July in Europe was HOT! In more ways than one...I had my first 3 European Shows to contend with where the riding part was almost the least of my worries! I began at Spangenburg CSI2* which was a super introduction to the European Jumping circuit & a lovely Show. Aside from being constantly asked whether I was competing in the Amatuer classes - I was obviously presenting to them as one...I suppose it didn’t help arriving in a rental van & a horse trailer! - I felt I presented and acquitted myself well with 2 clear rounds in the middle tour classes (pity about the time fault in the Middle tour Final!) and a 9 fault round in the big tour class when I had 2 of the last 3 fences down and was less than .3 of a sec over the time.

The Show was very hot for the 1st 3 days, a little cooler for the last day and the temporary tent stables became sweat boxes with my poor mare, who had just left an Aussie winter, sweating in the box with no rugs on. After travel of 6 hrs back to Holland Sunday night and 2 days of rest, Monday and Tuesday we then fronted up to Geesteren CSI2* where I was very hopeful of getting into the prizes as I had been forced to ‘buy’ 1060 Euros worth of VIP tickets in order to get a start! Again it was very hot - I was literally dripping with sweat after riding in the humid 37 degrees for Saturday’s Grand Prix! I was slightly disappointed with my riding at Geesteren, only seeming to be able to put half a round together - either until I got my act together on days 1 & 2, or before I started to get nervous and break her up as I did in the 2nd half of the Grand Prix to have the last fence down and be over the time. Still, it was an achievement to qualify for my first European Grand Prix.

Perhaps more exciting at Geesteren was watching my fellow Aussies blow the 4* competition apart with James Patterson-Robinson winning his first 4* Grand Prix with significant prizes including a new Volvo 70! Chuggy also put on some great riding (& yes these included the customary canter pirouttes!) winning the 2nd qualification class and an unlucky 4 faults at the last fence in the 1st round of the grand Prix before a fast clear in the 2nd round to finish in 6th place overall.

The shopping was also excellent at Geesteren and to celebrate the sale of “Kirsyl Sun” (aka Fred) back in Australia to a lovely young NSW rider, I allowed myself the luxury of some snakeskin boots, chaps & matching belt and ordered the ‘essential’ new Parlanti top boots with the Australian flag on the outside! Both Chris Chugg and Matt Williams dropped by the stand as I was getting measured up & were encouraging me to spend my money! My 3rd Show at Gera CSI3* was to become one of the most challenging times and provided some valuable learning experiences!

After a great lesson with Gilbert Bockmann on his super sand jumping arena where my mare audibly smacked her front feet off the ground, I felt ready to fire at Gera...I just had to survive the trip down there! My Dutch groom, Ellis was unable to accompany me to this Show & my last-minute attempts at finding a replacement travel companion (I don’t really need a groom for 1 horse, just someone to help out the 10% of the time that things go pear-shaped!) were unsuccesful so it was just Leah & I in a new to me 2nd hand truck negotiating our way through East Germany. All was well (well nothing an unscheduled stop at a servo to buy a European map book couldn’t sort out when - unbelieveably - my google map directions sent me the wrong way on the A7 to Hamburg not Hannover!) until we finally reached Gera and found only advertising posters for the ‘Summer Meeting’ but no directions! Again, google maps directions to find Milbitzer Strabe were totally out...my call to the organizer went to a german messagebank and calls to a contact Gilli had given me resulted in less than ideal directions that actually took me back out of town in completely the wrong direction! After many turn-arounds & reversals (mainly to avoid several low bridges), I realized that my understanding of European roads was not productive and it was only by doing a real ‘damsel in distress’ show that I managed to acquire the help I needed to find the Show!

Unfortunately, my mare was not only very hot, sweaty & thirsty when I finally unloaded her but had banged her leg which was now hot, very swollen & looking infected! She had a similar injury when traveling back from the Horse of the Year Show in NZ last year...at least that was after the Show though! Although she did pass the Vet inspection the next morning, the leg was still very swollen so after speaking with the Aus Jumping Team Vet, Andrew Hunt, I decided not to jump her & start a course of anti-biotics. After an all-clear tendon scan, I was able to ride her after a few days but with the selection trial Show at Hachenburg less than a month away I just couldn’t risk jumping her at this Show despite feeling I needed the miles in the ring. To complete a traumatic week in Germany, my new truck had engine problems on the return trip which entailed spending some nervous minutes on the motorway verge with my hazards on hoping that those trucks flying past me didn’t have sleepy drivers behind their wheels who might run off course & hit me! I did finally make it back to Holland, by ‘limping’ home at 60-80km/hr, at 4am Wednesday morning! Here’s hoping I’ve had my ‘bad’ run and can put this behind me and enjoy a more productive Show at Valkenswaard on August 13-15 (assuming that is that I can get an invitation to start!) prior to our selction trial Show at Hachenburg CSI3* (August 19-22) and Paderborn CSI4* (September 9-12).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leah and I outside the practice arena at Spangenberg CSI2* - a beautiful venue & a great Show!	Sporting my new snakeskin belt, boots & chaps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jumping arena at Gera