Wednesday -- school and jog

 Finally got to bed after 1 and up at 4:45 AM to go to the stable so Meagan could be one of the first riders in the show arena — wanted to make sure we weren’t with a mob — and we were first :-) Even though the hotel is directly across the street to the public entrance to the Festhalle, we got a bit lost driving there. It is definitely quicker to walk as long as we know we can get in the front door.

Meagan is fighting a wicked chest cold — a tenacious cough that must be making her really miserable. We have tried medications we found here, but with no success. She can’t sleep well and has major coughing spasms. Some friends flying in today are bringing an arsenal of medications for her.  However when she rides she is total focus and concentration.

The jog was a bit anticlimactic. In Europe they don’t take these things as seriously as we do with several members of the ground jury as well as the vets, people watching, riders dressed nicely. Here there were grooms, coaches jogging and riders in jeans and overcoats. It was lovely that the non Europeans were well dressed in slacks, nice sweaters, vests, most had their hair done up and horses were braided. Some truly gorgeous horses, fabulous movers. It was a bit wild at times — the jog was in the stable area warm-up with nice spongy footing, but right next to the stalls and the people arriving with their huge trunks, horses rearing up on their stalls to see, bags of shavings being dropped onto the pavement. No lack of entertainment — watching extremely athletic horses being extremely athletic.. Bentley was a perfect gentleman. The first class for the YR World Cup starts about 5:20 on Thursday. We haven’t heard yet about the draw to know exactly when Meagan goes.