Dear Rita,
It’s time to start planning for the summer and the U.S. Selection Trials! Ugh. Travelling is, generally speaking, what I DO. But not for six to 12 weeks at a time, so this is going to get interesting.
First, I have to buy more underwear. My mother has offered to travel with me and do my laundry, but I prefer to maintain my sanity for the time I am Stateside. So…more underwear!!
Gizmo is going with me of course. I never go anywhere without my assistant trainer, and, as far as I know, he has no visa problems. His passport has as many stamps in it as mine. So that is one seat on the plane…
I plan to leave Germany around July 1 with one to two horses, the groom and the dog. OK, now we are up to five seats on the plane. I’ve gotten that far at least! But what will we do after quarantine? None of us are good campers. Gizmo is a Hotel Hound—he shed all over the Ritz Intercontinental during the Cannes 5* last summer—and Cadillac is afraid of tents, so I think we will need a real stable as a training base for the month of July.
Here is what I am looking for:
1) Safe, big boxes, preferably with windows to the outside.
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2) Top quality footing that is maintained every day both indoors and out.
3) Mirrors in the indoor. A 20m x 60m outdoor.
4) Use of the facilities between 6-9 a.m. I like to ride early. I don’t need to ride alone, but I do prefer as much privacy as possible as I want to concentrate during this time.
5) Free run of the farm and stables during the morning hours for my errant dog, who is very polite and knows his way around a horse business and gets along with all people and dogs and would be happy to provide Corgi stud service while he is there but only if asked. Whoa—that sentence ran right through my half-halt!
6) Accommodation for my groom and me.
7) Trails would be nice.
8) A good deal. I’ll be borrowing a lot of money to make it through this adventure. Big sigh.
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Rita, do I ask too much? I’m just getting warmed up! I’ll be moving on to transportation next week.
I can cook and tell good stories—both with pleasure—in exchange for a quiet, professional place to ride my top horses under the supervision of my top trainer, Gizmo Running Bear. And since I have no sponsor this year, I’m going to need some help from my friends.
Any takers within a 100-150 mile radius of Gladstone? Unfortunately I haven’t spent much time on the east coast of our great country, so my contacts are limited there. Please contact me if you have any ideas.
In the meantime, one of my students recently asked me to make a video of my stretching routine for her to follow. But I found some other ladies doing a close copy of my routine on YouTube. You have to get through the singing part first—the suppleness training starts after one minute. Call your doctor before attempting this at home. Maybe he will get there in time.
I’m Catherine Haddad, and I’m sayin it like it is from Vechta, Germany.
Training Tip of the Day: Good riding, footing and shoeing are the best maintenance for any equestrian athlete.
