The Slower Road

I took this photo (castle! clouds! blue sky!) as we were exiting the show grounds yesterday afternoon, but forgot to include it in last night’s post …

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As I mentioned in this morning’s quick post, everyone’s horse-show-viewing schedules were disrupted when a number of today’s classes, including the coaching marathon, were cancelled due to heavy, deep mud in the truck- and horse-trailer-parking area.

But we all found other things to do.

First, of course, were the dressage tests for the pair-horse class in the FEI driving competition. You can see how muddy the arena was in these photos, and don’t forget that you can read about the competition, get results, and see more photos at www.hoefnet.com.

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Misdee Wrigley Miller

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look at all the mud on Beat Schenk’s wheels!

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Then, there were all sorts of other horse-show classes:

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this Highland Pony won its class and its division and is owned by …

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… HM The Queen, who was standing by the rail and watching the class

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the exciting “skill at arms” class includes stabbing things with sabres (shown here), shooting balloons with a pistol …

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… and tent-pegging (shown here); we’ll have much more on this topic in a separate post

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Scattered throughout the schedule (with more added today when several regular classes were cancelled) were demos by some of the foreign groups scheduled to perform each night in the Jubilee Pageant, including …

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… riders from Oman …

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… Arabian horses from Azerbaijan …

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… and expert sword-wielding, um, riders from Russia

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Of course, the huge trade fair kept everyone (including us!) busy with shopping, meeting new friends, and seeing old friends. I’ll have more on that topic soon!

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And, finally, just for fun: a quick look at some of today’s horse-show mud:

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NOTE one correction in yesterday’s post: I had said the people in the final photo were from the Cook Islands. They are, in fact, from Kenya.

Today’s weather is, in fact, glorious. Unfortunately, all the previous rain and mud have led the organizers to close the grass parking areas. This decision also affects those competitors who trailer-in for the day. Heartbreaking for them, I’m sure, but still better than getting their lorries, trucks, and horse trailers stuck in the mud!

Sadly, the trailering-in-for-the-day crowd includes the nearly twenty coaches that were expected to compete in today’s now-cancelled coaching marathon.  

We’ll see what else is going on at the show today!

Our run of good luck with the weather ended today. Have you seen the photo of Boyd Exell on www.hoefnet.com? He performed his dressage test in a downpour. By the end of the afternoon, previous rains, today’s rain, pedestrians, cars, and horses had turned the showgrounds into a slimy, muddy mess, with standing water in (multiple) spots. But, as A.J. said, one can hardly travel to England and not expect it to rain. We all still had fun!

Here are a few photos from the day:

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entries in the Disabled Riders Fancy Dress class are stables and clubs that provide therapeutic riding; each club makes its own costumes, for pony, rider(s), and walkers

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this club had, as you may have guessed, an American theme; their other two walkers were a football player and Abraham Lincoln

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English knights!

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this beautiful cottage faces the Thames and sits near the driven-dressage arena

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Laurie Astegiano was the first of two U.S. drivers to go; helping her with last-minute details before her test are (l. to r.) Todd Draheim, U.S. coach Michael Freund, Katie Whaley, and Misdee Wrigley Miller, who will drive her dressage test tomorrow morning

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CAA member Mia Allo, of Belgium, drove her four-in-hand team of ponies

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while warming up for his dressage test, Spanish driver Juan Antonio Real Garcia had a passenger sporting bright red boots (I’m guessing this must be his daughter)

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no matter the dress code for the members’ enclosure, VIP parties, or the Jubilee Pageant, wellies are always acceptable attire (the height of fashion, even) when there is this much mud everywhere

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these are my feet (warm and dry despite all the mud and standing water!); I’m sooooo glad we brought our wellies to England with us! (photo by A.J.)

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many of the participants in the Jubilee Pageant are also performing during the day at the horse show, showcasing their country’s horses, culture, dances, etc.; this group (obviously on a break) is from Kenya

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The Light Trade class was today as well, but I haven’t had a chance to sort through all those photos yet, so I’ll post them later! Tomorrow is the always-beautiful coaching marathon, and the weather forecasters are promising that the worst of the rain was today, so keep your fingers crossed.