European Championship In Retrospect - Steph Teeter

Race Day - Merri Melde

VET-IN DAY - Merri Melde

It's a hazy, warm, muggy Portuguese morning as the teams assemble with their horses for the vetting in for tomorrow's championship ride. The atmosphere (so far) seems to lack tension, and the vet check flows smoothly, with officials directing horse and groom traffic, taking the entries into the vetting area team by team. After they pass the vet check they are fitted with an electronic timer around their neck, and their numbers written on their butts with the grease pens. A few horses are wound up enough at the trot out they have to do it twice (or three times), but that's mostly because they've been separated from their buddies. The American horses look good and rested after their long journey.

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PORTUGAL ARRIVAL - Merri Melde

The fun and chaos of a European Endurance Championship! Steph misses one of her flights due to insane security lines in London-Gatwick, there is no rent-a-car place at the airport that I rented a car from, I call the hotel and they have shuttle, and then they don't have a shuttle, the new hotel is so far out the taxi service is not quite sure how to get there or what to charge. I finally get to the hotel, throw everything all over mine and Steph's room (she will think a tornado hit), grab my gear, take another looooooooooong taxi ride to the venue (later one of the Swiss team said, ?I think your taxi driver was just driving you in biiiiiiiiiiiiiig circles, for fun!?), and once I'm there I realize I have forgotten some of my equipment.

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