No, I don’t love Bromont. I ADORE BROMONT. What a little slice of paradise in which to hold a three day event. And on first contact, I can honestly say this is the smoothest running machine of an FEI competition I’ve seen in a very, very long time. Maybe ever. I caught Sue Ockendon, Event Director, SITTING DOWN. Today. The first day of competition. And she could, because everyone is taking care of business with a smile on his or her face. I can only imagine the officials must fight over this one. What a delight.
The only fly in Bromont’s soothing ointment of sunshine and chlorophyll is the news that Jessica Phoenix had a wee moment with her Olympic hopeful partner Exponential during yesterday’s jump school. The tumble resulted in a broken collar bone, which – painful as it is – fortunately heals quickly, thanks in part to its proximity to the source of all those restorative oxygenated blood cells (ok, I’m not a doctor. I’m guessing). I’m sorry not to see Jessie and Tucker blaze it up on cross country on Saturday. Here’s hoping it doesn’t hurt their chance to do that in London.
If you want the clinical low-down, you can get results off Bromont’s site, which has live scoring that WORKS, gosh darn it. I plan to walk the course tomorrow, perhaps at the end of the day when the evening sunlight is just splendid on all those terrifying fences. My sphincter did a little dance just looking at the warm up jumps, bathed as they were in soft hues of sunshine tonight.
And finally, after covering far too many DQ festivals recently, I have to tell you how it put a smile on my face to watch members of the discipline that still knows how to have fun get together for the Red and White reception tonight – though I’m sure the reveling will wind up in plenty of time for everyone to be straight on centre line tomorrow morning.
