WEG: Rain fails to dampen enthusiastic Kiwi eventing fans

The pelting inwards Caen falls mainly on … the eventing venue, making for a dingy fourth dimension for all.

Finally, what nosotros get got all been waiting for, the eventing at the World Equestrian Games get got begun! 

First twenty-four sixty minutes menstruation of dressage too it is raining.

Cutting corners doesn’t create the grass whatever favours.

That’s the finally affair the organisers or the fans wanted, the house was boggy plenty equally it was. We trudged through the mud making the mess simply deeper too wider. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few bales of straw were thrown downwards inwards diverse places.

We heard the machine parking was a shambles, although nosotros got at that spot early on too our wonderful machine go past times that nosotros had struggled so hard to get, gave us princess-like benefits. Other of our colleagues had to green downwards unopen to province lane too walk for 35 minutes to larn into the venue. We likewise heard of colleagues who had booked a shuttle from Caen from the stadium, hopped on too so were taken out to unopen to carpark on the border of Caen. Their express French too the charabanc driver’s express English linguistic communication did come across them going dorsum to the stadium, but no closer to the eventing. The helpful people inwards the primary media centre managed to notice somebody to drive them out inwards a flash novel Land Rover so they ended upward having a lovely trip, although unopen to hours after than they had planned.

The media centre at the eventing is a spacious (at the moment) surface area which fifty-fifty had croissants for breakfast available (at a small-scale cost). The wifi was sporadic at the best however, which made life quite hard for us www dependents. The best nosotros could create is get got i of us based inwards the centre doing the updates from the alive TV too scoring there, too I went out roving, taking photos too interviewing the riders inwards the mixed zone.

Britain’s Oliver Townend too the New Zealand bred thoroughbred, Black Tie, who finished the dressage inwards 21st place.

That plant well, peculiarly for the stationary i recovering from a broken leg!

There was a mixed zone all ready downwards past times the dressage but this was abandoned for unopen to argue too riders started their media duties at the top of the loma with the TV cameras earlier moving along to the other media until finally reaching us humble impress media people.

For me this meant that I wanted to get got photos of the New Zealand riders doing their tests, so so had to hoof it upward the loma to live inwards the mixed zone past times the fourth dimension they were. It likewise meant that I got a twain of skillful shots of the grooms with their charges equally they came upward the same road on the other side of the fence. I dear taking pictures of the grooms with their horses, they are such of import people inwards the squad too get got to go so hard. Grooms that are at WEG are amongst the elite of the eventing world, for their devotion, cognition too go ethics too dedication to their precious horse.

I did get got a few funny experiences inwards establishing the layout of the diverse mixed zones, too at i bespeak found myself correct adjacent to the do arena, amongst Clayton Frederick warming upward i of his Canadian squad members.  Of class I gave Clayton the create goodness of my view inwards equally to what the passenger should create to ameliorate their functioning – NOT!

The tickets to both days of eventing dressage had sold out to a greater extent than or less at i time away when they went on sale. Many inwards New Zealand had stressed out most non having one, too made other plans to maintain ourselves occupied. The friends I am travelling with had i ticket betwixt the 3 of them too planned on sharing this at diverse times of the day.

British eventers, including Zara Phillips, left, too Oliver Townend, right, get got a pow-wow.

However, i time again likely due to our rattling precious machine pass, nosotros all ended upward inwards the venue too the friends discovered that they could all come upward too larn into the dressage equally they pleased. As the stands were never total this did non crusade anyone whatever issues so they thoroughly enjoyed watching all the eventers create their thing, commenting that they idea the judges were a fleck erratic, a fleck harsh on unopen to too generous with others! Whether the weather condition had set people off, or the stands were empty equally the people were silent inwards the queues for either the nutrient stalls or the toilets, nosotros were non sure.

The nutrient stalls were absolutely swamped at lunchtime. From what nosotros tin get together at that spot were most 4 of them too the queues were long, rattling long, too muddy. We get got advised people to convey their ain luncheon too if they can, a chair to sit down on equally at that spot is rattling fiddling seating available peculiarly if you lot desire to maintain your derriere out of the mud. Perhaps they are bringing inwards to a greater extent than nutrient stalls too seating for cross-country day.

With all the beautiful bolangeries inwards the area, it is a unproblematic affair to stock upward on the agency out to the venues too so tuck into the goodies at lunchtime, smugly avoiding all queues.

I won’t bore you lot with my impressions of the diverse dressage tests, at that spot are other far to a greater extent than clever people to create that. I enjoyed watching our Kiwi riders perform on twenty-four sixty minutes menstruation one. Mark Todd is the most skilled telephone technician you lot tin get, he tin squelch marks out of what for many others, would potentially live a pretty average score.

They were likewise dandy inwards the mixed zone, giving everyone some quotable quotes. My favourite i of the twenty-four sixty minutes menstruation was Tim Price describing the cross province equally “a brute of a thing”. Mark wryly suggested that “the French didn’t genuinely remember through what would fall out if it rained”.

I likewise interviewed Michael Jung too am fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of a fan. While this isn’t the start fourth dimension I get got had the privilege of bespeak him unopen to questions, I could non assist but live impressed with the man. He stares correct into your eyes fifty-fifty to a greater extent than intensely than Andrew Nicholson, too doesn’t waiver equally he gives you lot a rattling considered answer. He is impressive, both on too off a horse.

Jonelle Price gives hubby Tim a congratulatory hug after his examination inwards Wesko.

So on twenty-four sixty minutes menstruation two, with 4 Kiwi riders, I volition live upward too downwards that loma similar I am grooming for the novel York marathon. I volition shortly go off anything gained from eating a beautiful three-course repast at an informal NZ supporters’ dinner on Th night, organised past times Francis Stead too Russell Hall, owners of Clifton Promise. About 50 were expected to plough up, but at that spot were 65. We started the repast all seated outside, but the downpour which lasted for most an sixty minutes saw the obliging eatery staff moving us within too upstairs. The nutrient was great, too a twain of brave people tried the local delicacy, tripe, maxim that it was genuinely quite overnice (but I did notice they didn’t quite lick their plates build clean similar the balance of us who had the other offerings).

As it was a beautiful evening, nosotros elected to walk the one-half sixty minutes dorsum to our household through the streets of Caen. We discovered a beautiful city, total of bars too restaurants from which spilled out beautiful (mainly young) people, enjoying themselves. We couldn’t resist seating ourselves on the tables exterior at i such institution too were delighted when the barman arrived out with a bottle of calvados, a few spectacles too proceeded to endeavor to tip the amber liquid at i time downwards the pharynx of i of our party!  His antics were hilarious too nosotros all ended upward having a fabulous nightcap too to a greater extent than laughs.

What a dandy night. What a lovely city.

Wesko too his groom caput for the arena.

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