Massive piles of snow at Balsam Hall.
The 2014 season for O’Hanlon eventing began today. Selena rode Rocky and Woody in the Intermediate division at the Florida Horse Park as per coach Clayton Frederick’s advice. I must say, I am a bit horrified at how quickly they are out there running and galloping, but I guess in a WEG year there is no hanging about. She has done her dressage on both of them and Rocky is in third with a 34.something and Woody is 12th in another division with a 35.something. Good boys! On her first training camp in January, Clayton told Selena he was pleased with the improvements in their dressage. Hooray!
Solo is having to wait, the entry fees are a big expense and as a long listed (the other two are short listed) horse Clayton was not as insistent that he must run. It is getting harder and harder to maintain two three-star horses at the level needed in order to remain internationally competitive. Sometimes you just have to run one or other of your horses as running both all the time soon becomes prohibitively expensive.
The drive down was uneventful. We set off through New York state, white knuckled in the snow, but the snow was off the roads and only visible in patches on the paddocks by the time we got halfway down PA. We overnighted in a veterinary clinic just off the I81 It was close to the highway and there is a convenient hotel across the road. This was the first time I have not driven straight through. I think it is easier on the drivers for sure although research points to the horse being less stressed on a straight through trip. Who knows? Anyway, ours were great. Solo has a history of having ulcer problems and generally not enjoying the long hauls. Now we give him Omega Alpha’s RegenerEQ to keep his tummy happy and it also keeps him happily munching, Our horses were all using RegenerEQ for the trip and they arrived in good shape. None of them were tucked up or crampy looking.
A screenshot of an Ocala weather alert for plus 1 degree!
We arrived at Bruce Davidson’s Chesterland South on the 12th and here we are today, with two of the boys going to their first competition of the year. The decision to come to Chesterland in a WEG year was not difficult. Bruce Davidson tends to run his extremely experienced eye daily, over all the riders and horses at his farm. There is always something going on. Buck Davidson brings a crew over to school his father’s cross country jumps or some other rider comes to get a tune up from Bruce. So much to learn and so much to watch, it is never ever boring there. Bruce has quite a few cross country schooling fences so the boys have been honing skills and getting practiced.
Meanwhile…..the nightmare continues in Ontario. I cannot tell you how many times I have been snowed in since I last wrote. Maybe 15 days? The snow passes my window horizontal, no fluffy falling little puffs of white but grey bullets whipping sideways past and into the windows. ENUFF already! As for the damn ground hog, he and his whole clan had better stay out my way all year, vegetarian or no vegetarian, his corpulent little furry body is at risk around here. We had THREE WEEKS after the ice storm where we couldn’t let the horses into the paddocks. You could have skated across the whole farm from one end to the other. The ice was thick and rock hard, not breaking when you walked on it but holding weight. As it was, one of our horses slipped on a patch just before the ice storm hit and she is still nursing her banged up hip and fetlock where she slammed into the ice. I am over winter, totally completely and utterly had enough. Who do I complain to, where do I send my petition……
Clayton Fredericks in Florida, with a portable heater.
I have to say that the crew at Balsam Hall (O’Hanlon Eventing’s home base) are a dedicated lot and have made it in here every day they could. I have a cut off point for riding at -18. The die hards in this barn will be out there as soon as the needle comes up above that mark. Minus 17 is fine, -15 and I will do lessons, -12 and we are all happy, -7 and we are taking off jackets….are we nuts? No, just your average Ontario horse enthusiasts mid winter.
Next week I go to Birmingham, England for the British Equestrian Trade Fair known as BETA International. I have been to it once before and it was fascinating to see all the new products. Most of the big British riders have their own clothes fashion line and there is a catwalk that is busy with different equestrian fashion shows all day long. All the big names are there, Horseware, Charles Owen, Mark Todd etc etc. It is not open to the public but only to people involved in the industry. There are nibblies and drinks to entice you in to the various displays and all in all it is a great place to browse and graze 😉
