Brianne writes from the Royal…

There is not too much to report today, unfortunately! It is so odd to be at a horse show with only one horse. Especially at The Royal, which is a five-day horse show. Today is my second day off in a row and I am perplexed by what “normal people” might do with a long weekend!

Luckily, being in Toronto allows for a plethora of options, it is just a matter of deciding what to do. I am going to go over to the show in a little bit to ride Onira. I do not want to do too much but I like him to be out of his stall as much as possible.

Laura Kraut and I did a joint autograph signing session yesterday in the exhibition hall. I always enjoy spending time with Laura! I have known her for a long time now and she has always given me great advice. She is obviously someone to study in the ring, but it is a fortunate opportunity I have to be able to discuss all kinds of matters with her. Her insight always seems to come from a different angle than most, given that she is based largely overseas. I personally, love to have a multifaceted view of our sport. Anyway, the signing went well and I had a great time!

Yesterday’s main show jumping event was a Gambler’s Choice class that was surprisingly entertaining. Dermot Lennon is on a roll here and rode Lou Lou over a brilliantly complicated track. I really enjoyed watching the class! I do not think one person did the same course and each track was more and more complicated.

I am hearing great reports from Verona; I am excited to find out who is doing well there. It sounds like there is a very strong field of riders and horses. Obviously, that is expected, but is nonetheless incredible. I hope Pedro keeps his photos coming…

 

Brianne writes from the Royal…

Onira jumped amazingly last night! I was so mad at myself when I came out of the ring! The triple combination was a hard one and caught a lot of the riders. I had the B effort of the triple combination down because I under-rode the width of the oxer. Thus the fault was full rider error, and I kept replaying my mistake in my mind. So so mad at myself!

The course was big and Onira played around the rest of the track, which made the fault that much more annoying!
Michel Vaillancourt is course designing this week and I feel that he is one of our best designers. He really has a feel for what he has to build and fashions tracks not only according to standard but also to his field of riders and horse combinations. Also, I learned last night that he was the first Canadian athlete (yes, general athlete!) to win an individual Olympic medal. That is amazing!

 
All his tracks this week have been spot on in terms of number of clear rounds and last night was no exception. We saw six clear rounds that began with Olivier Philippaerts. He is young, but rides incredibly well. I always like to see my friends go clear and give it a go! The jump off course was very complicated, equipped with a lot of roll-backs and awkward or tricky angles. I thought all of the riders had excellent rounds, which is rare. Conor had one down with Landsdowne but he jumped beautifully in both rounds. Jill Henselwood won going last. The packed stands were very enthusiastic all night and it was great for them that a Canadian clinched the victory!

 
Today is a quiet day for me and Onira. I may not even ride him, I have not decided yet. I want to keep him very fresh for Saturday night and the Big Ben Challenge. There are a few classes to watch though so I am going to head over to the exhibition center to see the happenings. I am considering a trip to the Science Center a bit later. Yes I am totally nerdy but I hear it is one of the best in North America, so why not?

Photos of Onira… clearly he does not have any boundaries.

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Brianne writes from Toronto…

It’s the morning of day 2 here at the Royal and the morning of the World Cup Qualifier. I am so happy to be back at this show! I am here with my old partner, Onira and Conor Swail, my trainer is competing with his great Landsdowne. Tatiana Gabrush, my barn manager and friend is also here to keep both of us in-line. She is charged with the terrible job of keeping me organized. Not an easy feat, I assure you!
The Royal is a reminder of what indoor shows use to be like; Night classes, agricultural expositions, soirees with a certain standard of glamor. All the riders are staying at the Royal York Hotel, which is downtown and right in the thick of a bustling neighborhood. The hotel is a quick shuttle ride away (or as Conor showed me yesterday, a moment’s tram ride from the show). Everything about this show is fun! The organization runs seamlessly and the list of riders allows for good competition and great conversation. Further, it is great to come back after the night classes and meet up with everyone in the hotel bar.

Onira jumped really well last night. I went first and had the last jump down but was thrilled with how he felt. He was very smooth and jumped around easily. He has never been to the Royal, but he jumped around like he owned the place. Not that he ever goes badly, but he is really in particularly good form and I have high hopes for this evening’s class. It is always comforting to have complete trust in your horse but that kind of confidence is hard to find or to build. I guess having him for ten years has helped with that!

Anyway, it is off to the show for me! Hope all goes well!