Friday, September 24, 2010

Kentucky Horse Park

Friday September 24 2010

We've arrived in Lexington for the World Endurance Championship part of the World Equestrian Games. We got our basics out of the way this afternoon - stop at a camera shop; pick up our credentials (later to discover that photographers Genie and Shelley got credentials only for journalism, not photography!! - which was soon worked out); figure out the shuttle/car parking/walking thing at the Kentucky Horse Park; get our bearings on the course, media tent, vetting in area, and stables; find our hotel; eat; try to fix my broken computer (and fine timing that was.)

Computer is now fixed (knock on wood)(after a trip to Walmart for tools). It's late, and tomorrow will be an early experiment in catching the 45 minute shuttle to the Kentucky Horse Park for the vetting in, which begins at 9 AM.

The Kentucky Bluegrass is more Brown Grass - it must be very dry here - but a 'cold front' is moving through, dropping a little rain tonight, and dropping the temperatures from 95* to 75*. I optimistically did not bring good rain gear, so I expect it won't rain for the Endurance Race on Sunday. Forecast is for clear skies and 76*.

We've heard rumors that Jean Louis LeClerc, the French chef d'equipe was fired on Monday but nobody knows why. We heard a Dutch horse colicked and died, but it wasn't an endurance horse. Belgian rider Karin Boulanger's endurance horse Poespass did colick in quarantine in Cincinnati and was operated on there - no word on how he is doing. We just heard Ellen Rapp's horse Smokey Berjo came up lame so she is out of the WEC - alternate Deborah Reich and DJB Juniper will be on the US Team. Tough luck for Ellen! (But good luck Deborah!)

Endurance horses have moved from other training grounds (like the US moved from Shaker Village) into the Kentucky Horse Park today.

You can follow tweets from and others at

Otherwise, I'll be posting endurance stories and pictures as I can get to them - probably in the evenings!


  1. Hi!! Welcome to my neck of the woods! Yes our vibrant grasses are burnt out. We've not had any rain worth mentioning in about 3 months and everything is timber dry. =(

    I'd allow a bit more time for travel though.

    Good luck at WEG !!!

  2. I love reading your snippets and 'real life' experiences of the WEG - the horse and rider updates, etc. Looking forward to more. I don't know why, but next to dressage, endurance fascinates me the most of all disciplines, and they are obviously very different.
    You have a great lifestyle! Congratulations on building it. I'm sure it's taken tons of hard work and talent.

  3. Merri buenas noches en España, ya veo que estas en tu puesto de trabajo con tu ordenador arreglado, esperamos con ansiedad tus cronicas de la carrera de mañana, y a pesar de tu idea de que gane tu equipo, esperemos que nos des buenas noticias y repitamos el triplete de los mundiales.
    Saludos de Gabriel.

  4. Exciting news for sure. I am really going to appreciate your take on the events.

    In the meantime, have a great time!

  5. Sounds like there is a lot going on. I look forward to following the event through your posts.