On Thursday 1 March 2012 I had horses for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Domaine Equestre des Grand Pins, where the second week of competition at the 2012 CDI Vidauban was in full swing. Starting the day with a little bit of Woodlander Farouche gets you off on the best start possible.
Last night I finished working at 2 AM and was still knackered when the alarm rang at 7.30 AM. I immediately decided that today I would skip some of the warm up and slept in for another 30 minutes in order to be at the show grounds on time by 9 AM. When I got there, the first two 6-year olds had already gone in the preliminary test but I just saw Woodlander Farouche do a massive extended trot on the diagonal in Arena B and scurried to the ring to take pictures. Lynne and Dave Crowden's chestnut mare (by Furst Heinrich) is to die for: grace, beauty, refinement, power, and scope. It's one of those brilliant youngsters which you only see once every five years! I couldn't imagine a better way to start the day having had Farouche for breakfast.
The plan of action for today was to photograph the entire Prix St Georges class in the main arena and commute to ring B in each break to catch some Olympic Grand Prix Special, pony and young riders' tests in between. Last week at Vidauban Carl Hester had won on Dances with Wolves, an Oldenburg gelding by Donnerschwee, owned by Hong Kong rider Aram Gregory. When I saw the horse in the warm up the word "love boat" came to mind. An amiable but huge, liver chestnut powerhouse -- a bit old fashioned looking -- with dressage written all over his body. He didn't make a mind-blowing impression in the warm up but as soon as he came into the show ring and Carl picked him up, he became incredibly graceful in the front leg despite his less sophisticated looks. Hester had a very solid ride on Gregory's horse and became the winner of the class.
When I was at Grand Prix Special ring, I walked into a friendly Japanese man, who I had seen at shows before. He asked me for which magazine I worked and when I told him Eurodressage he kindly requested to take pictures of Japan's star rider, the rising 71-year old Hiroshi Hoketsu. "Please post a photo of Mr Hoketsu on your website," he asked. I smiled because Hoketsu's Whisper is one of my all time favourite horses with her mindblowing piaffe-passage work and I would gladly show her on my site. While the Japanse guy moved over to sit on a bench near A, firmly bracing the stereotypical video camera, I started taking photos of Hiroshi's ride, which turned out to be a fantastic one that earned him the victory. Later that day I saw the Japanese man eagerly videoing other tests as well. When I asked his name, he gave me his card. Mr Shinichi Terui turns out to be the chair of the Japanese Dressage Committee. Kochirakoso douzo yoroshiku!
Just like yesterday it was freezing cold in the morning and by 11 AM it became so hot with the sun stinging that I took off two layers of clothes faster than a stripper in a go-go bar. I wore a black shirt with embellishing chains, rhinestones and other girlie stuff but the sun was actually heating up the small chains so much I could literally burn my own face when I touched them. This shirt is definitely a no no to wear when the sun is cooking.
Late in the afternoon my feet as well as the back of my knees were starting to ache from standing the entire day and walking from one arena to the other on the stony surface surrounding the rings (of course not where the horses are going). I am a highly trained couch-surfer and can sit on my bum for 14 hours a day without twitching a muscle due to my desk job, but my untrained legs cry out in pain after standing straight for 8 hours. Ring steward Jean Louis Valkenborg told me that it's a bad idea to sit down when you are tired, but when I saw his empty chair during a break round 5 PM, I just had to drop myself on it like a sack of potatoes in order to relax my muscles for five minutes. It was short but great relief.
The Kur to music had started and as the beautiful magic hour sunshine disappeared behind the trees and was replaced by the floodlights I decided to call photography quits and just enjoy and watch the class without having to work. I had photographed all the riders on Wednesday anyway. Being alone at this event, you sort of start reeling closer to people you like to have a chat with and this evening I veered into Gareth Hughes and Brett Parbery (again?!), who are incredibly fun guys to have a little chat with!
Little after 8 PM the kur prize giving had finished and everyone was returning back to their lorries and hotels. I picked up a sandwich in the barn and drove back to the B&B. With no dinner planned for tonight, I used that valuable evening time to catch up on work and organize photos. By the time this article is ready and posted, it will still be approximately 1.20 AM.. Long days...
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage
Related Links
Scores 2012 CDI Vidauban
Photo Report: Grand Prix Girl Power at the 2012 CDI Vidauban
Photo Report: Arriving at the 2012 CDI Vidauban