More Cones Practice

Here are some photos I took at the latest cones practice:

Wendy intent on a clear round

Wendy on the move

Getting those adjustments just right

Laurie takes her turn

Suzy watches on

Randy taking a call after her clear round

Lots of Things Going On.....

Once again internet access has been spotty and I have spend most of the time available to be online getting bumped off over and over again. Hopefully today will be a lucky day!


Earlier in the week we found a Sushi place that was rather unique - the Sushi bar was made around a oval 'river' where small wooden boats floated around in a line, each with it's load of Sushi! You just plucked off whatever appealed to you as it sailed on by. It was a fun idea, the Sushi was ok, not wonderful but not scarey, either.

Suzy, Jennifer and Shelly enjoying the floating sushi

We made a trek to a sand arena about 4 kilometers away to practice cones. Most of our journey was through the village streets

The footing here was very similar to the footing at Lipica, and we had an excellent practice. There was some betting on who would have the best score, those wise men that bet on me were victorious :)


More dressage practice, more hazard practice, more cones exercises, we are all making progress!

This past weekend, there was a medival festival in Dreieichaim, around the castle, from Friday until Sunday afternoon. This is the largest in Germany and drew a very large crowd. My camera was misbehaving most of this time so the majority of my pictures did not come out, but here are a few that did:

You could be bathed in the communal tub

Xenia, Warrior Princess

Fran trying bread on a stick, a popular snack

There was excellent people watching during the festival, lots of  people dressed in different centuries,  a man dragging around a woman on a chain, a man with an owl, a woman with a falcon, lots of knights in armor, women and men dressed in every conceivable way and lots of kids, too. A very, very lively crowd.

Some Random Photos



This large Rooster hung out all day at the Egg Sellers booth at the Farmers Market in Mainz, preening.



Doesn't everyone?

The Colonel gets around....





This one's for you, Nancy!
 These two had a black boat bumper that they were using for a game of Tug O' War



Training Time and a Bit of Sightseeing....

We have been busy training each day to be our best at the Championship. Each evening Michael posts a schedule for the following day, and keeps us to date on plans for the week. He gets input from each of us about what we would like to work on and adds his ideas.



Michael and Fred's Training Field

 There is a good training field just up the hill from the barn with a grass arena, dirt arena, a permanent hazard and several portable elements. There is plenty of room for cones, too.

When we got back from Minden, I gave Cooper a few days off, then it was time for some hazard practice. I asked Michael that morning if he would like me to learn some hazards (there are some marked at the training field) and he smiled and told me no, that I would follow him. Not sure what that meant but I soon found out!

When we were ready to begin, he ran through the hazards, making all sorts of turns and had me chase him! It actually worked really well as it made me (and Cooper) think quick, focus ahead, and it was fun! We did that a number of times with different twists and turns in both the portable and permanent hazards, then he gave me a pattern to drive, turning right, then left, then right and so on. I got braver about getting closer to the elements (sometimes too close but these were the portable elements, fortunately forgiving). We got a good workout and we got to work on our timing.

Since the footing at the Championship for dressage and cones will be on sand, Michael made arrangements for us to ship to a local place with sand to practice cones. It was a big production to get all the ponies and equipment loaded and moved, as well as the cones.

Getting everything there

As soon as we got there, Michael and his crew got busy setting up a challenging course. We all had time to walk the course and get our ponies ready, then it was time to drive. The sand was quite deep in this arena, and there was a lot of sliding going on. It was deeper than he had planned, but we all got some time in learning how our carriages handled and the ponies sure got a good workout!

Michael puts Laurie's ponies through their paces for a double clear


Michael was not happy with the footing as he thought it was too deep. He has found another practice field to use and we will drive the ponies over on Thursday for more cones practice.


Between lessons we have been driving out in the forest nearby, and I have also been riding Cooper.

After working Cooper each day, we have been trying to do some local sightseeing. Fran has done a wonderful job finding interesting places to see. One day we went to a nearby city called Mainz and Fran somehow found the town square and there was a wonderful outdoor farmer's market surrounding a beautiful cathedral. There were many lovely buildings in the square. 

The next day we went to see a castle, Burg Eltz, which has been in the same family for thirty three generations. It was located in a picturesque valley near the Mosel River. We took a tour through many rooms of the castle. The original tapestries, furniture and artwork is still there and very impressive.

That area is famous for wine making and it was amazing to see how the grapevines were growing on nearly vertical slopes. How they care for the vines and harvest the grapes I do not know as it looks impossible to stand up on those hills.

Monday after I worked Cooper, we went to nearby Bad Holmburg. Fran used his festival radar and we came across a Lantern Festival, which spanned about a mile of city streets blocked off from traffic. There was every conceivable type of food available and we had a great lunch sampling German fare.

This is a very small park next to Michael's training field with this unusual sculpture.

We are very curious about what this sign says, can one of our German reading friends enlighten us?





The Laurels at Landhope CDE

The Laurels is this coming weekend. It's the first time I have missed the Laurels since I began competing in 1997 :(  It's always been my hometown event where I get to see my family and friends and see how much Chester County has changed. This year is the 25th Anniversary of the Laurels and they will host the 2011 USEF National Four In Hand Championship.

Check it out at www.laurelscde.org  I am proud to say my daughter Kana Grogan manages the website. There are several good raffles and some clothing already available online. The US Pony drivers are hoping to Skype from Germany to the Laurels to say hi.

Great sport, great vendors and a good time, I hope you will go support the show!

Minden

After a week of radio silence :) I have internet access again! Sorry not to keep you better updated, though it sounds like the scores were available online quickly.

We arrived in Minden on Tuesday afternoon. The organizing committee of the show sent the vans of their sponsored drivers, Daniel Schneiders and Dennis Schneiders (brothers) to pick us up. Eight ponies left the farm, along with all their equipment.

A quick stop on the way for some American food.....

Fran and I, along with Suzy camped at the show in one of the trailers (like a Toy Hauler) which was set up with beds and cabinets. Jennifer and Wendy brought their trucks and cargo trailers so they used those to get their equipment to the show. Their grooms, Amy, Andy, Brenda and Dirk also camped out.


The show was held on the grounds next to the Grewe Company, a large company that makes ‘Wintergardens’ or sunrooms, windows, and solar energy panels. The company takes up a few blocks and their employees seemed totally committed to producing a top show. We arrived and set up our American camp in an area just outside the tent stabling. Although there were many horses in the barns, as many or more used their vans and portable stabling instead. There were all types of vans and campers, some pretty opulent and some very basic, but all workable for people and their ponies.


It was very cool to be at a show with just FEI Ponies. Entries were 33 single ponies, 45 pairs of ponies and 19 four in hands. Eight countries were represented and it was the German National Pony Championship as well as the German team selection trial and last chance to qualify ponies for the World Championship. Apparently the German qualification criteria for the World’s is more strict than that of the FEI!


We settled in and found a grocery store just around the corner with quite a good bakery. Chocolate croissants soon became the favorite breakfast of some of the American camp – not naming any names here :)


There was a large grass warmup area just across the street from the nicely appointed dressage area, a bit bumpy but plenty of room for everyone. Farm fields surround the area, and a crop of oats had just been harvested. We walked down a grid of roads to get everywhere on the grounds. It was a busy place, with people from the show coming and going with ponies, bicycles and cars, mixed in with people from the surrounding area just going for a walk or bike ride, or taking their baby carriage out. It was congested and close quarters, which just seemed the norm. I'm finding that we are used to more 'personal space' in American than seems to be way here in Germany.


The weather was quite warm the first few days, hitting the low nineties. We worked our ponies under the watchful eye of Fred Freund. Michael was coaching the US Team at the World Pairs Championship held the same weekend as Minden.

Wednesday was the vet check.



Suzy and Josie waiting for their turn



Laurie with one of her ponies



Randy and Kabam



Fran and Cooper, two good looking guys :)



Luc jogging under the watchful eye of the ground jury

 On Thursday the pair ponies did dressage, followed by half the four in hands. Jennifer and Wendy placed well, as did Laurie who did the last test of the day. It's probably easiest to go to DrivingNews.us and see the scores there than for me to try to remember them all.


Thursday night there was a Nation’s Night party in a decorated warehouse on the grounds. Each country brought some food and drink to share. The US had S’mores along with Jack Daniel shots. The ceiling of the building was decorated in a very unique way, with hundreds of umbrellas.

Friday, our dressage day, rain was forecast but it was bright and sunny for our go. We had a good consistent test to score 43.39. We took the lead and maintained it. Suzy and Randy both had good tests and our placings were me first, Suzy second and Randy seventh. Pretty good for us to all be in the top ten in such good company!


A course walk was held in two shifts. A farm tractor pulled several hay wagons along with straw bales for us to sit on. There was a case of beer to share, and we toured the nearby countryside. Some roads and some farm paths took us through some lush farmland.

Friday afternoon while the four in hands were doing dressage, a storm came up with lightning, rain and hail. I was out walking hazards and didn't mind getting soaked by the rain (it was hot ) but had to duck for cover as the hail stung! I felt sorry for the drivers getting ready for their tests.



Hail

Friday evening the prize giving was held aboard a ship that toured the canals and nearby river. We went through a lock to go down to river level. No food (we were warned beforehand and got a quick dinner) but drinks were served. Single pony awards were given first, and I was the first name called. I went to get my ribbon (first place is gold here) and was awarded a nice cordless drill as a prize. I went to sit down but was motioned over to stay up there. As each prize was awarded, hands were shaken all around, and then when everyone was given their ribbon, we were to take a ‘Victory Gallop’ on foot around the floor among the competitors. With sandals on I lead the tour, at a pace described by Suzy as a working walk :) Lots of clapping, and then the pairs were awarded, another lap around, and then the fours. It was a nice evening but we were ready for a good night’s sleep before the marathon.



The night sky before the rain started



It rained all night Friday night and was still raining Saturday morning. The weather turned much colder the rest of the weekend.

We spent every available moment walking the hazards. Eight long hazards, fairly technical, well decorated and all in close proximately for easy viewing. Suzy and Randy went early. By the time we went it was still raining and a bit slippery. We had planned to take it easy in the hazards and not take any risks. The hazards were torn up quite a bit but not very deep. No mistakes in routes but we did have a ball down on a hard turn in Hazard 3. Cooper finished up the 17K plus course without breaking a sweat. At the end of the course we were greeted with a glass of champagne, a nice touch. We were chilled to the bone afterwards and very happy to get warm and dry.

As the day went on the rain stopped except for some brief exceptions. A steady wind helped to dry out the course for the pairs and four in hands. The pairs were FAST! The four in hands were, too, but some hazard damage in that class which was very quickly fixed by the grounds crew.

One of Jennifer's ponies banged his leg and he was unable to do the marathon. She started with her other two ponies but did not do Section E or the hazards. He is fine now. FEI rules say that you must start each competition (dressage, marathon) in order to do the next competition, thus she was able to do cones on Sunday.

There was another party and award ceremony on Saturday night. Each party started late by our standards at 8 PM. We ate and waited until 9:30 but still no awards. We asked Suzy to forgive us for leaving and getting some sleep. Per Suzy the awards went much the same as dressage awards, with both Randy and Suzy taking part. Their victory gallop really was a gallop, Suzy said they ran flat out around the building!

Cones day the course was ready for walking at 7 AM with a start time of 8 AM. Singles went first. I got up early and braided Cooper, and left to walk, while Fran put his studs in and got him clean and shiny. The course was measured quite short (we estimated the distance at 100 meters longer than the advertised distance) and included a trip down a rather steep hill and up again, and through the saloon hazard right next to two large fiberglass horses and several times around a herder and his sheep (not real but scary).

I went first of the Americans as I was standing in 12th at that point. Cooper was really sharp and our focus was good, and we came double clear. I was happy to have Fran on the back around some of the tight turns and up and down the hill.

Randay was next and was clear with some time penalties. Suzy had some bad luck and had a number of balls knocking her down from 2nd place to 11th. Randy moved up to 2nd and we moved up to 5th place.

There was a nice ceremony just following our class, first for cones placing (we placed second). A nice tradition was that each competitor touched whips with those of either side and said 'Congratulations'. We did our cones victory gallop (trot, really) several times, and then the overall placing were presented in the same way. Then we were asked to step back and the German National Championships were presented, then we all did our victory trot together.

Next the pairs and then four in hands did cones. I snapped a few photos so you could see the course (and the Saloon hazard in the background.

I was very pleased with Cooper all weekend. Minden was a very well run and impressive show, and we were made to feel very welcome there. I really appreciate being invited to compete there and it was a great warmup for the Worlds.

Pairs World Championship this week

Here's the link:  http://www.avscompetition.com/

Hope you speak French! Results will also be available on http://www.hoefnet.com/

Good luck to our US Team:  Misdee, Joe and Kati! We are cheering you on!