From the Road...
I may be no Jack Kerouac, but I am literally writing this from the road, as we are making our way towards Copenhagen yet again. We're heading to Odense and beyond to look at horses today, but before I get into the details I must fill you in on what has happened since my last update!
Day Four - Thursday February 11th
We awoke Thursday morning at five am, ready to face the day, the four hours of sleep that we managed having provided us with a renewed vigour. We were to meet our guide for the day, a Swedish-born Floridian horse broker named Pele Wedenmark, at the Copenhagen airport. Before leaving that morning we indulged again in the fabulous breakfast provided by our hotel. This spread is served daily at 6:30 am, and includes standard breakfast fare such as bacon, eggs, sausage, and cereals, in addition to several varieties of breads and crackers, fruits, meats and cheeses. It has been a welcome treat and chance to discuss our itinerary for the day.



The trip into Copenhagen, or Kobenhamn, as the locals call it, was more familiar to us now, and the hour and a half went by in a blink as we arrived for our rendezvous at 8am. Pele met us there at the Hilton hotel. He had been referred to Courtenay by a mutual contact, and he and Courtenay had at this point only communicated via emails and text messages. Luckily we were easily identifiable, standing out from the business suits in our breeches and warm outerwear!
Pele greeted us with a warm smile and handshake, and escorted us out to his waiting Mercedes. On the hour-long drive to our first destination, we chatted about the shows in Wellington, where Pele conducts a lot of his business. He told us about having grown up in Sweden, and his frequent trips back to show horses to clients. We arrived at the barn after a snowy drive through the rural district. This barn was more modest than those we had visited the previous day, and it's coziness reminded us of our own Ridge Meadows back home. We were greeted by an unassuming bay mare, who completely changed our impression of her the moment she started to move. Immediately we were impressed by her expressive gaits and focus in her work. Courtenay had a great time riding her and as we moved on from that stable we were excited to see what else Pele had to show us.
Looking at the map, it did appear that we were going to cover most of Denmark and Sweden in the coming hours! We were trying to make a 1pm ferry ride, but already time was tight as we were on the road again after 11am, with one more horse to see on the way. It was looking good, based on the GPS telling us that we should arrive at the next farm at 11:24, and Pele doing his best to make it under that! There was a collective tension in the car as we seemed to enter a residential area with the GPS predicting our arrival in six minutes. Sure enough, the final instruction was to turn into the yard of a small townhome! This elicited a few choice words from the three of us, although we were all pleased enough with the morning's results to be able to laugh about it. After a brief phone call we determined that we had entered the wrong postal code, but were in fact not too far from the next horse. It was decided that the horse would be warmed up when we got there, although at this point it was clear that we weren't going to make that 1:00 ferry.



The farm this horse was stabled at had the more modern 'sales barn' feel to it, with immaculate grounds and a beautiful facility. One thing we noted that had been consistent at all the farms we visited, was that without fail there would always be music playing in the arenas. Better yet, it seemed that regardless of the patrons of the barn, the music would always be of the "Top 40" and hip-hop variety. We had a little chuckle as we thought of certain people back home who always curse our music choices in the barn! As Pele remarked at one point in the journey, "Lady Gaga is making money, eh? I love her!". This of course endeared him to us as he danced in the car, grooving to "Bad Romance" and "Poker Face".
Back to the topic at hand - this next gelding immediately grabbed our attention with his stunning good looks and charming character. He reminded us of Courtenay's "Billy", only bigger in size and, (sorry Billy) possessing a little more movement. His rider, a young gentleman, impressed us as he showed us all the movements in the Grand Prix, and told us of his recent success in showing at Intermediare I. Also of note, and probably typical of the larger sales barns such as this one, was the remarkable turnout of both horse and rider - the horse's coat gleamed and the rider was co-ordinated with his brown and orange jacket being complemented by brown breeches and caramel boots. We may be horse girls, but we always appreciate these little details!

cGxmc4/

After Courtenay rode this gelding, and we commented on how fun it would be for her to have a matched pair, we hit the road again and decided that missing the ferry wasn't all bad because we could stop for a quick bite to eat. With the type of travelling we're doing, mostly on the highways and then into the countryside, there aren't a lot of fine dining establishments en route. Quite prevalent in the area are tiny roadside diners, typically attached to gas stations. The food in these quick-stops doesn't really fit in with the "healthy lifestyle" I have adoped in recent years, consisting primarily of hot dogs, french fries, and weird fish on crackers that I prefer to avoid. We were able to identify a couple of innocuous looking sandwiches, and accompany them with some exceedingly stale coffee before jumping back in the car to make the next long leg of our journey. To cleanse our palates of the resulting bitterness, and jolt some enthusiasm back into ourselves, Pele shared with us some very addictive and much appreciated Swedish candies. I don't think he expected us to devour quite so many as we did, but thankfully we had the opportunity to top up his supply later in the day!
With the ferrry leaving every two hours, we were faced with the decision between sitting to wait for over an hour, or driving around this body of water to the remote farm we were going to visit. Pele felt that he could save the most time by driving around, so off we went, positively effervescent in our sugar-and-caffeine-induced cheer. The sun was shining as Snoop Dog serenaded us down the highway.
After some hours of snoozing on and off in the back seat, I awoke as we were nearing the next farm, very far into what seemed like the depths of Denmark. This area had several lakes dotting the landscape, and the long driveway to the barn edged quite close to one of these snow-covered expanses. The farm was owned by a gentleman who was described to us as an outstanding trainer, a man who had produced several top riders and horses over the years. His personality was evident upon our arrival, when he announced, "Oh, pretty girls! Here we only sell pretty horses for pretty girls!" which caused both of us to blush, and immediately reminded us of a certain German man who we used to ride with!
The barn was older but very workmanlike, every bit as I would picture a traditional Danish farm, the outbuildings resembling a Tudor style. The highlight of this stop was a young gelding with a truly international talent for passage, and a trot that would give Totilas a run for his money! At seven years old, he was not yet confirmed in all of the advanced movements, but he impressed us nonetheless. We saw a couple of other horses here but he really was the standout. Within moments of Courtenay beginning her trial of this gelding, the owner bellowed across the arena, "STOP! STOP!!!". Everybody froze, and Courtenay brought the horse to a halt, sheepishly expecting that perhaps she had committed some unknown sin against dressage. Imagine her relief when the fellow complemented her, "You sit very well. I like how your ride - you may buy one of my horses. Continue!". I got no such praise but at least I got the chance to warm up a little myself (did I mention that it was still bitterly cold?) by hopping on a cute little gelding that Pele was evaluating for a client back in the US.
From there we resumed our mission, with one last stop to make before the long drive home. Pele explained that there were two horses to see at this next farm, which was about two hours away. We refuelled, both with gasoline and sugar, and hit the road with an ETA of 6:45 pm. We made good time and only as we drove up the street to the farm did we realize that we'd be entering the renowned Blue Hors Stud, home to popular stallions such as Blue Hors Don Schufro, Don Romantic, Romanov, and more.
We shivered as we got out of the car and entered the barn through a cozy cafeteria that looked into the riding hall. Here we could see a couple of young girls dining at the long wooden tables, as the kitchen area adjoined the dorms for grooms and working students. What a place to live, I thought to myself as I imagined having been there at eighteen.
We moved along to the barn, and learned that we would be seeing two horses here, both Geldings who were schooling most of the Grand Prix. The first was an elegant bay, presented well by one of the young staff of Blue Hors. The second was a striking gelding by Don Schufro, very handsome and impressive, and ridden by one of the in-house trainers. Again, even at such a prestigious arena, we noted the popular music playing in the background. Bright and modern, the arena was decorated with flowers and accented with the trademark blue and white colors of Blue Hors. The barn gave a very professional air, a place with a sense of order and routine.
It was about 8pm when we pulled out of Blue Hors, and got back on the highway for the long drive home. We agreed that we simply couldn't continue without having a real meal to sustain us, and located a charming Italian restaurant nearby. Pasta was the order of the evening for my companions, while I of course stuck to my vegetables and tuna steak. I needed to repent for all the candy that had been consumed that day! I'm sure I'll have at least one cavity when I get home.
We returned to the Copenhagen airport and bid farewell to Pele. He had been a delightful chaperone and we were glad for the time and effort he had put in, selecting such talented and suitable horses.
By the time we dragged ourselves up the hotel steps, it was after midnight. I'm sure the receptionist raised an eyebrow as we clomped through the lobby in our dirty boots! We managed to get showered and climb into our beds in short order, taking solace in the fact that Friday's appointments were not to start until the civilized hour of 9am.