The times they are a…

published…

Saturday’s pony party British Eventing One Day Event calls us for:

This means a horribly early start.

• Allow an hour for travel to the ODE = 07.18
• Allow another hour for working-in = 06.18
• Allow another hour for putting travel boots/bandages on, loading up. And then at the other end, checking in, tacking up, getting changed = 05.30 leave the yard.
• Allow another 45 minutes to get up, eat, shower, dress and drive to the yard = 04.45.

So that’s a 4am alarm then.

I’ve told Soph that she can stay in bed, I wouldn’t expect her to turn out for all that – although she has said she’d like to be there for all three phases.

Memo to self: get the camera tripod out and put it with the video camera.

Today we schooled on grass – for the first time this year – and schooled around white dressage markers, to simulate the first phase.

Tomorrow morning we’ll pop around an eight-element show-jumping track in the outdoor arena and then go for a hack.

In the afternoon Tom’s being prettied up (again!) and having his mane plaited.

While that’s going on I will drive up to the Event venue to walk the show-jumping and cross-country tracks; as you can see from my times, I won’t have time to do these things on Saturday!

What fun!