Chatt Hills Halloween Style by Rebecca Howard

People, dogs and of course children reminded us all that is was the last day of October and we should be dressed up eating candy. The prize givers were also in costume... but host Carl Bouckaert was not!

All our horses were very good and Dana, Susan and I kept the positions that we had going into the SJ ring.The courses again were the stamp of Mark Donovan, and were really good tracks. I have to say also that the footing in the arenas was really good. The first time I rode here was this May and the footing was still new, this week end it felt even better then at the AEC's.

It is strange to be driving home from the last event of the year for The Fork crowd. Quite a year it has been, and this was a nice one to end on. The negative is now dealing with the backed up traffic on I-85.... Agggggh think it is going to be a long drive home.

Chatt Hills by Rebecca Howard

It is a much less busy Chatt Hills then that of 2 months ago for the AECs. It was amazing how many horses this place absorbed for that weekend, although there is a good turnout this weekend, we have a great luxury of space… and parking! The farm looks like it recovered well from the trampling of people and horses in September, and with the help of recent rain the ground for today’s XC was quite good. You can still see the gallop path that was put up the hill for the US WEG horses to gallop on while here for their training camp.

For us at the Fork this weekend was supposed to be about Dana…. the Dana Cooke is my right hand girl and the one that kept everything ticking along at the Fork while I was on the road so much this summer and fall. Dana and Indy were to do her first 2* this week end. I am here to coach a few, ride one and was looking forward to being Dana’s groom for a change! Her past intermediates have gone very very well and we were really excited for her to get this notch in her belt. Unfortunately instead she got to learn the frustrating lesson with horses… her pony got hurt the week before… and we had to scratch her the day before leaving. The few days prior to departure we were still optimistic that we could get it sorted, but unfortunately no. Indy should not be benched for long at all, but the timing of course sucked.

I did not get to watch any of the 2* go this morning… was too busy riding my training horse a few long times (he is learning that even though it is cold out, you have to do dressage!) So to those of you that were in the warm up arena with me and had to quickly dart out of my way… I apologize. Archie was just trying to get warm…real cute I know. Susan Beebee and her fancy Wolf horse were… fancy… and are in 3rd in the Prelim, Dana is in 2nd on her novice horse and Archie and I are in 5th, all The Fork ponies were very good xc.

Hope to watch the 1 and 2 star horses tomorrow… imagine John Holling will have a sleepless night as he only has a 14 point lead in the one star!