Bromont-Bound

Well my boys (Morris Richard and Gunsmoke that is) and I all made it up to Bromont safely and I think had some good fun along the way. Not fun trying to write this blog, wireless stopped working last night so I am sitting in the hotel lobby on one of the first computers ever made...probably why it is working and mine isn`t ha ha ha. We left Kaleidescape Monday earlier than anticipated - wow I know - and got up to Marilyn Payne`s Applewood Farm in Gladstone, NJ mid-afternoon. Richard never having been there before got the tour and Gunsmoke started to run and play right away with his good bud Jake. Morris, not having been there before either didn`t really get a tour as much as an intense last lesson before his 2*! Our warm up was a run thru of the dressage test we will ride on Thursday at Bromont, with ``O`` judge Marilyn sitting at C and making her comments out loud so that I could tune up as I went thru. With my final halt and salute we hacked out of the dressage arena and headed over to the show jumping field where we worked on some combinations and big wide oxers and all sorts of things what we would see up here on Sunday. Marilyn was very pleased with Morris, she hadn`t seen him since down in Aiken and thought that the improvements we had made together were tremendous. Even after all of this, however, poor Morris wasn`t finished with work! We hacked down Fox Hill road out to the gallop and I gave Morris a good sprint up their lovely conditioning hill. Adding to the excitement was a fairly young and very curious cow pastured next to one long flat section of the gallop. Morris noted his little friend; but luckily for me took it all in stride and we went whizzing by Mr. Moo without a second thought.
Morris got a good night`s sleep, the rest of us, well questionable...a good group headed out to dinner at the Black Horse which is a great spot for drinks, dinner and dessert (all of which we ordered). Even with a late night I was up before the alarm, excited to get on the road the rest of the 8 hours to Bromont. We made it across the border without delay for which I was very thankful (and a big thank you to Gunsmoke who stayed asleep flat on his side in the back seat and I may or may not have declared him to the Customs agent!). Beautfiul up here, barely out of the 60s during the day and when I did lates Wednesday evening it was 40something brrrrr. The horses will be feeling absolutely super on cross country, though I honestly hope it warms up a little for my dressage! Morris was a touch unruly at his in-barn inspection, very excited to be at what appears to him to be a bit show and he received yet another stamp in his passport. Took him for a walk about and he was perfectly happy to smaple the Canadian grass. Wednesday night he sampled his stall floor, tucked all in a ball asleep when I went to make sure he had enough blankets on. He is going to need that rest! Big day today, 12:00 briefing gets the show officially underway and then the1st horse inspection aka ``the jog`` starts at 3. They are saving the best for last in the 2*, got a chance to see the order of go and Morris and I are the final pair! So we will probably jog closer to 4. Will also get to inspect the cross country course for the first time tomorrow and hope to have photos for you to enjoy as soon as my own computer starts to work again. take care, I will be back in touch hopefully this evening!