Monday Lunchtime

Feels weird going back to work after an eventful weekend. When there are animals of all varieties around life can't help but be eventful. Speaking of events...when I googled Libby Llop's farm I didn't find her farm but I found some other interesting stuff. Something came up about Libby Llop winning the Old Dominion, Virginia, 100 mile cross country race on her mare, Fly So Free, or something like that. I thought, hmmm, she has horses, and said she bought some sheep coming back from a "ride" she was in. Wait a minute! This shepherd I was standing shoulder to shoulder with, who is somewhere around my age I think, is a cross country eventer? When Libby emailed me to tell me the sheep got there fine and had settled in, I asked her two things. Could I have the knitting pattern for Quentin's hoodie, and is that really herself that recently won a 100 mile cross country race???? Yep, that's her. If I had known I would have rubbed shoulders with her hoping some of her guts would rub off on me. In my fantasy life I am National Velvet, but have never even galloped full tilt on a horse, much less gone careening down gulleys and flying over stone walls. I grew up near Gladstone, New Jersey, where the US Equestrian Team had it's headquarters. I would go over there once in a while to watch the 3 day eventing and cross country was always my favorite. I loved to hang out near the prep area where the high strung horses were getting vet checks and being readied to ride out on those incredibly treacherous courses. I wondered what those women had in them to enable them to do it. Whatever it was - I wanted it. I remember one horse could only be mounted when the assistants walked her in circles with the rider jumping on when the horse didn't realize it. The rider was tossed off a couple of times, then she managed to stay on while the horse took off. One of the biggest thrills of my life was being asked to sub for a fence judge who couldn't make it. I had a radio and a list of riders. When the rider (this was a woman's race) cleared the jump I had to check her off, or call in if she didn't. It was one of the most exciting things I've ever done. Those women had guts I could only dream about...and one of them is a shepherd and a member of the Genessee Valley Handspinners!! And her horse is the #6 100 miler in the whole country!! Who'd a thunk it!