14th June 2014 and another chance to enjoy my second home, Argentina. I absolutely love it there and it’s not just the red wine and beef ! I have my wonderful friends, and some very special horses there. The horses seem to really thrive on the climate and environment out there.
I rode LM Bolena in the FEI 2* and LM Zan Naphl in the 1*.
I have owned Bolena for some time now and we have forged a special partnership. This big chestnut mare is a half sister to LM 42 who is already in the UK. I will bring Bolena back to the UK at some point, but for now am having so much enjoyment travelling to and competing in Argentina that she has stayed there.
Bolena is a superb endurance horse and so it was no surprise that she came in 3rd at 16.95 kmph – however the results never tell the whole story ! for once, the weather there was just vile. In rained absolute cat and dogs and of course the tracks through the forest was totally flooded and boggy, and the water meadow – well that was a whole other story. At one point I thought we would be swimming ! There were a lot of pulls due to tired horses with cramped muscles, but Bolena showed yet again what a tough and truly incredible mare she is.
Zan Naphl shares the same sire, and is new to my team out there. What a shame that her first experience with me should be such bad going. She is another chestnut mare, big and rangy and like an armchair to ride. She kept ploughing through the mud too and I was delighted that we got round our first 1* together coming in 22nd place just taking in slow in the bad going. I am very excited about her future prospects.