Biltmore (one tuff cookie..Ann Ayala

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debbie zanot darkcat5@yahoo.com
I could whine that neither my husband or I finished the 100, but
 I count it as a learning experience. When I was about 11 years 
young there was an old horse trader with blue eyes that twinkled
who was much like a sleazy used car dealer.When someone would
flip out on him for the bum horse he sold them he would look them
in the eyes and say with a slow drawl: "W-a-l-l-l ya gotta pay
to go to school." Those words of wisdom have stuck with me all
my life. The vets were a wealth of knowledge worth paying for
and the Guelph Research team incredible. I signed my horse up
for study and it is comforting to know that I KNOW my horse
and the results and figures of what was going on inside my horse 
where no vet can see were confirming what I knew wasn't right 
with my horse. It was great to quit, leave my horse eat grass 
and drink for 2 hours and go back for more blood work and another
vet exam and have a healthy happy horse to compete with for the
rest of the season. I paid to go to school... and every ride is
another lesson if you care to study...and of course pay...:-)

Ann Ayala: Now there is one tuff cookie!!! Gene and I have run
the Elk Valley Ride (NE) for going on 9 years, so we know how 
"stuff happens" and both of us still have been unable to master
what Ann has. I watched her for "signs" of going brain dead
throughout the entire day and night as much as I could but I saw
nothing...COOL>>CONTROL>>> NO blank staring looks,no shrillness
of voice, and I don't think she hid at all!!! Ann you are one
TUFF COOKIE!!!!! I hope you are sitting in an armchair sipping
a mint julip, and hiding out for a few days where noone can
call your name. :-)
Don't be to rough on International...It takes MUCHO dedication
and self dicipline and time and money to get in there and go 
for it.  If we want to send a team to the WEC we have to have 
FEI rides in the USA. Ann was brave enough to have the darn thing
even with all the entries she had, she did a darn good job of
making everyone feel welcome. Don't worry about FEI taking over
all the good rides there aren't that many people in the
International set and if you don't like a duel sanctioned FEI
rides don't go....but I am sure it will get better NOT worse..
Give her a break...can't get it all right the first time...

HUMOR:
It was v-e-r-y annoying trying to figure out the "mazes"
to get where you needed to go...and all but damn it was pretty 
funny!! One gentleman FEI official all duded up in a suit and
lookin' p-r-e-t-t-y  ominous in the beginning deteriorated
rapidly as the day turned into nite.The last time I saw him
his suit was rumpled and askew, hat crooked, and he had that 
blank "brain dead" stare...His lower lip was slack and I think 
he may have been drooling alittle...couldn't be sure it was dark.
His gait was off..kinda a grade three shamble...
What about "Pop Tent City"?????? Now what a suprize that was!!
We had staked our claim on Thursday behind RR's truck for
4 horses...by Friday there was enough room for Rocky my little
terrier type mutt to stand...the tents had converged...All
colors and shapes.. I thought maybe I was having halucinations
from road-lag. I started having violent thoughts..etc. as we
re-positioned our jugs for our "area". It was tight but it worked
Water Tank Compitition:
MASSIVE water tanks of all shape and sizes...some with pumps
attached..some with hoses a mile long...I thought our 55 gallon
barrel was modern, but boy have I been sleeping??? We walked 
around to get our education in "what is HOT and what is NOT"
Endurance riders have to be the most innovative people in the
world!! Amazing methods that crews come up with, but when you
are striving for the top every detail is an edge and the ones
in there have earned their right to be there...
We all have the CHOICE to try in the USAEAST now...Selection isn't by politics and horse show stuff, but by head to head competition..best HORSES get to go..Hear me BEST HORSES!!! The way it SHOULD  be...NO BC b.s. either!
I for one am hoping that the "new" selection process in the
USAEAST works out, which I think it will. OBJECTIVE SELECTION!!!
NOT SUBJECTIVE!!!
Then there is Angie:
Lady you make me laugh so hard and I don't even know what you 
look like but I think you should come to Elk Valley this year
and help entertain...Were you the saint on a bay horse that was 
hollering on the red loop..."You have to do it twice??" If
that was you THANK YOU!!!We did it right because of you...The 
poor spotters there taking numbers were "clueless" as to where
we were to go...but whoever the lady on the bay was..THANK YOU!
The whole experience was a hoot!! Met more really KEWL people
and got to ride with people we missed all our very l-o-n-g
winter...
I think ol'Georgie Vanderbuilt would have been pleased to see
all the magnificant horseflesh gracefully gliding in his
private paradise...