When I looked at the 2013 eventing calendar earlier in the year, I thought to myself, this year is going to be AWESOME! At first glance, I saw that in the first few months of the season, there’d be an event every fortnight – which filled me with excitement and dread at the same time. How would Mack take it, me nicking off every two weeks leaving him with two of the three kids that frequently? Well, it seems that I haven’t really had to worry about that. I didn’t end up entering SIEC (wasn’t that a stroke of genius as it was turned into a combined training event thanks to the rain!), and I had to scratch from Scone. With all the wet weather we’d been experiencing recently, Astro got an abscess in his hoof as well as some other mysterious issue. Despite being 90% sound on the Thursday, John and I decided that driving for 7.5 hours on the off chance he’d be OK just wasn’t an option.
This means that by the time we get to Berrima this weekend, it will have been six weeks since I’ve ‘been away’ (which is just as well, as I hopefully have saved up enough brownie points for my adventure in May … did I tell you I’m heading off to UK to visit a very exciting three day event … more of that next time).
This was our camp site – it was more than a reasonable stroll to the loo from our campsite –
thankfully John camped right next to the shower block so we could stop and have a coffee
Whilst missing out on Scone was disappointing, there was a so called upside to this – we went away camping with the family (so Mack could go fishing). Like most of us, I really enjoy Hamish Cargill’s ability to sum up our sport, especially when he reminds us how stark raving mad we are to do what we do. However, I think I’ve decided that fishermen are almost as crazy. My presence seemed to have turned the fish off the bite, but it did lure in the yabbies – we bought home about 100 of the yummy beauties. Mack stayed up until about 2am walking along the shore with a net, scooping yabbies up from the shallows of the lake (see? Utter madness if you ask me). It turns out my kids actually love yabbies, I was flat out peeling them to keep up with the demand!
I may not have won an Olympic medal but I made it onto the front cover of The Eventer!
This month’s issue of ‘The Eventer’ magazine features yours truly on the front cover. Never have I been more astounded, as this honour is usually reserved for NSW riders who’ve been to the Olympics, or won a 4* CIC or some such achievement, not mothers of three whose particular claim to fame is usually coming dead last (which some friends claim is actually hard, but since I do this frequently, I think they might be reconsidering this). It might have helped that the photographer was Thomas Gillis, son of the editor Alison Duthie and it is a jolly good photo, if I may say so!
So I’ve entered Berrima and am going to give the 105 class a crack again. I’ve ridden there at that level three times so far, and not gone clear cross country yet – no one can say I’m not persistent, if not consistent! I have heard that it is the definition of insanity to do things repeatedly and get the same result … but honestly I am TRYING to go clear!
Ready for the off ...
The balloon festival has been on in Canberra for the last week, and we have some good friends who have a balloon, called Black Magic (and being a kiwi – I’m kind of fond of him!), and it is the one with big white eyes. We help with inflation and being the retrieve crew, and have for several years, but this time it was a bit different because the children got to have a ride. It was kind of scary looking up at it knowing it was my family that high (they got to 3500ft). I was relieved to have the happy bunch back on the ground, but I have to admit I enjoyed the peace and quiet while they were up there.
Dont you just love the white eyes!
Have a great month – and thanks for reading this far especially if you’re not family – they have to read to the end!
Kate
