WE MADE IT!!!

Hong Kong is amazing!!　The people are so friendly and helpful - the city is so clean and the lights are bright!　
Flight here was uneventful, many movies and a good book made the time pass quickly.　Aubrey, Allyson and I were greeted on the Jetway by Olympic officials who took us to get our credentials and whisked us through a special customs line. We were then handed off to Jim Wolf, USEF director of High Performance, who took us out to the venue. To say the city has gone out of their way is an understatement. The security is tough but still very friendly. The groom village is great - as opposed to last year in Rio when we lived in shipping containers　- we are living in a dorm style building two to a bedroom - not too bad!
A quick shower and then off to dinner with Jim in Hong Kong. We got to see the city lights and the harbor - so surreal to be here.
Up early this AM to get the stalls ready for the dressage horses that were coming in around 9:30 and our horses that were getting in around 11am. They were very efficient getting the horses off the trailers - from the time the plane landed to the time the horses were in the stalls was only 1 1/2 hours - AMAZING!!!
The horses are very well - tired but very well.
We are off now to check the horses again - and then give them a well deserved rest. Will hopefully find my way around this amazing venue soon and make it from the barns to the groom’s village on my first try!
Riders arrive tomorrow - with Sara Ike - all will start soon.
more soon!

The very UPs and the very downs....

What a week we have had here at Barbury Castle - the crew here have been outstanding! The owner, Nigel, has catered to our every whim - Sara Ike has been tirelessly keeping all the stressed out crew happy and focused. We all have been working hard and having some fun. The sun has also brought some superior weather and everyone seams to have a pink nose!
From jump lessons to fix-a-tests to gallops to barbecues to some big laughs and some tears - these last weeks are so hard. One horse of the crew will always break your heart, and this year was no exception. Northern Spy (Farley) came up with a suspect leg after the last gallop. Colby, Heidi's groom, spent much time helping him out the best she could.... we won’t see Farley this summer - but we will for sure see him very soon!!! He left quarantine today and enjoyed some turnout at David and Jackie Greens next door. Such a kind horse with fabulous floppy ears - he loves his mom as much as she loves him. Such disappointment when you work so hard and get this close. Huge hugs go out to Colby, Heidi and the Whites who support the sport as much as they support their daughter.
The phone call I got at 10pm last night was one of mixed emotions - my good friend, Colby, was so sad for her horse and I was being told to pack up - Mandiba had taken the spot of Farley! I stood out in the barn on the phone and sighed - I think a chestnut pony was helping us out... miss him.
I woke up this morning still feeling a bit numb - that and a chest cold that has set in - bleak! No rest for the weary... riders were getting on at 7am to gallop - THE LAST GALLOP - ugh, had we come so far to be disappointed? Was it going to be someone else? Luckily, all the horses galloped fantastically and jogged GREAT for Brendon Furlong and Cathy Kohn who flew in today for the final checks.
Another jog early in the morning (6am) and then the equipment truck arrives at 12pm for all the gear to go to the airport for weighing, etc. Aubry (Becky Holder's groom), Allyson (Amy Tryon's groom) and I leave at 5:30 tomorrow night to fly to Hong Kong so we can receive the horses when they land. Emma (Phillip Dutton's groom) and vet Sarah Gold are on the flight with the horses that leaves Wednesday morning. Riders leave on Thursday and all of us will be together again in Hong Kong by Friday.
And why do we choose this as our lifestyle? We love these animals so much and take such painstaking care of them - we stay up with them when they are sick, we put blankets on when they are cold, love them, hug them, give them treats -
I am so proud of my young horse - to be stepping on the plane with all the "big guys"- it’s like playing pond hockey with Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque. My little man, all grown up...
Time to pack-
more soon.

Quarantine, gallops, caravans, and Laura Kraut again!

So busy - haven't had the time to write much -
Horses galloped amazingly on Saturday at Jackdaws Castle and then had a well-deserved rest on Sunday with a day off. Karen, Amy, Greg and I went for an amazing trip to see the Lion King in London. Amazing costumes and so much energy from the cast - really good fun!
Monday brought packing, cleaning and disinfecting for quarantine at Barbury Castle. The rest of the American crew arrived in the wee hours of the morning on Friday - We have a great set up here - Really nice temporary stalls, bathrooms, brand new caravans and wireless for the computers... The cute town of Marlborough is only 10 minutes away with great restaurants and really good coffee! So fun to catch up with the rest of the crew - all the horses shipped great and are in really good form. Managing director Sara Ike made sure we have everything we need for the week.
Monday also brought the return of Laura Kraut who has helped everyone so much. She will be at the Olympics as well, so she will be able to continue helping the riders that will be there.
The luckiest part of being here is the all-grass gallop - the horses had a really tough workout today as it is one of their last gallops - Some hill work with some sprinting - I stood on top of the hill with traveling vet Sara Gold, and was in awe of how quiet it was as the horses galloped by us - the ground was so perfect that you couldn't hear the hoof beats. Amazing - and the horses all look great after - we are now enjoying a bit of quiet for the afternoon. Plans for dinner in town tonight - and some time to catch up on laundry and sleep.
Dressage tomorrow followed by a fix-a-test with Sandy Phillips on Friday... All is happening!
More soon

Aston le Walls - who's who in eventing...

Off to Washbrook Farm today - home of the Aston le Walls horse trials, which is hosting over 700 horses in one weekend! Yikes - 300 advanced horses alone - we, the US crew, don't think there are 300 advanced horses in all the US! Amazing!! (photo of Gina, Amy, Mandiba and me watching dressage today)
And - what a history lesson in the sport of eventing: William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Andrew Nicholson, Blythe Tait (coaching the Kiwi team), Mark Todd, Nigel Taylor, Eddie Stibbe and Karen O'Connor. Many funny comments in the warm up as they have all spent many fun times together throughout the years.
McKinlaigh, Mandiba and Leyland all got to go in the ring and do the Olympic dressage test - All were great, much improved from Barbury. Scores haven't gotten back to us yet, those to follow.
The US-based horses got in late last night after a delay out of Atlanta - We haven't seen them yet, but word is everyone arrived safely! The crew at Aston is galloping tomorrow at Jackdaws again and getting to Barbury on Monday for quarantine to start officially Tuesday afternoon.
Our second day with Laura Kraut was just as fantastic as the first - so amazed by her energy and knowledge. The horses were all the better for her being here. We get to see her again in a week.
The other treat on Wednesday was Amy's husband, Greg, and Allyson Green, Poggio's long time groom, arrived from Seattle. Very fun to see them! Allyson has her camera here - so photos are courtesy of her.
Karen, Amy, Greg and I are off to London tomorrow night to stay with Desi Dillingham, whose flat we are using here at Aston Farm. Desi is president of The British Horse Society, past president of British Dressage and a fabulous supporter of all horse sports. She is a native of Canada, but has lived here for 35 years. We are so excited as we have gotten tickets to see the Lion King! AND PEDICURES!!! Very excited!!!
More to follow when we get to see the rest of the US gang, plus a London report...

Teams, reserves and Laura Kraut for president!

Sunday evening after dinner the phone call came from HOT North Carolina from Sara Ike, the managing director of eventing for the USEF. Hearts pounding.... she listed the names - team first, and the reserves second in alphabetical order. Of course Karen's name was listed last.... mixed emotions - a bit disappointed to not be on the team, but REALLY excited to still be on the reserve list!!! Hurray!!!
We - Karen and I - started out 2008 with so many chances to get to Hong Kong. We went to Wellington multiple times to work with Betsy Steiner and Laura Kraut, we carefully planned each horses schedule to give them the best chance to really shine at their respective three-days, we went to the gym, we got up early and stayed up late. I wouldn't give up any of those moments for anything - It all got yanked out from underneath us....
First was Hugh Knows fracturing his splint bone at Rolex - simple injury at the wrong time.
Next was May 28th - the day Ted ran for his life from a bear and fell on the way back to the barn. One of the worst days of my life and certainly the worst of my horse caretaking career. My job is to take care of these horses and keep them safe. I couldn't do that on this day.
Regroup - must regroup... Young Mandiba is a very special horse to me. He is the only horse of hundreds I have looked after that I have been to every single one of his events - from the first time he had a saddle put on him to his first baby novice to his first three day to his first advanced... very cool - and now - my baby horse is a reserve for the Olympics.... VERY COOL!!! I am a very proud nanny!!!
We are so excited for Amy and Gina here - and Becky! Way to go - she has worked very hard all year to make this the big one. She and her horse look SO well - Becky was the traveling reserve in Sydney on Highland Hogan, but now she gets to get the pink coat! Sweet! Phillip Dutton could ride a donkey around the Olympics and do well - he gets to ride the Rolex winner Connaught... look out world.
On to the task at hand... preparing as best we can - our job now is to prepare as if we are going to Hong Kong in case we get the nod, we can do the best we can. In comes Laura Kraut...
She herself is preparing for the Olympics on the FABULOUS Cedric. I adore him because he is Ted at 16.1 in a grey body. Laura is in Holland for the summer (with 15 horses may I add), a quick trip to Aston Farm (relatively speaking). Karen called her last week - and of course she'd come and teach us for two days! Clark jumped his two advanced horses, Up Spirit and Ratancour (I know I am spelling it wrong!)Amy on her two horses, Karen and Mandiba and Gina with Mac. All have different strengths and weaknesses - which Laura could pick up and fix without reinventing the wheel... Always positive - we had a great day. Gymnastic exercises today and a course tomorrow - AND, she's making the effort to come back next week while we are all in quarantine! So - I say, Laura Kraut for President!
We are off the Whatley Manor for dinner with Laura tonight - The US-based horses should be here on Thursday mid-day with their grooms and go straight to Barbury Castle for quarantine. Looking forward to seeing the US crew, especially Colby Saddington and Emma Ford - and getting to know the others I haven't met yet!
I will get jumping photos tomorrow - promise....
Till then -

More rain and quiet times....

All horses are great after their run. Monday was very busy with vet evaluations - trotting, flexing, on a circle, ultra sounds, blood tests.... our horses are stars to put up with it all. All 5 horses looked great - Very quiet day on Tuesday with another day off for the horses, as Monday wasn't really a day off. Amy went off to compete on one of Sandy Phillips' young horses, Lilly, at a one-day about an hour away - and she won! Yea Lilly!
Monday afternoon a BIG truck pulled in with 6 brand new Land Rovers aboard... so pretty! We all thought Mark was getting a new car - in actuality, the press day for the Gatcombe Horse Trials was on Tuesday and the cars were to take the press around the course. Amy, Karen, Brendon Furlong and I thought we should test drive them first.... no go.
Wednesday brought 2 inches of rain... we'd love to see the sun again. I now know why when we get a working student from England, they worship the sun - and they get SO sunburned!
Karen and I are already planning a trip back to England next summer - despite the rain - because the way of life here is so conducive to horses and producing young horses. You can go to a one-day show Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and then to a weekend show... all within a 45-minute drive - pick and choose where, when and how often, a luxury we don't get in the US due to our geography. The organizers make it so you can do all three phases in an about 2 hours. And - you get to compete with all the top riders to keep you at the top of your game!
On a personal note - my mom called me from Boston to tell me that my cousin Ruth had died. She was 53, a big ad executive in Boston - and died from a pulmonary embolism. I am feeling very far away from home - She was a great person with SO much life and was always happy to see everyone - Big smile that I will miss so much. So - hugs to mom and my Aunt Ann, her mom and the rest of the Robertson Family!!
Off to gallop at Jackdaws again tomorrow - and a big treat for us is that Laura Kraut is in Germany preparing for the Olympics on Cedric and has time to come and teach us on Monday and Tuesday. Lucky us! She is such a talented teacher and rider and a really great person to be around too!
More soon!

Wet and windy Barbury...

YUCK - what terrible weather today! It rained all night and most of the day. Thank goodness the ground here is so used to the rain that the footing stayed excellent throughout the day.
To catch up on yesterday - more dressage - and the novice (our preliminary) cross country was going on right next to the dressage warm-up. That paired with 25 mile an hour winds, flags and a trade fair surrounding the main ring, the bouncy castles for the kids fair and tons of spectators - such atmosphere! Amy's second horse, Leyland, was feeling the vibes a bit and was strong - Amy is such a great competitor and finished on a 55. Mandiba was next to go for the USA and he too was a bit star-struck. He tried very hard and finished on a 50.5. Big Mac and Gina rounded out the day for us on a great test and finished with a 46.2.
RAIN, Rain and more rain... Up early this morning - the show jumping started at 8 am and the course wasn't set until 6:30 pm last night. Really big track with square oxers and tough turns. It's by far the biggest course I have seen all year! And again in the main arena with all the distractions - Up Spirit and Poggio both jumped amazing clear rounds, Mandiba had 1 down and Mac and Leyland had 2 down - all very respectable.
Mark Phillips designed such an amazing track. The course is set in a "bowl" type hill so you can see almost the entire course from the hillside. Very forward galloping track with some technical questions thrown in as well - the time is notoriously impossible to make. Most riders assessed their standings after the first two phases as to decide whether or not to take a cut at the prize money and go fast or to set sites on future plans and have a good steady ride. The US riders went for the latter. All the horses were great. Poggio was his usual tidy and impressive self, and Leyland found a great rhythm early in the course and just kept getting better. Mac rocked around the fastest of us. Clark had an unfortunate glance off at an arrow head, but jumped great the rest of the way around. A very safe day today with only a handful of falls and some run outs and stops. It was really fun to get to see Mandiba jump almost all the jumps - I usually only get to see the first and the last as I am always at the start and finish!
We are back at Aston now with tons of dirty laundry and even more wet clothes getting set for a full day of Vet Evaluations from team vets Brendon Furlong, PJ McMachon and Catherine Kohn. We are all happy to be clean, dry, fed and ready for a good night's sleep!
More soon!!

Barbury - Clark and Amy do dressage....

WOW - what a place! Barbury is so amazing - All the feel of the BIG international competition that it is. It only started 3 years ago and it has the feel of a seasoned event. Organizer David Green has traveled the world competing himself so he has brought all his knowledge to run this show.

All the big names are there - Mary King, William Fox-Pitt, Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks, Andrew Nicholson...on and on and on.

Weather was very windy today - Poggio thought it was very exciting in the warm up - Amy was 6th to go. He is such a character and knows his job - he marched right into that dressage ring and put in a great test for a score of 47.5. Photo is of Amy's halt at X.

The wind picked up even more... Clark went a bit later in the afternoon. Seamus (Up Spirit) was the best he has been all year despite the dressage ring getting blown over during his canter work. Seamus carried on and finished great - the judges didn't agree with us and he got a 51.2. Very frustrating - but we are REALLY proud of Clark!

Mandiba, Mac and Leyland all had a jump today as they don't do their dressage until Saturday. Very good boys all around... ready for the BIG run.
More soon,
Max

Karen and Amy's arrival, cross country school and more...

Hello -
Karen and Amy finally arrived on Thursday a bit red eyed and tired, but happy to see us and the horses. Uneventful flights and a good ride kept the sleep deprived happy. No rest for the weary though. Plans were already being made for gallops and cross country schools and a lorry...
Gina Miles and McKinlaigh arrived early Saturday morning after a LONG trip from Amsterdam - the custom's officials were certain Gina was here to make money and demanded to see her work papers. After and hour and a half, they finally let her go and she and Mac were on the ferry from France to England. Mac looks to be in great form after his trip, not surprising as he is such the veteran.
Sunday Amy and Karen went to a farm owned by a nice lady named Georgina to give the horses a quick cross country school - get their feet wet, jump a ditch and try a few angles... all were very good and much enjoyed the fun.
Big week ahead of us - Barbury starts on Thursday... Clark and Amy with Poggio do their dressage then, while Karen, Gina and Amy with Leyland don't go until Saturday - there are 120 entries (yikes!) in the CIC*** alone! We have vets, selectors, etc. coming to watch every move. Very nervous - hope the horses stay safe AND go well! Everyone has said how beautiful Barbury is - I will try and get photos....
Today the horses got to gallop at Jacdaws (I am probably spelling it wrong!!!) But this gallop is amazing! All weather footing - you pull in to park and then trot down a hill that is a bit sloping and then you are the bottom of this AMAZING hill back up and you hear nothing but the horses breathing as the footing is so great! The photo I took from my UK phone at the gallop - parked on the other side of the driveway.
Lessons with Mark Phillips tomorrow - dressage in the indoor with the mirrors - reality check!
More from Barbury as we can get.... 4th of July will feel a bit different here I am sure.
more later,
Max