Check it Out!    
RideCamp@endurance.net
[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index] [Subject Index]

Re: They're on their way - WEC update



Susan,

Thanks for your wonderful detailed report of the comings & goings etc. of the
horses & riders headed for Dubai. It really makes us feel like we are a part of
all of this even though we can't be there (sure would if we could!) I just
wanted you to know it is greatly appreciated as are all of the things you do to
help all of us in this sport!

Thanks again!
Karen


Susan Evans Garlinghouse wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Well, the team is on their way.  After Monday night's party, the rigs
> rolled out the gate Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. and we were waiting at the
> JetPet facility before the staff even got there.  The horses were
> unloaded, checked into stalls and the huge mountains of luggage and
> equipment unloaded and sorted.  Ona was mourning the fact that she
> hadn't been able to buy a french press coffeepot the day before, but was
> assured that they probably could find coffee *somehow* in Dubai.  At 10
> a.m. the truck arrived to take the equipment.  Dr Foss set up the scale
> and weighed all the horses to track their weight losses and gains
> throughout this adventure.  Kim Christlieb and Shirley Delsart provided
> pizza, which everyone fell on like wolves.
>
> At 1, we took all the traveling members over to the terminal to get
> their tickets and luggage checked in and found out KLM had lost Karen
> Vilander's (traveling with Milarepa and Chuck Stalley's horse for
> Mexico) airline reservation.  I didn't see it, and Karen was later cool
> as a cucumber, but Ona and Wendy came walking out of the terminal saying
> that negotiations had progressed to "really ugly and getting ready to
> throw things".  Eventually it all got straightened out and at 2 the crew
> started loading the horses into the cargo containers (imagine a big
> aluminum box with three side-by-side straight load trailer stalls and a
> space in front for attendents and haybags) and onto the flatbed truck
> that would take them to the cargo terminal.  All the horses loaded like
> real champs---just a brief stop to take a look, say "Are you sure?" and
> then right on in and promptly started munching hay, preferably stolen
> hay from the haybag next door.
>
> Fire Mtn. Flikka was the last U.S. horse to be loaded, as we were
> waiting for an arriving flight bringing some of the Brazilian horses
> that had to be unloaded from the plane, trucked to JetPet, reloaded into
> different containers and back onto the flatbed.  The team had to be at
> the terminal before those last horses arrived, so Wendy was a little
> anxious about Flikka not being loaded yet, but Mike Foss was traveling
> over with the horses and we were told they would hold the flight until
> all the horses were safely aboard.  The Brazilian horses finally arrived
> a little after 3, and the trucks pulled out the gate with all 17 horses
> right on time.  As I was leaving with the rig to head home, I saw a big
> fat KLM 747 go lumbering up at a much lower angle than the other planes
> and it sure looked like a plane full of horses to me.
>
> Everyone said to say THANKS for all the good wishes sent here to the
> house.  Everyone (except for the horses) were all happy and excited and
> these horses looked INCREDIBLE---just jumping out of their skins with
> good health and looking truly fantastic.  The people at JetPet commented
> all day on how nice these horses were to handle and how much more
> pleasant and easygoing endurance people are over their usual race,
> jumping or eventing people they usually deal with.  They couldn't
> believe we offered them *pizza*, yet.
>
> It was a long day but went smooth as silk.  If professionalism, a great
> attitude and attention to every last detail counts for anything at all,
> these teams will be tough to beat.
>
> Susan G



    Check it Out!    

Home Events Groups Rider Directory Market RideCamp Stuff

Back to TOC