Training Camp at Chattahoochee Hills

One of the lakes on the grounds on an early morning hack with Remington

So far so good in the training camp here at Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Georgia. Oded Shimoni has been here working on the dressage with both Neville and Remi the last few days. We’ve also been doing lots of video analyses of the dressage tests we’ve ridden with Mark Phillips. Tomorrow we have a gallop booked in and everyone has been working hard at improving the footing, aggravating it and putting footing down on the track – Carl Bouckaert has a carpet factory and his son-in-law and daughter, Michael and Nathalie Pollard, have a company that makes footing with the remnants.

Mark presenting me with my red coat at dinner last night

We had a team dinner last night where Mark Phillips presented me with my pink coat (which is red). I’m the only one on the American team riding in a red coat for the first time, and that was quite a nice surprise. It’s also still a long ways from the WEG and I know a lot of things can still go wrong with either horse, so even though I’ve got the coat I’ve still got a lot of work ahead of me before I can use it.

Watching a dressage lesson with Karen O'Connor and Becky Holder

All the riders are getting along together very well – there’s a fantastic team spirit in the camp. My next-door neighbor Karen O’Connor has been taking care of me like I was the child she never had. I’ve seen a softer side of Karen which includes cooking me up a cup of coffee every morning and washing my clothes for me.

Hotel Martin: we’re living it up!

I’ve gone for a camping stall in accommodations here at Chattahoochee. While other riders are living the good life in high end hotels, I’ve turned my trailer into a five-star camping facility. I’m keeping myself busy through the day riding Charla and Summer, swimming in the lake and doing running and yoga and watching the other training sessions.

Photos thanks to English Super Groom Andrea Beech!

-Boyd