It’s March already. The four months that Selena spends in the USA is halfway through. The months fly by, and very shortly it will all be about Rio, followed shortly thereafter by the Retired Racehorse Makeover Project. I am super excited about both. I have a passion for young horses and Thoroughbreds are my favourite breed, then Woody is part of my family. He has been here for nearly six years and has looked after my daughter to the best of his ability. I am always nervous and excited when Woody is competing and the Olympics happening this summer just ratchets up the tension. You never know what will happen in an Olympic year and no matter how I try to relax, it’s stressful….but never boring!
Another week of show prep in Ocala. It is show after show and outing after outing with everything else bundled into the days and hours that are left. It’s total immersion in the horse world while you winter in Ocala. Everything is ‘horse.’ HITS has a massive 8 x 1wk back to back shows running for Hunter/Jumper with a Grand Prix every Sunday. There are Quarter Horse breeders and all sorts of western activities. The one I liked best was cattle cutting. I have an offer to try it, which I most definitely mean to do. The cattle just get moved from one pen to another through a gate, they don’t get chased or hurt in any way. It’s like a team of two ‘cowboys’ playing at being a team of two border collies. They have to get the cows to go through the gate in a certain order. The horses are so quick and clever.
The USA team lessons are open to the public. It’s a great idea since it encourages interest in the team and I am sure it also produces donations and perhaps even new owners. I can only see good things coming out of the public being invited to watch the best teach the best. If teams want the public to be involved, they need to allow more grass roots involvement. The USA Team sessions are pre advertised and the atmosphere is welcoming and friendly. I think Canada can learn from this.
The bars and restaurants are full of other people wearing breeches. There are as many trucks in the car parks as there are cars. There is always at least one horse trailer in the supermarket car park. The supermarkets sell horse size bags of carrots. The launderette has a special section for horse blankets. You see people you know and recognize everywhere you go because all your horsey acquaintances and their various equestrian endeavours are represented somewhere in Ocala.
The only other thing I have to say about Ocala is, the visit itself is worth it just to see the gates. There are gates that must cost as much as a small house. Ocala seems to have a thing about gates and some of them are quite beautiful and some are beyond garish but all are worth seeing in all their glory.
The photo is of Benny on yesterday’s ‘Big Boy Hack’. It’s lovely to see him swinging along with a low stretched out neck, taking it all in. I love Benny to the moon and back.
