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!