This morning started with a trip to Dunkin doughnuts for a delicious coffee cake muffin, then off to the barn. I had to take the truck to the Dodge dealer for new fuel filters and air filter plus oil change. Very expensive! Thanks to Rob for driving me back to the farm and then Jessica for lending us her truck to pick up mine later. Most of the morning was spent walking Woody, then primping and preening him for the 10 a.m. jog.

AM bathed him then braided him, as well as a magnetic blanket session. Once the quarter marks were in place it was time to walk walk walk. Woody was so well-behaved at the Rolex jog this year, so I was unsuspecting when he spooked on the way over to the jog strip. Then his number blew off his bridle and he spooked when it touched his back.

Needless to say I was struggling in the jog so I had to jog him twice (did I mention he spooked again and almost wiped out the ground jury on the second attempt?) Let’s hope he puts all that energy to good use this weekend.

After that I walked the cross country course. Here is my take on it … sorry about the sound quality, it was windy in some places.

Special thanks to Usha for treating Woody this afternoon to make him feel his best. I had a fantastic ride on him in the main arena around 2 pm. I started with a twenty-minute walk hack through the fields then headed to the ring. Christilot has been very involved since Rolex in helping Woody and I with our dressage and it’s starting to pay off. We’ve devised a warm-up that works well for Woody as well as working hard on my position to get the most out of Woody. Today he felt ready to rock tomorrow at 8:08 am.

We as a team chose our order of go. Usually Woody and I are an anchor or a leader, but this year I wanted to go in the a.m. when the heat is less of a factor. Last year I wanted to go later and literally almost passed out and fell off from heat exhaustion! Jessica was a great leader today on Pavarotti, sitting nicely in first place on a score of 44.

Holly and Morris looked super out there this evening also. Morris looked like he was having a bit of fun with the camera man at the end of the ring. I thought Holly rode really well.

I didn’t stay to watch the bareback puissance as it was time to go braid Woody as we have a very early start tomorrow morning for my 8:08 am test. Go Team Canada and Go Woody Woodster!!