Hot in The City

We're off!  Leaving Barnack, Lincolnshire.


















                            We've arrived!  Aintee at Night...


My writing skills are marginally better than my photography skills, so please excuse the blurring above.  It came from a combination of fatigue, hunger and overwhelming EXCITEMENT!  What you are gazing upon in the picture above, is Aintree at approximately 10.35PM on Friday the 12th of June 2015.

That's right, Mr T and I had arrived.

We had a very smooth journey thanks to Manningtree Horsebox Hire, who chauffeured us in style.  I had planned to self drive, but due to my Dad's funeral being a few days beforehand I decided I needed to be sensible and someone else drive across country for 4 hours.

The air of excitement was tangible as we drove through the Melling Road entrance, greeted by T Team members who guided us as to where to go and what to do.  Now considering 50 horses were arriving, all of which after 10PM at night, I cannot praise the efforts of Tina Griffen and her team highly enough, it was seamlessly smooth.

Tuff travelled beautifully, and once I checked in, collected our paperwork and stable number, he walked off the lorry without a bead of sweat, cool as a cucumber and we presented, passport in hand, for inspection prior to being admitted into stables.   Once clear, Joshua Steer showed us to our 'room', which was already made up (and thank you Josh for adding my extra bedding to my stable)  and in between lots of 'hellos' and 'how are you?' I left Tuff to settle while I grabbed his haynet & waterbucket (priority number one) and then starting unpacking all my gear.  This was the only downside to being dropped off... I had to unload EVERYTHING into my locker.   I have since come to call this the 'Aintree workout'.   In very warm evening conditions, several trips back and forth with a squeaky wheelbarrow really did render me 'hot in the city'.  But the atmosphere was very relaxed and flowing despite the time of day and volume of horses, due entirely to the organisational ninja Tina is, her great team of assistants and helpers, and the camaraderie of all the clinic participants.

So I eventually collapsed into the 4 bed jockey accommodation at at around 1 AM.  I was solo in the room at that time, but I had some lovely neighbours (Sara & her helpers).   Over the course of the next hour or so, the room filled up.   No sleep was had by me, this was due to the heat, the excitement, and the mistakenly consumed Latte at 10.25 PM.... caffeine was not a friend.

Thankfully, everyone else looked like I did the following morning at 5.45 AM when I wandered into the ladies... sleep deprived, but excited.  I'm sure the shock of seeing me with my PJ's and cowboy boots woke a few people up.

Now at this point I have to say I was in a complete trance... I went through the motions of washing, dressing, attending to Tuff (who had had a brilliant night, our neighbour commented she had to pop her head over the door to see if there was a horse in there he was so quiet and chilled!)  but internally a storm was brewing and an internal argument was taking place....

Now Buck mentions timing a lot.  In reference to the horses feet, our feel, in life...  I think like a lot of people I haven't given the timing of things much thought (apart from my horses feet).  Well looking back over the weekend at Aintree, I feel that accurate timing was all around me.  This is why..

The internal struggle I had that Saturday morning was fuelled by several factors:

1. I had rocked up to Aintree that Friday night, knowing no one in person (virtually I had met a lot of lovely people going).  My good friend Layla couldn't be with me until just as the clinic started.   Now normally, being an extrovert that wouldn't bother me at all, I'll talk to anyone, it's getting me to shut up that's the problem.  I was so busy, on the surface I was fine, but that first morning I was feeling overwhelmed and rapidly convincing myself I'd made a mistake.

2.  I cannot escape that those feelings came from the fact that the Monday prior I had said bye to Dad.  Now if you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that it was never a question that I was not going to go to Buck's clinic.  It meant way too much to me, but honestly I was still shell shocked with what happened.  My week had gone along these lines... Funeral, hangover, packing, washing horse, more packing, Aintree.

Now I bet you are thinking well where did the timing come in.   This is the neat bit...

1.  Those nice neighbours from the jockey accommodation?  Well, while I was trying to force some toast and juice down my throat sat in the cafe on the Saturday morning, they came and joined me.  Now they probably don't realise this, but their kindness and offer to help me get ready that morning single handedly stopped me from backing out.  Sara's friend Meg helped me get Tuff ready and even helped guide Layla to the clinic while I was going down to the arena.  Thank you guys, you really reminded me why I was there.

Oh and I was in room 13 in the Jockey accommodation, I took that as a good omen, it's my lucky number :)

2.  Now without sounding all cosmic and a bit batty, the timing of this clinic was a blessing for me.  At first I thought it was a happy coincidence, something to aim for after something so awful.  Turned out it was not about that at all, it far exceeded it.  I will go on to explain more over the next couple of blogs, but instantly, in that first morning of the clinic, I felt a whole lot better about life.

Horses aren't the only ones who shut down, Buck can see that.

Timing is everything.


See you on the flip side x

PS  Everyone was so lovely, it really made me push through. I wanted more than anything to be there, and seeing other people want so much to be there too was uplifting! Don't worry my blogs will get cheerier, and have more horsemanship in soon. That first night was pivotal for me, and opened my eyes to that I was exactly where I was meant to be at that time in my life x