Another bright morning at 5am with the city already very awake as am I. Jet lag seems to hit around 9am here, but I am pushing on through. A fairly quiet morning with the majority of the horses having a reasonably light training session or a walk through the wonderful wooded area of the training grounds. The arenas are set up as A, B and C and a final arena for dressage, before hitting the main arena. There is also a further "South side" arena, when the 8th american barn is located, but to be honest, no-one is really using this though as it's like being outcast!
A quick check of the stables at lunch time checking the general temperature, humidity and air quality, ensuring the dust particles and CO2 are within limit.
We are still unable to publish any actual picture of facility and arenas until after the opening ceremony which is tomorrow, so then be prepared to be bombarded with images. But for now you will have to just have my Vet bib, which makes me clearly identifiable to all!
As it starts to cool off in the afternoon, the arenas start to get busy, with Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester being some of the first out. What did make me laugh out loud was watching the spilt between the disciplines... The dressage competitors very much "own" arenas A and B, with the eventing teams the "other side of the tracks", in fact the other side of the gallop track. For any dressage riders, you would have probably died if you had seen how many eventers there were all warming up in one arena. I will post the video after the 23rd for sheer giggles..... If that was an Area Festival in the UK, there would have been many tears!
The first horse also used the gallop track today and I was able to not only image it but also image video the horse, again, I will be posting later on in the week regarding this.
The Vet Clinic team could not have been more welcoming and there is very much a sense of team, but with the normal dynamic of the cool kids, the rule benders and the compliers. Now don't get me wrong the rule breaking does not relate to anything regulatory, but more jumping on the bus which isn't yours, working the drink allowance system and the secret gym club....
However, what I have learnt is that there is a real competitive streak happening, and its nothing to do with horses. It's pin badges... So everyone has badges, they are literally badges of honour, but also used as currency. Want something done... offer them a badge, need something, give a badge, want to nip through the barriers, better have some badges on you, want to say thanks, yup you guessed it give a badge! Its early doors for me but I have managed to get 9 so far, but the goal is two lanyards worth, so watch this space.
