Award, Shows and some more

Life has been busy lately, so time for an update!

Merrie at The Equestrian Vagabond, and Wolfie at the blog What was I thinking have both been so kind as to award me Beautiful Blogger Award.

Thank you guys!

This means that you should hear 7 things about me, and that I am to tag 15 (!) new bloggers.

Now, with 15 new bloggers, every blogger around the world soon will be at the recieveing end of this award.

I am giving this award to all the blogs on my bloglist on the right hand side on my blog.
These are all blogs that I enjoy, and regularily drop by. Check them out!

As to hear 7 things about me, I am not sure whether to bore you all with that.

I bore myself even to try and write it down, so I will tell you what I've been up to lately instead, because it has been a lot of fun stuff!

First, I was at a Kyra Kyrklund clinic Wednesday two weeks ago.

Kyra Kyrklund is not only one of the best dressage riders in the world, she is also one of the best trainers. And a very sympathetic person too.

I will try to blog separately about the clinic, but her main message was "back to basics".

She had a clinic with two pony riders, and two adult riders.
She only made small adjustments on the position of the riders, but the result was profound.
What I would not give to be able to train for her!

*sigh*

We had a superdupernice dinner afterwards, with a lot of tapas and some wine and beer.

What a marvellous thing it is to share nice food with horse-y friends!

I was really pampered that week because on Friday it was time again.

We took the four hour drive to watch the World Cup in dressage and show jumping in Gothenburg.

On Friday we had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant, four of us.

On Saturday I took a trip into the city of Gothenburg together with one of my friends.

She needed new shoes.

We did not find any shoes, but we found a bookshop and a chocolate shop.

And I did not go empty-handed from either. Hahem.

Then it was time for showjumping and dressage.

I must say that the dressage was spoiled for me due to the fact that the first three first placed were Anky van Grunsveen, Adelinde Cornelissen and Patrik Kittel.

All rollkur-riders.

It was a large hair in the soup.
Kind of a wig, actually.

At the side of the arena is a very large exhibition hall, full of whatever horse products your heart desires.
As the arena is crowded in between classes, the best time to shop is when one class is running in the arena.
I sacrificed the end of the show jumping class to buy some presents to my daughter.

Wanna have a VERY expensive riding helmet that makes you look like a fly?

Everything your heart desires...from wagons to gloves.

On Sunday I had a lunch together with one of my childhood friends who is living in the Gothenburg area.
We met each other over lunch last year too, and at that time we had not met in 20 years.
We had such a nice lunch once again, and decided that she would come and visit me for a weekend end of April.

Back home.
Last Sunday, Fame and I started our first dressage show this year.

I braided her before leaving home to ride down to the indoor arena, so she got a hunch that something was brewing.
Entering the warm up, I felt Fame grew several centimeters; “All light on me, please”!
She really likes to show herself off, lol! I just have to laugh at her.

Annie, my instructor, was there to help us in the warm-up, which felt luxurious and was a good help. Fame felt good, responsive and concentrated on the work.
Then it was time to enter the arena.
We entered, and down at the spooky short side, the judge and the scriber were sitting at a table.
Uh-uh.
Suddenly the party princess turns into a statue instead.
To make a long story short, we did not have one normal passing of that short side during the entire program.
*sigh*

I tried to make the best out of a tricky situation, and after finishing the program rode my horse home.
When removing the tack I got an sms on the cell phone from Helene, telling me that I was on a shared second place, with only one rider left to go.
I stared at the message, not quite believing my eyes. What???
I realized I just had to leave the tack as it were, and get into the car to be able to get there in time to the price ceremony.
We ended on a shared 3^rd place, which was both very surprising and fun.

This week I have been out travelling with my work again, this time in Northern Norway.

Bodø, Rognan and Tromsø - all above the Polar circle.

It was foul weather before we arrived, and the airport in Bodø had been closed down for 2 or 3 days.

We had a two hours drive from the airport to Rognan, luckily in nice weather both on our way to and from.
But in the meantime - lots of snow. We could not see our car in the morning.

I enclose some pics from Rognan.

It is a beautiful landscape, don't you think?

At last I would like to welcome Rachel and HorseAndPony as new followers!