So everything seems to happen in August! I got unexpected work as equine teacher at the equine collage in Kaustinen, a school that educated grooms specialized in taking care of trotting race horses (but also farriers etc.) and on program was also combined driving competition last weekend, breeding evaluation show at Wednesday and would have been performance classes finals at Sunday - which we just had to leave for others - and in two weeks we take Gwaihir Ax, a yearling colt, to southern Finland for onward transport to Denmark where he is sold as stallion potential! And if this would not be enough Undying Lands a standardbred trotter bred by us and sold to Sweden as yearling has taken two victories on races, too! So a lot of exciting things has been going on.
At the mare and foal assessment we showed Jenniefer with I (gold) as well as her 2 year old filly Humledals Nayeli, also Gwaihir Ax got I. Eowyn Ax 2 yr old filly and Nenya Ax, Jenniefers summer foal got II (silver). Eowyn was not at all as she is normally and we think they have some kind of flu as some others also have now snot in their noses as Eowyn did after the show.
Eowyn Ax, 2 yr old filly, II (silver)
Mare Jenniefer I (gold), filly foal Nenya Ax II (silver)
Humledals Nayeli I (gold)
Gwaihir Ax I (gold)
So last week on Friday we packed our caravan car and my friends trailer with two persons belongings, two ponies and their equipment and headed for Southern Finland and Salo and the combined driving competition at Wiurila Mansion. We stopped many times as summer finally arrived in Finland and it was over +20 C degrees, pit stops where made of course at Hööks and Viljar Shop horse equipment stores perfectly situated along the way to Salo :D It took 10 hours to get there...
When we arrived the first thing was to get the trailer parked (easily said than done in a very narrow spot), accommondate the ponies and give them hay and water, find a grocery store, then off to the dressage and cones arena which we found out was not at Wiurila but 1,5 km away and to there learn the cones track as the competition was a two day event and dressage and cones was driven after one another at Saturday. After we thought we could drive the cones off we went to the stables and took the ponies for a walk. Then as we did not want to panic in the morning with our early starts, we put the carriages back together as they had to be in pieces for the transport. Finally at 23 o'clock we got much needed sleep. We also realized that the timetable for Saturday did not match with what was said in the invitation, where my friends class was mentioned to be last of the day, that had made us think we had lots of time to be grooms for each other as I knew from experience that my easy level class would probably be first of the day. But they had changed the timetables and so our classes was after one another in the morning and now with the 1,5 km drive in both directions for both our Shetlands (not going very fast...) and of course it was sunny and a very hot ay right from the morning. So we decided that my friend drives her pony to the competition and I drive there with the caravan car and go to the competition office to explain the problem, that I come back with my pony as fast as it is possible to be able to start in my class and that we did not expect this timetable problem as the invitation said we had plenty of time. The arranger promised to move me last in the group if I would not get in time back, so one stress factor less. My friend drove a nice first start ever in combined driving and I headed back to the stable to harness Ivanhoe.
As we then walked and walked to the competition arena I thought we would dry out before we get there it was so so hot and Ivanhoe was already sweatty after just walking! He has his wintercoat on its way already poor thing! But I think he did a very nice dressage program and has certainly developed from last years single competitions so I was very pleased. I then drove the cones with a clear round but not very fast as I wanted to spare him a bit after the long drive from home to the competition and due the hot weather.
Ivanhoe still goes easlily both under bit and with mouth open
But the good parts are very good and we get more of this
Both bowing in the end :)
Ivanhoe is usually fast at cones, he knows the point of it and as a former trotting pony he just keeps on going, in easy level in Finland we are not allowed to gallop
Then it was again a walk back to the stables and grooming to pony, hay and water and then some food for the coaches too :) At Sunday I would drive marathon so we had four marathon obsticles with just three ports/gates to learn but as it was so easy, it was done quickly. Then again some pony grooming and in the evening the coaches dinner.
Wiurila mansion, well not the mansion but their old farmhouse for cattle! Nowadays a place for meetings, weddings etc. Here we had our coaches dinner
At Sunday morning we got up early and packed everything we could ready and drove the trailer to another place because it would have been difficult to get it away from its previous place due to the marathon route. At 10 o'clock we took Ivanhoe and harnessed and I started driving towards start as my start time was 10.35. Suddenly I realized the left tire was empty! I turned around and thought I need a miracle to get to the startline in time, had no idea if we even had an air pump with us... Shouted to my friend to go and tell the competiton office and as it was a camping trailer I saw them giving my friend a pump. So she pumped and pumped and we then realize the tire was broken and would not keep the air in. Suddenly she said, stupid us, we have HER gig, too! At this point the clock was ticking fast at it was already 10.15, we stood 250 meter from the trailer and her gig was in pieces for the transport, we had 20 minutes. We unharnessed Ivanhoe and I quickly took the notes, spare whip and knife off my gig and we run to our car, my friend started screwing the shafts and the seat and I held Ivanhoe and taped the notes and knife on the new carriage and added the carriage number. Then we had to fit the traces to the gig and can you imagine - we made it!!! I even had time to calm done a few minutes before my turn! Unbelievable! And this was two persons who worried in beforehand how we can manage the technical bit of the sport without men :D I would say faster than with them!
Oh yes, I sit a bit low here but we made it :D
Marathon then went fluently except one miss at the third obsticle where Ivanhoe probably though himself that the next gate was in front of us and did not answer to my turning aids and so we ended up with his nose against a pole but a quick turn and off we went again. I was then surprised that we still placed second after all the trouble both in marathon and in total results! This was a class with 7 participants and the others where all bigger ponies and horses and one overheigh shetland. Ivanhoe was groomed and washed and then we packed once again before driving back home, 9 hours this time. I can tell you I slept well when I finally got my head on the pillow back home at midnight!
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