from the WEC; Compiegne, France

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Lari Shea larishea@hotmail.com
Hi Ridecampers everywhere;

It's Lari Shea here, wearing the "ridecamp press corp" Tee shirt & official pass, with some good news from behind the scenes. (and typing on a French keyboard, with many keys in new and strange locations....)

Best news:  Your prayers have been answered...Darla is feeling and healing great; she mounted up from a milk crate with no assistance, and headed out for a ride on RamsZ this morning!  She's wearing a figure "8" brace around her shoulders which seems to be holding the broken ends of her clavicle in place without grating.  We are in a fabulous position as a Team, with six shining horses sound, fit, and ready for action.  All trotted out for our two team vets, Nancy Elliot and Mike Foss, this morning with big smiles and thumbs up all around.

The weather, which had been rather cool and rainy, is now sunny and warming up.  But the breeze is refreshing, and we could have any kind of temp/humidity on ride day.

We're very lucky to have the ulitmate in team coaches: Becky Hart, Sandy Shuler and Lori Stewart have been here all week to share their expertise with our eager to learn more riders.

Our team of six plus Valerie makes for 7 good looking women who are becoming even more comely thanks to the ministrations of Rita, who has been crimping curls and touching up eyelashes for her fellow competitors.  It's really wonderful to see the cameraderie between the U.S. team members and support crew, who number more than 100 volunteers, not counting family and immediate crew for each horse.  The event hasn't even started, and already we're counting our blessings in having such dedicated supporters in the endurance community.

Yesterday we moved all the horses over to the official stabling in the Hippodrome, where the atmosphere is like a grand carnival celebating Endurance, with a captial "E".  I particularly liked the description of the sport in the official press package: "horse racing in the natural setting, as opposed to the race course."  I always knew we were part of the back to nature movement.

Personally, I'm crewing for Steph and Nature's Khruschev, son of my Russian Orlov stllion Nature's Ballet....I'm sort of the grandmother.  Part of the thrill of these international events is renewing friendships with folks from other countries...alredy I've shared hugs with Henrique Garcia from Brazil, who leased Nature's Nikita for a completion at last year's Pan Ams, and Carolina Garcia from Spain, who, with her brother, leased horses from me for the Kansas Worlds, as well as many friends and leasors from Australia.  Viva International!

Folks are beginning to stand in line for a chance at this free internet machine, so I'd better start to share before I wreck the repputation of the U.S....

I'll try to jot down a few thoughts daily, but for the 24 hours of the event, please read the official webpage for news atwww.france-endurance.com.

Ciao,

Lari