Today Foxwood High had to trot up for the FEI veterinary team who inspects the horses after each of the selection trials. It’s always a bit tense to have to lunge and jog and flex your horse either the day of, or the day after, a big run at a major competition but that’s what happens. The selectors, the team vet and the FEI vet all take a look at the horses to see how they have coped with the stress of competing. Because of this, Selena and the troupe stayed an extra night in Southern Pines and jogged this morning. Woody passed inspection with flying colours and a very relieved Selena loaded him up in the horse box and started the eight hour drive back to Ocala. They didn’t get away until noon and will not get home till between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. Long days for both the ladies and both the horses.
The next ‘biggie’ is The Fork, once again Selena is doing the three star with Woody and the one star with Zephyr. From The Fork the horses do not return to Ocala, but keep coming North to Canada. As a result, the entire circus is going to the Fork and will all live there for the week. That is NOT an easy prospect. Selena will be both riding and coaching at The Fork and will have at least four other horses that will need worked every day in addition to the two she is competing on. There is no turnout so the two OTTBs will have to put their big boy pants on and work around and hack around at one of the biggest events in the calendar. They will be in tent accommodation with several hundred horses arriving, riding by and loading and leaving again. It is an incredible education and there is no other way of achieving it. Loudspeakers, dogs, music, hundreds of people, motorbikes, golf carts, all the stuff that a competition horse has to deal with. By the time Benny and Rummy have finished their week at The Fork, they will be a great deal older, more knowledgeable and doubtless more rideable.
After The Fork, Benny, Rummy, Solo and Zephyr will come home, I can’t wait to see them. Zephyr and Solo are long term members of the family and I sorely miss them. Benny and Rummy as ‘the new boys’ are still very exciting to me. I really haven’t seen very much of them. Almost as soon as I had bought them I had surgery that prevented me from tootling over to the barn to get to know them. The next thing I knew they were on their way to Florida and I see and hear as much about them as you do. When they come home I mean to spend some quality time getting to know them.
Today’s photos are from the show jumping, look at those nifty quarter marks.
