavia was at  
the end of the lead....Theatric said, what the heck - it must be what  
we have to do, and took off with Tom and dragged him through into the  
vet lanes to the first available vet...and started down the trot out  
lane before a vet could even look at him! So Tom got him turned  
around and back to the vet, who was laughing and indicating to leave  
him turned toward the gate, rather than toward the trot lane. So the  
vet proceeded to identify Theatric via his passport, then check his  
pulse, and asked for the trot - just as Flame exploded again beside  
us in the next lane...well, Theatric took off again, and Tom had to  
drag him back to start his trot all over - poor Tom said he could  
barely hold onto him, and Theatric was flying down the lane with his  
long extended trot and Tom with his short legs just pumping along  
beside him. He turned at the end of the lane, and flew back to us and  
sure did look pretty. Later Mercedes Tapia (Argentina) said that the  
Argentines were watching our trot outs and oohed and ahhed over the  
huge chestnut and asked "who is that horse?" and Merceds said, "That  
is Theatric! Isn't he beautiful?" - so we were vetted through and we  
were lead into the infield where the FEI officials took our passports  
and riders' cardsand their numbers were put on their butts....Peter,  
our security for our stable, was drawing the numbers on, and saw  
Theatric and said, "this is the winning horse, and I give him green  
for "GO!"" - so I have a huge 122 on his butt in green. The other US  
horses got red and blue numbers, I have green. Let's hope this is a  
good thing!

We had photos taken by Steph Teeter and then the grooms led the  
horses away to go back to the stables, and the riders trudged up to  
the Secretariats office to weigh in...this has been a worry for some  
of us, because we have lost so much weight - yesterday when I had a  
trial weight down, I just barely made the 75 kg - so I used a damp  
saddle pad, damp girth and damp sponge with my tack, and stood on the  
scales...73.87 kg.....grrrrrr - so we added half chaps and I was 75  
kg - and squeaked in. I will have to make sure that my tack is wet  
and heavy at the end!After we weighed, and our remaining grooms  
carried our tack back to the truck, we all had a "formal" photo taken  
for the records (riders and our crew captains and Chef and vets). I  
had been interviewed by a Malaysian TV station as I was leaving the  
weighing area, and asked "why does the US have so many female riders  
who are so successful?" and "how did the US prepare for the heat and  
humidity of Malaysia?"

Tom, in the meantime, had his hands full with Theatric on the walk  
back - I guess he did his airs above the ground right as he went  
around the corner at the Vet Clinic - just like last year, in the  
same place as last year - and Tom said he was glad he had the bridle,  
chain and lead rope to anchor him down. But he is Theatric, afterall  
- and after that one huge explosion, finished the walk back to  
stables without incident, although with a bit more spring to his step.

Back at the stables, and everyone congregated in our tack area and  
drank beer (hey, it was 5:00 somewhere! even if it was only 11:15 in  
the morning here) and congratulated ourselves on our fine showing. We  
fed the horses and left for lunch, then had a 1:00 meeting with  
Becky, Tony, Jim and Todd (riders only) - and most of us riders left  
shortly after 2:00 to go back to the hotel and rest or shop for last  
minute food for tomorrow. Our grooms stayed to tend to the horses,  
walk them again, turn them out for a period this afternoon and attend  
the 3:00 pm riders' briefing for us. Val, Deb and I left for the  
Giant store to buy more carrots, apples and stuff like peanut butter  
and jelly, coke, water, iced tea, Malaysian cheetos and Pringles and  
Chips Ahoy (you know, the standard ride food) and we were back at the  
hotel resting by 4:00. I just got off the phone with Tom at the  
stables, and they will be heading back here in another hour - and we  
willget take-out for supper and make it an early night. Tomorrow will  
be a light morning, with a briefing by Becky and Jim at 7:30 then out  
to the stables to walk the horses and get our crew boxes finished up  
- I only have my grain and electrolytes left to do tomorrow morning.  
Val and I will make up our AGL tonight (she bought an electric mixer  
to make it mix easier) and that will be one more thing out of the way.

Keep you fingers, toes and eyes crossed for us. We are hoping for  
rain - it is SO dry here - but we know we will do very well even if  
it stays hot and humid - our horses are ready for this and we have  
done our homework and you will be so proud in the end. If you don't  
believe me, just ask Peter our stable security!!!

Kathy

--
Posted By Kathy to USA: Kathy Brunjes at 11/06/2008 05:53:00 PM


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