Catching Up Again – May 11

Saturday in Omaha was exhausting. When horse showing, just the adrenaline wears me out. As I stand in the gate, waiting to ride the course, my heart slams and I get a good cardio workout. Especially going first horse of the day in the ring, being “the pathfinder”, as I was on Saturday. The track was challenging, but well designed, and a joy to ride. Once in the ring, I forget nerves and just try to stay out of Bart’s way.

Bart was not tired. Kris schooled us well, preparing a horse full of energy and a delight to ride around the course. An unlucky rail kept us from glory, but we were not an embarrassment. The other Kirin Farm riders were equally unlucky. I think we each had four faults, but were otherwise brilliant. Luck is part of the game and for every unlucky rail, there will be a lucky turn of events to balance in the long run. Jane took the video and did most of the work, and it would not have been fun without her.

One of the best parts of the Omaha show and the Kirin Farm group is Lindsey, who never stops smiling. She is a Young Lady, not an Old Lady, but we get equally nervous and feel we are kindred souls that way. We have also both lucked into great horses and are fortunate to play the game at this level.

Jane and I went to bed early on Saturday, knowing Sunday would be a long and difficult day. We missed the vaulting that evening, but learned that the impressive young man we had been watching all week was the winner. He was brilliant, and as nice as he was talented. We were sorry to miss the performance, but we are… old ladies!

The Old Ladies were up early Sunday, checked out of the hotel, and Bart was 6th in the order of 22 entries in the Adult Classic. Alas, we had another unlucky rail, putting us just out of the ribbons, in 9th place (ribbons go to 8th). Our friend, Annie on her horse, Kris, was 10th, and Lindsey 11th. But Emily rose to the occasion with a double clear round and finished in 2nd, just a tick behind an insanely fast jump off. Lima was the star of Kirin this week. Emily also went clear on Paddy in the 1.20 meter class, but had a rail in the jump off. We were all happy, finishing on good trips.

Once we finished, Jane and I packed up efficiently and were underway an hour earlier than we expected. The drive was long (7 hours), but home was a strong magnet. Harry and the dogs were a perfect welcoming committee after Bart happily rejoined his herd (of which he is the leader). The horses changed over to night turnout because the weather has changed over from cool early Spring to mid summer. We left Omaha in drizzle, wearing jackets, and today Missouri broke the record for May heat. Crazy!

“No rest for the wicked”, my grandmother used to say. Monday was catch up day, and at 10 AM we drove into St. Louis for lunch with brothers, Peter and Michael, bringing Michael back here with us for a visit. The heat arrived with him, and Rebecca was hard at work in the garden when we arrived. It was a good day for amphibians, with toads galore and skinks that evaded the camera.

Michael was interested to see the tree from July that was blown down in the epic storms. He had seen the massive root ball on his last visit. Nathaniel has cut the tree trunk, and the root ball has fallen back into place. Michael illustrated the change.

Michael was a big help in the barn and in fixing some erosion. Harry said we had 3 inches of rain here while Jane and I were in Omaha. It will take weeks to really get caught up, but Michael helped make a dent despite the brutal heat.

Today was a very early start. Harry took Michael to the airport, then took me to the dermatologist for a Mohs on my nose. And with this, we are caught up (sort of). More tomorrow…

Be safe, be well. Slava Ukraini! Peace.