Day 21: Maintaining The Champagne Collection.

Day 21, 5/29/10:

Today started out with a bang! After meeting for breakfast at the horribly painful hour of 6:30 am, I headed to the show along with Michael and Nick to ride in the meter 1.35 power and speed class at 8:30. Michael rode All Star and had two poles down. I followed a few trips later on Tusker and had a fast clear, moving into the lead. Nick showed Belly Button next and had a single rail. Nick and the mare are becoming a better team every day and she is jumping great. At the end of the class, there was some confusion during the prize giving ceremony because a Swiss girl named Melanie actually tied my time in the speed phase of the class down to the hundredth. Rather than having another jump off, we simply shared the first place spot. However, no one bothered to inform me before I entered the ring for the presentation that I had tied for the win. At first, I thought I had won the class. When the Swiss national anthem was played first, I was very confused and thought I had been second instead. Then I felt disrespectful for standing next to the winner, rather than in the line of horses behind me! However, the American national anthem was played next, so I decided to just wait it out. Then Melanie and I cantered beside each other in the victory gallop! By the time I exited the ring, I had no idea who had actually won the class. The rest of the team met me at the in gate and explained what had happened when I asked them for an explanation of the proceedings in the ring. I was ecstatic about tying for the blue (the first place blue, that is, since all the ribbons are blue) and the whole presentation was quite comical!

After the meter 1.35, we had time for some lunch in the rider's tent, always an interesting affair because the women serving food spoke no English. France is a difficult place for Americans as far as language barriers and general communication! The walk for the meter 1.40 Grand Prix commenced at around 1:30 pm, and the course was a bit smaller than the meter 1.40 classes at Moorsele but difficult because many of the distances were half strides and did not ride smoothly. It is not an understatement to say that the Grand Prix was an epic failure for the US team! After the American domination in the Qualifier, Karl had two rails with Uno; Nick had three rails with Malcolm; Jen had four rails with Venturo; and I had two rails with Karonda. Michael was the only rider on the team to pull out a clear round! Only four competitors made it to the jump off, and Michael ended up in third place with a score of four faults and a medium paced time. A French boy named Igor won the class with a beautiful and very quick clear round; an Italian boy was second with a slow clear; and a Swiss girl was fourth with a stop at an oxer. The whole team was a bit disheartened, but Michael's great finish definitely helped lift our spirits! Luckily, he also won us another bottle of champagne.

Karonda is not jumping very well this weekend and neither is Venturo, so I will not compete in the Nation's Cup tomorrow and Jen will compete on Shakira. Hopefully Team USA get back on its feet!

Pictures from Day 20

The ring at Reims ^

Taylor in the meter 1.30 awards presentation ^

Ginny with loot! ^

Caulks for the grass ^

Karl and Jen awaiting the meter 1.40 awards presentation ^

Day 20: Our First Star Spangled Banner!

Day 20, 5/28/10:

Today, the team heard its first Star Spangled Banner of the trip! We left the Novotel this morning and made it to the show without complications. The first class was the meter 1.30 power and speed, scheduled to begin at 9:30 am, in which I rode Tusker; Nick rode Belly Button and Malcolm; Jen rode Venturo; Michael rode All Star and Katina; and Karl did not compete. Nick competed aboard Belly Button first, having a very smooth round with just a single rail. This class was a bit different from the average power and speed in the US because, if the horse dropped a rail during the power phase, the rider could still continue on to the speed phase in order to practice. Belly Button is jumping better each class and I'm sure Nick will be winning a lot with her before long! Michael rode All Star next and he had two poles down. I was the next US rider to compete, having a smooth clear with Tusker that was not quite quick enough for the lead and put me into second place. Malcolm, Venturo, and Katina all jumped only a few jumps in the ring in order to warm up for the Grand Prix. The riders' main goals were to work the horses' jumping muscles a little bit and make sure they will not be surprised by the size and formidableness of the grass field when they compete tomorrow.

Tusker's time in the speed phase held out for a third place finish, and I received the first US blue ribbon of the weekend (all the ribbons are blue here...). In the presentation, I was given something much more exciting than a ribbon: champagne! This horse show is primarily sponsored by a champagne company, so the first through third finishers in every class receive champagne bottles as prizes. It seems strange that junior riders can be given champagne for winning here! That may be one of the reasons that so many American juniors dream of competing in Europe...

The US riders' next class was the Grand Prix Qualifier (it is called a qualifier but Young Rider competitors were permitted to show in the Grand Prix whether or not they showed in the Qualifier) and it was the final class of the day. We waited around the show for quite some time, looking in the shops and taking advantage of a free lunch provided to exhibitors in a tent by the ring. Karl's parents and girlfriend, Saer, arrived, as well as Nick's mom. This weekend is somewhat of a family reunion for the team! Michael's mom, grandmother, and brother are all here for the remainder of the trip, and my dad and sister are staying through the weekend.

After many introductions and a relaxing afternoon, the time for the meter 1.40 Grand Prix Qualifier finally rolled around. I rode Karonda, Jen rode Shakira, and Karl rode both Uno and Toby. Karonda was a bit rank and wild, having two silly rails down. Uno also had an unnecessary rail. Toby and Shakira, on the other hand, went beautifully, and Karl and Jen both rode very fast rounds that put them in first and second place, respectively. It was very exciting to hear the Star Spangled Banner played for the first time since we have been in Europe! Karl brought a big silver trophy back to the barn and added a bottle of champagne to our growing collection! Sadly, this was the only class today that did not provide champagne to the second place winner. Jen did not allow this depressing fact to ruin her glory, however, and we had a celebratory dinner at the hotel. Clearly we need to be more adventurous because we are spending far too much time in the hotel restaurant! Everything is looking good for the Grand Prix tomorrow!

Pictures from Days 18 and 19

Gail awaiting the jog with Venturo ^

Nick flatting Belly Button ^

Karl flatting Toby ^

Taylor and Frances in front of the Emile Galle Oak barrel ^

Michael, Frances, and Jen in front of the Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral ^

Day 19: Champagne Country.

Day 19, 5/27/10:

Today Jen and I jumped out of bed at 6:15 am and were down in the hotel lobby for breakfast five minutes early. It was an absolute miracle! I could argue that we were very excited to get to the show and start riding, but I think the real reason is that we were planning to go on a tour of the Pommery Estates, a famous champagne winery right across the street from the horse show, in the afternoon so we did not want to risk being late to the barn. Jen and I rode in a car with my dad to the barn and managed to find it easily. However, Nick and Karl were supposed to be following us in a car with Michele and we managed to lose them immediately upon leaving the hotel, which resulted in them driving for fifteen minutes in the wrong direction on the highway. I think it is a requirement that someone from the American team get incredibly lost on our first day in a new place, so Michele's unplanned adventure must be a good sign!

Once everyone arrived at the show... finally... we had a practice jog with Diego, the team vet for this week, and then walked up to a grassy field for the real FEI jog. All the horses behaved themselves and passed with flying colors! It was a good start to the week. Everyone tacked up immediately after jogging and flatted the horses. They all seem to be going well, although Uno did not want to walk past the horses jogging to get to the schooling area. Karl did not take no for an answer so, after a little argument, he managed to get Uno up the hill into the ring. So far, the only complaint the Americans have about the Reims horse show is that it has terrifying bathrooms! Someone needs to tell the management here that holes in the ground are not proper toilets and a sink is not really a sink if it does not have running water. However, if this is the only complaint we have by the end of the week I think the show can be deemed a success!

After we all finished riding, everyone gathered in the barn and I called the Pommery Estates to make a reservation for a champagne tour. We hurried back to the hotel to eat lunch and shower, and then everyone except Karl, who tried to take a train to Paris to spend the afternoon with his parents but was unable to do so due to train strikes, headed to Pommery Estates. The champagne tour was wonderful! We walked down 116 steps into the cellars and got to see a giant barrel that can hold 100,000 bottles and was displayed at the World's Fair in 1904; the Prince of Monaco's private cellar; creepy salt statues on display for an art show in a few weeks; air vents hundreds of feet above us that looked like blue glass windows from underground and could be seen from above ground as small mounds littering rows of grapes in the vineyard; many beautiful statues and paintings of Mrs. Louise Pommery, the woman responsible for the company's success; and bottles of champagne that have been aging for one hundred years. It was quite an experience and, after exiting the cellars, the tour guide gave a description of about six different types of champagne and each person chose two types to try. It was tough to decide but I think we all felt very sophisticated sipping Pommery champagne and trying to detect "undertones of summer fruits" and "creamy texture perfect for Christmastime."

With the champagne tour accomplished, my dad, Frances, Michael, Jen, and I continued our tourist pursuits by going to see Notre-Dame de Reims, the city's most famous cathedral, where all the kings and queens of France were crowned beginning in the 13th century. It was very beautiful and a completely different style of building from the massive Aachen Cathedral. We completed yet another tourist goal by purchasing postcards at a shop right outside the cathedral. The whole group was feeling very proud right about the time we realized it had started to pour rain outside. Our mini, Smart Car-like Mercedes rental car was parked a few blocks away, and the five of us were sopping wet and freezing by the time we leapt inside. However, we still found our way back to the hotel without a problem (but with the assistance of an Iphone map), so it turned out to be a very successful day!

Jen and I finished the day up by going on a shopping spree at the Carrefore, which is probably the most homey feeling place I have been to in Europe. I never thought I'd be excited to go to a store because it reminds me of Walmart. Clearly I am having America withdrawals! Tomorrow I compete in the meter 1.30 power and speed class in the morning and the meter 1.40 Grand Prix Qualifier in the afternoon. Hopefully all the horses will jump well and the rain will stop!

Day 18: The Second Shot Begins!

Day 18, 5/27/10:

This morning the grooms, along with Jen, Karl, and Nick, left with the horse lorrie at 5:45 am for Reims. There was not enough room in the van for everyone, so Michael and I were lucky enough to sleep in a bit and leave with Michele at 8:00. I enjoyed three more blissful hours of sleep in the car and woke up as we were driving down Champagne Avenue, the street where the horse show is located along with at least three famous champagne wineries. It turns out that the city of Reims is famous for its champagne!

When I arrived at the show, the grooms and other riders had already set up the stalls and it was time to ride. The show is absolutely beautiful! It is set on a hill in between two vineyards and is covered in trees. It seems to be a park as well as a horse show ground because, on the way to the schooling area, I saw three guys out jogging and a huge bus of small children came to have a picnic by the ring. I flatted Karonda first and she was very wild! The trip seemed to have no effect on her energy level, and she is ready to go. Tusker was very good and quiet, and he did not even spook when small children began popping out of the trees to spy on the schooling area. The other riders' horses seem to be feeling great and tomorrow everyone will jog for soundness.

After everyone finished riding, Michele and my dad carted our ridiculous number of giant suitcases back to the hotel. There was not room for both people and luggage in the cars, so the riders and grooms had to wait at the barn. The wait seemed endless and everyone, especially Nick, got very hungry and grumpy! Jen and I kept ourselves entertained by putting up the USA banner and tack curtains. This project took several attempts because we accidentally put up the wrong curtains and the wrong banner, and then we put the curtains up backwards. We kept trying and eventually got it right! It was definitely another great team bonding experience.

My dad and Michele eventually made it back to the show and took everyone to the Novotel where we are staying this week. Jen and I ate dinner in the hotel restaurant, which was great aside from the fact that it took a VERY long time for the waiter to take our orders and bring the bill. Clearly we are in France! Both of us are very excited about the Carrefour store across the street, which seems to be the European version of Walmart, because we will have access to food without having to eat five hour long meals. Tonight we are taking it easy and tomorrow we will jog the horses at 9:00 am!

Day 15: Goodbyes and Sausages!

Day 15, 5/23/10:

Today was a gorgeous and sunny day in Belgium! The horses all rested up and had an easy flat after their jumping schools yesterday. This afternoon the Nooren family, Lizzy, the riders, the grooms, and the two Belgian boys who work for Henk (Constantine and Theo) gathered outside the barn for a barbecue. We had a bit of trouble getting the grill started because we forgot to buy lighter fluid. Karl and Nick were still determined to get a good fire going! They tried using newspaper, wood, and even vodka to move things along but it took at least an hour for the coals to heat up. Finally the grill was ready and the boys started cooking giant sausages for everyone! Jen and I helped Lizzy make a salad, and once the sausages were done everyone sat down to eat. The meal was delicious and it was great to spend time with Lizzy before she leaves us. Everyone is going to miss her!

Michele Grubb, our Chef D'Equipe for the next two weeks, arrives tomorrow and all the riders will school the water to get ready for Reims next weekend. We leave for the show on Wednesday!

Pictures from Days 13 and 14

Karonda in her stall at Henk's ^

Side view of Henk's house ^

Riding track at the farm ^

The hot walker ^

Michael, Nick, and Ginny at dinner for Nick's birthday ^

Michael ^

Day 14: Taking It Slowww...

Day 14, 5/22/10:

Today was a VERY slow day! Henk wisely scheduled all the riders for afternoon lessons at 4:00 pm because he wanted everyone to be rested from our night on the town in Maastricht. Without any motivation to leave our beds, the riders lazed around for most of the day, finally moseying to the barn one by one in the afternoon. Taylor was the last to arrive, wandering to the barn around 3:00. The riders and grooms gave her a hard time (everyone but Ginny, who might possibly be the nicest groom of all time), but catching up on a bit of sleep and homework was worth it!

Finally, the time for lessons with Henk arrived. Karl jumped Notories Utopia (Toby) over some small fences; Nick, Jen, and Michael all schooled Malcolm, Venturo, and All Star, respectively, over some bigger courses; and Taylor jumped Karonda over small single jumps and had an interesting experience while jumping a two-stride when Karonda decided to jump the standard rather than the jump. We are all lucky to have scopey horses! Karl just flatted Uno as usual, and the other riders' second horses got to hop a few fences as well. Everyone is feeling great! The Nation's Cup horses are slowly getting back in form for competition, and using the walker and grazing in the paddocks at Henk's has helped rejuvenate them.

After riding, we stayed at the farm for dinner and all the riders huddled around Karl's computer (our constant source of entertainment) to watch Fight Club. Jen and Taylor really enjoyed watching a shirtless Brad Pitt parade around the screen while the boys rolled their eyes. It was a lovely team bonding experience! Tomorrow we are planning to have a barbecue at the farm as a thank you to Henk and his family and a farewell dinner for Lizzy because she flies to Rome tomorrow.

- Jen and Taylor

Day 13: The IPad Magic Continues...

Day 13, 5/21/10:

Today is Nick's 21st birthday! Lizzy organized a nice dinner for the whole group in Maastricht to celebrate. Laura Teodori met us at the restaurant, and she kindly picked up a cake for Nick because the town near Henk's farm is bit lacking in the gourmet baked goods department. Lizzy is a great babysitter, but with this crew on her hands the night was still bound to be wild!

All the horses flatted lightly today. The Nation's Cup horses are starting to feel back in good form for next week. The flat work with Mr. Barnabus was very beneficial for all the horses and riders, and we have all been making our best efforts to reproduce his flat training on our own. This morning, the outdoor ring was filled with crazy American jumper riders with very long stirrups attempting to make perfect 20-meter circles, doing lots of lengthening and shortening, and desperately trying to polish saddles.

After riding, we got cleaned up and were ready to party in Maastricht. During the car ride, Karl and Nick introduced Jen to their favorite game on Karl's IPad: ICopter, a game where the player uses his or her finger to control the altitude of a helicopter and attempts to avoid obstacles. The boys are absolutely obsessed with it and constantly try to beat each other's highest scores. Although it took Jen a little while to get the hang of the game, by the time we arrived in Maastricht she was practically an expert! Taylor, on the other hand, still has yet to achieve a score higher than 577, and the current high score held by Nick is 3016. Taylor also discovered that the lowest score one can receive is a 36... and then proceeded to earn that exact score several times. She has a long way to go and unfortunately may be the least talented ICopter player of all time!

Dinner was delicious. The restaurant had a large variety of meats and veggies and an entire menu dedicated solely to asparagus. Our server brought each person a complimentary cup of asparagus soup at the beginning of the meal, and Karl liked it so much that he ordered a whole bowl. Unfortunately, we forgot Nick's cake in the car and had to save it to eat another day. We didn't let this dampen our spirits, however, and the party continued! We had a late night in Maastricht, but tomorrow everyone has lessons with Henk at 4:00pm so we have time to sleep in. So far, the weekend is looking great!

- Jen and Taylor

Pictures from Days 11 and 12

German Ben and Jerry's... EPIC WIN ^

Stained glass in the Aachen Cathedral ^

Original 18th century barn at Henk's ^

Statue at the entrance to the Aachen show grounds ^

The whole team by the field in Aachen ^

Aachen flags ^

Aachen Cathedral ^

Pomm Pos ^

Gail, Jen, Adele, and Michael pondering the potato options at Pomm Pos ^

Day 12: Team Bonding.

Day 12, 5/20/10:

Today all the riders had a second lesson with Mr. Barnabus. His teaching proved to be just as effective the second time around, and we all felt more confident in our saddle polishing abilities. The horses were also much more supple and willing to cooperate in their lateral work today. Our lessons were spread out through the day, with Taylor finishing her second horse at 3:30 pm. Lizzy was determined that we would go on an adventure to see the Aachen show grounds, but Taylor was under strict orders from the USEF to get a team picture, so all the riders and grooms dragged themselves out to the barn and lined up for a snapshot with Mr. Barnabus, Lizzy, and Henk.

After this wearisome photo shoot, the whole crew piled into the van and headed to Germany. In our usual confused American way, we got lost and drove in circles quite a bit, turning the 45 minute trip into over an hour of aimless wandering. However, our new trusty GPS (which entertains everyone by giving instructions with an Australian accent) came through for us in the end, and we arrived safe and sound at the incredible Aachen stadium. We walked up a quiet road shrouded by trees, past rows of sleek white barns and a very strange statue of two horses playing together, and right up to the infamous Aachen ring. It was truly spectacular, with giant stands surrounding the crisp green grass like a football stadium. It is hard to imagine the excitement and adrenaline induced by walking into a ring like that for competition!

We documented the trip to the show grounds with another team picture, and then headed back to the car and drove to the center of town. As our first truly touristy adventure, we toured the Aachen Cathedral, also known as the Imperial Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. Construction on the building was initiated by Charlemagne in 792, and the famed emperor is buried in a vault in the cathedral. Both the interior and exterior of the cathedral are massive and breathtaking!

Everyone was feeling a bit hungry at this point, so we hunted around for somewhere to eat. Unfortunately, we were a party of eleven and the city was very busy, so the restaurant options were limited. After asking some locals where to eat, we found ourselves at a restaurant called Pomm Poss. We should have realized upon seeing the Pomm Pos sign, which featured a dancing potato, that the menu would consist of... potatoes. Quite literally, the only menu options that did not include potatoes were the side salad and the desserts. The American team sure finds interesting restaurants! Everyone managed to find something to eat and afterward we walked to a delicious gelato shop around the corner. Taylor had to get hot coffee because she seems to be unable to dress for cold weather! The days here are very warm, but as soon as the sun goes down the temperature plummets.

We made it back to the farm tonight without any hiccups, and everyone is excited about Nick's 21st birthday party tomorrow!

- Jen and Taylor

Day 11: Polish Your Saddle!

Day 11, 5/19/10:

Today, a very famous Hungarian dressage trainer named Mr. Barnabus (I'm sure he has a first name as well but it is a mystery to me) came to Henk's farm to give lessons for two days. None of the riders were very enthusiastic about working with a dressage trainer, and we even told Lizzy last week that we were unwilling to have lessons with Mr. Barnabus. However, Henk cornered Michael and Taylor as they walked to the barn yesterday afternoon and laid down the law: Mr. Barnabus is a flat lesson god and taking lessons with him is a privilege so, rather than complaining, all the riders should be jumping for joy at this opportunity. Henk may not have used these exact words but his message was still loud and clear! Michael and Taylor were in no position to argue with a man who trains Marcus Ehning, so they smiled and set up a lesson schedule.

Henk could not have been more right! Michael was the first victim at 9:00 am aboard Katina, and all the other riders were required to come watch the lesson. I know everyone started out with a bit of apprehension, but any doubts we had about Mr. Barnabus evaporated within minutes. He utilized very simplistic teaching methods, giving the rider one thing at a time to work on. He had everyone work using shoulder-ins, serpentines, and a lot of circles and extensions. He also lengthened all the riders' stirrups a few holes and instructed us to "polish the saddle" using our seat bones. He wanted us to sit more deeply in the saddle and open our hip angles. After each rider flatted individually for an hour, although we did take several breaks to "allow the horse to stretch," which Mr. Barnabus said was a very important part of work, everyone's saddles were quite a bit shinier.

The riders were all a little sore upon returning to our apartments to shower and change for dinner at Henk's house. Nicole cooked dinner for all the riders, grooms, Lizzy, and Mr. Barnabus. We got to see the inside of the gorgeous house as well as the original 18th century hunting lodge barn that is attached to the house. The whole building is absolutely incredible! Taylor had an interesting experience at dinner when she and Jen noticed that Nicole was serving pasta with meat sauce. Both girls hardly ever eat meat and were discussing this fact when Mr. Barnabus overheard something Taylor said and immediately told Nicole that Taylor was a vegetarian and needed something else to eat. Taylor tried to explain that she is not, in fact, a vegetarian, but Mr. Barnabus refused to listen and determinedly took away the plate of meat sauce. The Belgians are very fond of eggs and eat them with almost everything, so Nicole immediately offered to whip up an egg for Taylor to eat with her pasta. Although it sounded a bit strange, Taylor accepted and it turned out the egg was from chickens Nicole raises herself on the farm. 100% fresh and organic- so much better than Whole Foods!

Tomorrow we have lessons with Mr. Barnabus again. Hopefully everyone will remember how to polish the saddle properly!

- Jen and Taylor

Pictures from Days 9 and 10

The barn at Henk Nooren's ^

The Nooren's 18th century home ^

Duck pond and outdoor ring at Henk's ^

Ginny taking a Facebook break in the apartment ^

Tusker looking for food ^

Meredith's tiny coffee in Maastricht ^

Church of St. Matthias ^

Day 10: Getting Back To Work.

Day 10, 5/18/10:

Today the horses were feeling refreshed from the show and all the riders flatted around the farm. Taylor really enjoyed riding her horses out in the grass because she is used to always flatting in a big grass field. This place feels like home already! Everyone enjoyed cooling their horses out by walking around the long track, and the horses also got to spend time eating grass in the paddocks. So far, this week is proving to be very relaxing and enjoyable.

Lizzy, a representative from the USEF who was largely responsible for organizing the Young Riders Tour, arrived today. She is very nice! She is determined that all the riders and grooms will get to see some of the nearby cities, so this afternoon when everyone was done in the barn we drove about 45 minutes to the Dutch city of Maastricht. We really wanted to tour the St. Pietersberg Caves, a famous maze of underground tunnels, but arrived in the city after the tours were already over. We also tried to exchange money at a bank, but it turns out the only places in this area that exchange dollars for euros are airports and train stations. It will be miraculous if we all make it through the week without having to beg for food! Credit cards are truly beautiful things. Although we did not get to go inside, we did see the Church of St Matthias, a really beautiful cathedral located in the center of the city.

After wandering around Maastricht for a little while, everyone loaded back into the car and drove back to the smaller, somewhat less impressive city of Liege, where we met Lauren Hough and Laura Teodori for dinner. We were all a bit apprehensive about going to Liege because a woman in a small store where we purchased postcards in Maastricht overheard us discussing dinner plans and warned us that there is a lot of crime in Liege and to not walk around alone. On the way there, we were driving down a small city road when someone in a tiny car (about 99% of the cars here are about the size of a Smart Car) pulled out of a parking space and side-swiped our van! It was a very non-climactic collision and the van was barely scratched, so we continued on our way. It was just a little reminder for everyone that driving in Europe is TERRIFYING! After the eventful journey, we arrived safely in Liege and found a parking lot right next door to the restaurant, so we felt fairly sure that no one would mug us in the 100 or so steps to the restaurant door.

The restaurant was very cute, but everyone was confused when a small blackboard with French on it was placed next to our table and no menus were handed out. As it turned out, the menu is changed every day and the options are posted on the blackboard. It took everyone a very long time to decide what to order because the waitress spoke little English and figuring out the menu proved to be difficult, but finally we enjoyed a delicious meal and drove back to the farm.

It was great to go out and see two European cities today! Since we have been abroad there has been little time for sight seeing, so this week is a great opportunity for us to experience Europe a little bit, rather than just experiencing European horse shows. Our only regret in going exploring was that we missed seeing Ocean's Thirteen on TV tonight... The riders all curled up on a coach in the guy's apartment and watched Ocean's Twelve last night. Apparently there is an Ocean's movie marathon going on in Belgium this week!

- Jen and Taylor

Day 9: Time For a Break!

Day 9, 5/17/09:

This morning we got up early and packed up a ridiculous number of suitcases, trunks, and other paraphernalia, along with the horses of course, loaded it up in the giant green lorrie and drove to Henk Norin's farm just outside of Liege, Belgium. We are spending ten days here to train the horses and rest up for the next competition in Reims, France starting on May 26th. The farm is absolutely spectacular! The huge brick house was built in the 1700s as a hunting lodge, and the barn and other buildings were completed about five years ago when Henk and his wife, Nicole, and three daughters moved to the 75-acre property. It is truly picturesque, complete with a beautiful field to ride in, roomy paddocks for the horses, both indoor and outdoor rings with all-weather footing, a hot walker and roundpen, and a riding track, all of which is surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers.

Unfortunately, this beautiful setting's one snag is that we are truly in the middle of nowhere. After unpacking and letting the horses settle in, all the riders and grooms were very hungry, so we headed to the "town" to find food. I use quotation marks because this town is most accurately described as a few houses with one or two European versions of fast food restaurants and, luckily, one supermarket. After getting lost (what else is new?) Nick very wisely got out of the car and asked a local woman where to find the supermarket. With the woman's help, the group successfully found the market and ravenously pillaged the food aisles because no one had eaten all day! After this shopping trip, we searched for a restaurant to eat dinner at which proved to be a difficult task. First, we walked into a place we thought was a restaurant but, with Claire's French skills to help us, we quickly discovered that it was a bar that did not serve any food. The bartender pointed us in the direction of the only two restaurants in the whole town: a sandwich shop and a pizza place, both of which could be considered European fast food, meaning they are not sit down restaurants but the food still takes about an hour to arrive. It almost makes a hungry American miss McDonald's!

Finally, everyone was fed and we settled into the apartments on the farm we are living in for the next week and a half. This feels like a vacation!

- Jen and Taylor

Pictures from Days 7 and 8

Taylor and friend^

Michael, Claire, Adele^

Nick and Malcom^

Jen and Shakira^

All of us at dinner^

Day 8: Team Spirit!

Day 8, 5/16/10:

So, late last night as we were all getting ready to go to sleep, Nick's groom, Claire, called to inform all the riders that the meter 1.35 speed class start time was moved from 10:00 am to 8:00. This was very unwelcome news to everyone, and it was physically painful to set our alarm clocks for the incredibly cruel hour of 6:00 am yet again. However, we persevered and managed to wake up with the help of the screeching Nokia and some instant coffee. No laziness allowed on Nation's Cup day!

Upon arriving at the barn, Jen, Taylor, and Nick flatted their second horses before the meter 1.35. Nick competed first aboard his young mare, who he and Claire have nicknamed "Belly Button" (but pronounced with a French accent) because she has a noticeable bump on the bottom of her belly. Buttons has continued to improve through the weekend and today she had just a singly unlucky rail at the plank. Taylor showed Tusker next, and she rode smooth and fast but made a mistake into a combination, resulting in a score of four faults. Jen was team U.S.A's last hope in the meter 1.35 and she almost pulled out a spectacular finish, but Shakira decided to keep the four fault trend going and had a rail.

Despite the disappointment of the morning, we were determined our luck would improve for the Nations Cup. The course of twelve jumps looked imposing during the walk. Some of the most difficult elements proved to be the second jump, a big, square oxer just a few strides out of the corner; 6abc, a tight vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination; a bending eight strides from jump 7 to 8ab, a big two stride oxer-vertical combination that rode very tight; the open water jump; and the final two fences, both of which were large oxers in a long bending line. The course was quite challenging, but the field of riders and horses proved to be very strong and many jumped with perfect or nearly perfect scores. The time allowed also proved to be a factor and, despite increasing the set time by three seconds after the first three horses showed, many competitors still had time faults.

Nick was the third rider to test his skills over the course and, although he incurred a single time fault, this penalty was dropped when the time allowed was adjusted and his final result was a faultless round. Taylor was the next American rider to show and was not quite able to match Nick's perfect score. Karonda jumped wonderfully, but she dropped a single rail at the second to last fence, resulting in four faults. However, we did not lose heart! Jen rode next and Venturo was also very good but had two unfortunate rails at oxers (one occurring at the second jump, which proved to be the U.S. team's least favorite obstacle of the day). Karl was the team's anchor rider and, although Uno jumped all but the second fence cleanly, he also stepped on the tape at the water jump, resulting in an eight fault score. Despite falling short of a truly spectacular first round, the American team sat in third place at the genesis of the second and final round, just behind the British and Dutch teams.

Nick started off the second round, which was merely a repeat attempt over the same course of jumps, almost as well as the first by earning a score of four faults (the second jump was really out to get us). Taylor had the same jump down in the second round as she had in the first, and also rode the water a bit nonchalantly which caused Karonda to step on the tape, giving her a four fault score. Jen had a single rail in the triple combination, giving the team another four fault score. Karl came through for the other riders in the second round and added no faults to the overall score. Although all the horses jumped very well and had good rounds, our single rails here and there gave the team a total score of twenty faults (each team had one drop score for each round). This placed us behind the British, Dutch, and Italian teams and we finished in fourth place. The British and Dutch had equal scores after the first two rounds and jumped off for the gold. The British won by only four faults.

The U.S. riders were all a bit disappointed by the outcome of our first international Nation's Cup, but the horses are jumping so well and being so good that we know our performance will improve after this weekend. Upon returning to the barn, we were all feeling a little down, but Claire's kind French parents gave everyone champagne and our Chef D'Equipe, Ralph, was very positive about the team's riding and reminded us that the day was not quite over. Michael still had two horses to compete in the individual class! The whole group began discussing our last chance to hear the Star Spangled Banner and we all went to the ring to watch Michael show. The pressure of being the only person with the ability to redeem the Americans proved to be intense, and Michael did not perform his best. However, his horses were both good and no catastrophes occurred, so we rendered the weekend a success!

All the horses are feeling great, no one has any broken bones, and we are ready to move on to the next show. Tomorrow we drive to Henk Noren's farm just outside of Leige on the other side of Belgium where we will ride for a week before going to compete in Reims, France. The Americans will not give the European competition such an easy win next time!

- Jen and Taylor

Day 7: We Win Every Fight We Fight... Sometimes.

Day 7, 5/15/10:

This morning was killer. Jen and Taylor awoke to blaring European techno music coming from Taylor's very high tech Nokia phone (it even has optional emoticons to decorate contact information with) at 6:00 am but, after hitting snooze a few times, the two still barely made it to the lobby in time to leave at 6:30. Upon walking outside, however, all feelings of grogginess evaporated when Jen and Taylor were hit with a wave of air that could have come straight out of the North Pole... or a freezer.

Flatting the horses was a very unpleasant business this morning, but the meter 1.30 Table A knockdown speed class Jen and Taylor showed Shakira and Tusker in, respectively, began at 8:30, so there was no time to fool around or go purchase snow suits. Jen competed first and had the winning time but added an extra stride in a tight rollback to a vertical, resulting in 4 faults. This was very frustrating for her because the same British boy that won the meter 1.30 yesterday was victorious again today, and she came incredibly close to beating him! Taylor showed next and had a smooth and confident, but not particularly fast, round. Sadly, she put Tusker to too deep of a distance at the last jump and he barely hit it down. Taylor needs to get these last jump problems under control!

Jen and Taylor returned to the barn after enduring watching the British boy leading the victory gallop to a loud song that declared, "We win every fight we fight!", sounded a great deal like a college football game fight song, and inspired us to march around like the Royal Guard. It was only after returning to the barn that all the riders and coaches realized that Michael was M.I.A. After a panicked phone call, we discovered that he was still at the hotel, and he had to take a very expensive taxi to the show. One of our goals for the week is improving team communication!

Finally, the whole team was assembled and the time for the Grand Prix course walk arrived. The U.S. crew was impressed by the size of the meter 1.45 jumps and the difficulty of the course, which included an open water jump with a tall vertical a short five strides after it; a tight oxer-vertical-vertical triple combination; a very spooky wall; and several difficult bending lines and big single oxers. The first American rider to compete was Nick aboard Malcolm. He laid down a beautiful clear round and the rest of the team was very proud! Jen rode Venturo next and also had a great round, but an unfortunate back rail at an oxer kept her out of the jump off. Karl was the third to show and Uno D'Laubry jumped all of the fences effortlessly. Unfortunately, a relaxed jump at the water caused him to step on the tape, giving him and Karl a score of four faults as well. Taylor showed Karonda next and put in another clear round for the Americans. Last to go was Michael aboard All Star. The powerful horse jumped well but touched a single fence and didn't quite get past the tape at the water.

After the 60 entries completed the first round of the Grand Prix, about ten riders returned for the jump off. Nick was the first person to ride the jump off course, meaning he entered the ring without the advantage of seeing others complete the track. Nick showed the way by riding a very fluid but slow clear round, putting pressure on the other riders to jump clean. Taylor went sixth in the jump off and posted a very fast time but pulled a rail on a rollback to a skinny vertical. Nick held out for a second place finish behind a French rider who rode an incredibly fast track and managed to leave the jumps up, and Taylor finished in 7th. All things considered, the Americans had a very successful day! Great jumping with just a few unlucky rails here and there built up everyone's confidence for tomorrow.

After the show ended, the riders and coaches headed out into the town of Kortrijk for a team dinner where Taylor got to try truffles for the first time. They were very delicious but not quite worth the extra Euros. Food is WAY too expensive here! We are having an early night and focusing on the Nation's Cup tomorrow. The U.S. team competes third out of nine teams, and the order of go is Nick with Malcolm; Taylor with Karonda; Jen with Venturo; and Karl with Uno. Because Michael's horses are not jumping their very best this weekend, he will compete in the individual class tomorrow and show in the team competition at Reims and/or Wierden instead. We are all very excited, and we will keep you updated!

- Jen and Taylor

Day 6: Time to Get Serious.

Day 6, 11/14/10:

Today was our first day showing! We grabbed some breakfast on the way out of the hotel, and arrived at the show around 9:00 am to flat our horses before competing in the afternoon. Taylor took a quick run to the local market, an adorable little store selling local fruit and vegetables, to get some delicious snacks to give everyone extra strength to control our wild beasts.

Finally, after a seemingly endless wait, all the American riders and coaches walked the course for the meter 1.30 class. The jumps were full spec and the course was somewhat technical. Taylor was the first to compete, going 7th in the class order. She rode Tusker, a speedy ten-year-old low junior jumper she has competed with for three years. Tusker jumped wonderfully and the pair had a clear round, qualifying them for the jump off. Jen was next to show, riding Shakira, her eleven-year-old high junior jumper, in the 28th spot. Although Shakira tried to misbehave coming into a tough combination, Jen kept her in line and the two jumped a beautiful clear round. The only American left to compete was Nick, riding a seven-year-old mare he purchased last week. Nick has only ridden her a handful of times. With a new horse at an unfamiliar show in a foreign country, he had his work cut out for him! Nick rode very well, but the horse acted a little green and unrideable in an outside line that required a good deal of adjustability, resulting in two rails falling.

After the 39 entries completed the first round of the class, Taylor and Jen returned for the jump off. Taylor rode a quick track with Tusker but incorrectly judged the distance to the last fence, and Tusker wisely ducked to the side of the jump to avoid killing both himself and his rider. Jen came through for the team when she laid down a beautiful and smooth round, moving herself into the lead. A sneaky British rider bumped Jen into second place with a clear round and blazing fast time. Those Brits are out of control! A German girl also had a very fast clear and slipped into second. Jen ended up with an impressive third place and Taylor finished in seventh. In the victory gallop, we discovered that all the ribbons are the same color in Belgium. The top 8 riders are given blue and silver ribbons, and it is very confusing because no one can tell who won the class!

The team's second class of the day, the Grand Prix Qualifier, did not start until 6:30pm. At first, we naive Americans were worried that it would get dark before the class was completed, but then we remembered that this is Europe in May and it stays light until at least 10:00. It feels strange to be freezing as though it is the dead of winter and also have seventeen hours of daylight as though it is the middle of summer! The Table A knockdown speed course was a solid meter 1.40 and included several difficult elements, such as a neutral colored oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination in a tough setting; several large oxers off tight turns; and a tall green plank as the final fence. Michael was the first American to compete and rode his mare Katina 12. He rode the course smoothly but Katina was a bit wild and touched two rails. The next American to show was Karl. He piloted Uno D'Laubry to a flawless clear round and gave the team a big confidence boost! Next to compete was Jen with Venturo, and she rode beautifully as always, having just a single fault at an oxer. Nick competed next with his veteran mount Malcolm, an experienced horse Nick's dad showed in grand prixs for several years. Malcolm went well, but the pair had an unlucky rail. Taylor was next to show aboard her mare Karonda V. Schlosslihoff, a Swiss horse that a few people at Moorsele recognized from the many classes she competed in with Theo Muff over the past few years. Taylor had a good but uneven round, dropping two rails. With the first rotation of the American riders complete, Michael returned to the ring with his second mount, All Star, a huge and scopey bay gelding usually ridden by Debbie Stevens. All Star jumped brilliantly but had an unfortunate rail in a combination due to his massive stride. The final American effort of the day was put in by Karl aboard Notories Utopia, a talented speed horse he has been showing successfully for several years. Karl had his second clear round of the day and finished in third and fourth place with Uno and Notories Utopia, respectively. All in all, the U.S. team's first day of competition was a success! We were not perfect but everyone is looking good for tomorrow.

After a quick turkey schnitzel (Nick's meal of choice for both lunch and dinner) in the horse show restaurant, the exhausted team made their way back to the hotel. Tomorrow is an early morning and all the riders plan to compete in the Grand Prix!

-Jen and Taylor

Pictures Days 5 & 6

WWI Allied Soldiers Cemetery^

Random sheep^

Taylor on the Moon Bounce^

Best (but still not very good) team picture so far^

Taylor, Mike, and Jen with some Swiss and Danish friends^

Church in Kortrijk built in the 1200s^

Another historic Kortrijk building^

Norman and Butch watching the jog^

Jog^