Pool Party!

Phillip & Evie graciously invited all the campers (and working students) over to their home for a pool party and dinner on Tuesday night. The working students seem to really be embracing the perks of camp! Evie says working for them always includes lots of lounging in the pool and beer! Anyone want a job application?! It was quite cute to see that Evie and Phillip had 2 ponies in the back yard for their girls. And it turns out that Phillip is quite the cook too - everyone was raving about the burgers!!

Pretty much, I just can't do this party justice in a blog! Eventers are too funny! The stories we all have to share - you just can't make this stuff up!! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!! If anyone ever has the chance to buy Jennie Brannigan a beer - do it! The things she's learned through various misadventures... Don't tie horses with a chain over their nose; don't wear sneakers to ride because your leg actually can slip through a stirrup (I sort of always thought this was a Pony Club urban myth); Endurance rides are BORING (did you know that a 100 mile endurance ride doesn't cover 100 miles of new ground? It's just a loop over and over again!)... Other priceless comments of the night... it seems that the trip to Brazil for the Pan Am Games left a huge impression on the Dutton team - Emma (Phillip's groom) described her accomodations to us as (seriously!) UN refugee containers; Evie was very thirsty as the sporadic and miraculous arrival of water could never be foreseen; and Phillip described the crowd as acting like soccer fans who cheered wildly when the "rival" team dropped a rail in show jumping! It was a great opportunity to ask Phillip, Evie, Emma and all the working students anything we wanted - balance between family and work; training techniques; USEA Instructor Certification Program; the upcoming training sessions with Mark Phillips at True Prospect Farm; the average day.

We also received an informative talk from Nutramax - the makers of Cosequin - about joint health and digestive factors that effect sport horses. Several of the campers had very interesting questions about cartillage re-growth, pro- versus pre- biotics, and ulcers. It really is too bad that none of us seem to take care of ourselves nearly as well as we take care of our horses!

When riding in Area V, we all hit the same events (there wasn't much of a choice!) and we would spend the entire weekend together - stabled together, hotels together, and dinners out. Re-starting my eventing endeavors in Area II, it's been a little sad to me to not have the opportunity to get to know my fellow eventers as we all seem to be in and out of the one day events so quickly. After the pool party, I think I have a few new friends that I can't wait to see again at the local events!

And - because I'm sure you're all wondering - nope, I did not go swimming. So, I did not make it into the club of "I've been swimming at Phillip Dutton's house", but I did wear my swim suit, so I guess I have to start a new club called "I wore a swim suit at Phillip Dutton's house." Yea, admittedly, that scares me too. I think I'll just leave it at - I've been to Phillip Dutton's home! And a lovely home it is!