To Rolex and Home...

We arrived home safely in the wee hours of Monday morning, all very tired but glad to be home! Isabella was tucked in safely for the night, a few more carrots, and to bed we all went!

First thing Monday we jogged Isabella and she looked great, Chris Adair was certainly happy to have Isabella home! Although she did fly to Kentucky to watch us we had only a limited number of passes into the stabling area, so she did not get to see her as much as she is used to! ( I think both Chris and Isabella were in withdrawals!)

Monday was a day of unpacking and organizing! There is so much equipment for both horse and rider when you pack to leave for one of these competitions, it seems to double by the time you get home!! Now part of that this time, was because of all the wonderful gifts that we received for being a competitor at Rolex, my most prized of these, being a beautiful green with gold trim, monogrammed “2009 Rolex Three Day Event” wool cooler for Isabella, and for me a “2009 competitor” monogrammed hat :) I will treasure them!

I was of course, disappointed not to have been able to complete the competition, but this was, without a doubt, one of the greatest highlights of my life. What an honor to be at Rolex, Kentucky, competing against some of the best horses and riders in the world. Of all the years to go, this was truly a great one! Because Kentucky is hosting the World Equestrian Games in 2010 nine countries sent team members to compete here and get a feel for the course. I believe this is a record for Rolex and Isabella and I got to be there :)

This was a tremendous goal for me to achieve, and I can honestly tell you that I have learned so much in the last week. There is little to prepare you for the tremendous atmosphere that a competition of that magnitude, creates, and certainly there is NOTHING to prepare you for the size and technicality of the course!! But I leave Rolex behind for 2009 with my sights on another year…………………..I have learned and grown, Isabella has become a Four Star horse and we made it to Rolex and home!

I have received the most amazing support from my friends, my clients and my family all around the world. That in itself is the greatest gift of all, my family, my friends and my clients followed me to Rolex and home. If not in person, in spirit and love. I have received so many phone calls and emails from you all, congratulating me on my achievement of competing at Rolex, I am a stronger and better person for the experience that all the ups and the downs of this journey offered me.

A special thank you to Chris (my Chris) who quietly and stoically supported me these last weeks, the tears, the smiles, the laughter, the fear, the joy. Never once getting angry or fed up with my emotions, he is truly the most wonderful man that I could ever have in my life. My father, Jeremy and his wife Jan, for breeding such and amazing horse, and selling her to me four years ago! For all those dressage lessons, (I still need lots more). And of course for flying to Kentucky and keeping me calm with 3 minutes to go!!! To Lesley, my best friend who has been my greatest supporter for the past 11 years! To Phillip for making me the rider I am today, in 1996 when I rode around my first CCI* I would never have believed you if you told me I would go to Rolex in 2009 :)

To all those who have helped me with Isabella: Chris Adair, who has loved and cared for her, walked her in the pouring rain, trotted her in the freezing cold, and groomed her until she has shone! Malin who trotted and groomed her for hours! T who has been there each and every day (well almost) for the four years of Isabella’s eventing career, Todd my farrier, Kevin my vet. And everyone else……………………………………… Thank you. Thank you.

With this I end my “Road to Rolex Blog” but I thank each and every one of you for following me and supporting me. So many of you have said you will miss them. I too will miss them, I have enjoyed the opportunity to share my thoughts and my emotions with each and every one of you. I will do it again, I promise……………………………………… To ROLEX 2010!!