Having qualified Blarney Banker (Benny) at Blenheim 2007, for the Beijing Olympics. It was all about fund raising and trying to get enough money together for the long trip to Hong Kong. Not only did the horse and I have to travel but also my team….Liz Brown- Vet, Brian Hyslop- Groom, Sadie Lynes and Liz Brooks- Owners.
I was lucky enough to have my old campaigner, Before I Do It (Folis) on the road and she qualified in Barroca, Portugal in March 2008.
From March until July we were busy preparing for Hong Kong. By the time we went into quarantine in early July both horses felt in top form. The British Team very kindly allowed me to do my weeks quarantine with them. Benny was having an issue with heat in one leg so we were focusing on taking Folis, but since she is rather a “drama queen” we didn’t make a decision until last minute.
I never forget the feeling of driving the horses to the airport. Folis got the nod to go and she travelled with her partner Henry (Minor’s Frolic, eventual Bronze medallist). Folis is a very calm and well travelled horse so the British Team asked if she could “baby sit” Henry on the journey.
Having loaded the horses into the crates and onto the planes, and waved them off, there was nothing more we could do.
I flew to Hong Kong the next day and on arrival, Folis was happy in her new HOT surroundings. Day 2 was more adventurous with a typhoon hitting HK, we were stuck in our hotel rooms and the horses in their stables.
Everything settled down and we spent the next few days acclimatizing the horses and getting ready for the start of the competition. By now my Mum, my 2 sons Miles and Toby, my 2 sisters Melanie and Abby, my nephew Haydyn, my Dad, and friends Sadie Lynes, Robyn Lynes, Bryony Lynes, Sarah Henderson and Janet Perrins had arrived.
We weren’t a big team but they sure made some noise. There were Jamaican flags flying high!!!!
The whole competition was a bit of a blur but I have to say Folis was amazing. She is one of the biggest hearted horses I have ever owned. She tries 110./’ all the time and I was so proud of her. Even though she had a slight injury she tried all the way. The final result wasn’t what I planned. Hence my battle carries on to LONDON 2012.
LONDON 2012.
I was privileged enough to represent Jamaica in the London test event in 2011. This is a trial run for the Olympics at the Greenwhich site. Squirt had a managed to kick the horse walker 2 days before the competition and was lame. So my new horse Culture Couture, Dex, was quickly promoted. Dex had only done 1 intermediate so it was a bit of a big ask. Apart from the dressage Dex excelled himself and really proved that he could qualify for the Olympics. Being in London had a great vibe and there was lots of hype over the event. It made me all the more hungry to be back in a years time.
Things have not gone to plan in 2011 for my top horse Squirt. But the plan is to hunt him through the winter and qualify him in the spring. Dex is brushing up his dressage, he still has a lot to learn but he tries hard. So all in all a lot of work!!!!
