June 15, 2006: Oh, My! What a Week!!!

It began with a 4 AM wake-up call on Monday from Candice: “You have a foal.” Yes, of course. I know I have a foal. She is 6 weeks old and adorable. “Promise had her foal.” The grogginess is starting to recede now. But what? What is that she’s saying??? Promise isn’t due for another 2 1/2 weeks. 313 days is too early to have a foal. “It’s a filly.”

I tell Candice that I’m on my way. Not really. I stumble from bed, try to remember how to get dressed in my mostly-still-asleep state, decide that pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt will do, put my hair in a ponytail, and drive the route to the barn that, thankfully, my car can find with little assistance from me. There is very little traffic on the road at that time in the morning. I think I saw, maybe, one other car. Sure enough, Candice was not playing a practical joke. Promise had presented me with a beautiful filly, fully-developed, strong and ready for this world. In the predawn light, she looks dark bay--though later in the day, Susan calls me to crow that she is really a grey and that her coat is littered with white hairs. Oh well, I think--I am a pro at grooming grey horses.

I have named her “Bella Vittoria”--Beautiful Victory.

Later on Monday, we learn that Susan has qualified for the USEF FEI Junior Dressage Team Championships with Kalibre, and the North American Junior Championships representing USDF Region 7, and that she is First Alternate for the North American Young Riders Championships representing USDF Region 7 on Endor.

That means Susan is faced with a choice, since FEI/USEF rules state that a rider may not compete in both Junior and YR Championships in the same calendar year: go to Pebble Beach with Kalibre and eliminate any chance of going to YR with Endor, or wait and see what happens with YR. If any of the girls on the team are unable to go for any reason, Susan could go to Lexington, VA with Endor (instead of Kalibre) as part of the team--it would simply mean swapping the horse she’s been making travel plans for all along. And there’s the very strong possibility (far more likely than not) that she would be giving up the Pebble Beach competition for nothing. The only real advantage that we could see is that Young Riders receive some financial assistance towards their trip, while the Juniors receive none--hardly a valid reason. We talked it over and decided that the money alone was a stupid reason to give up Pebble Beach--especially since Kalibre is for sale.

So, Susan will stay a Junior and gracefully decline the opportunity to be First Alternate for the Young Riders, and instead will look forward to these last two important competitions with a horse that has been very important to her over the years. I love this guy, Kalibre. He has taken her from First Level to the equivalent of Prix St. Georges (she rode the Young Rider Team Test with him successfully before deciding that she really wanted to campaign him at the Junior Level to “cover her bases”, since she was eligible at both), with National Titles every step of the way. He has a enough personality and self-confidence for 3 horses, and he loves her so much--and gets so jealous--when she spends time with her other horses. I hope we can find just the right home for him, where he will have a rider that he can love (and that will love him back) just as he deserves. I also love to watch him at shows. He loves to be in the limelight.

Since Monday, there have been non-stop phone calls, pricing flights (mostly for the horse--as nearly as I can tell, we may be walking :grin:) and ground transportation, figuring out schedules, and making all sorts of plans regarding the trip to Lexington, VA. I have to say (with admiration) that the girls (with major input from their trainers), are doing most of the work--but I’m getting regular progress reports after just about every phone call. It’s been a crazy week. And Susan is working on a new musical freestyle for the show, too. Too much excitement for me!!!