Well I cannot believe its all over! I am still a bit in shock… Annabelle and I travelled roughly 14,000 miles in the last three weeks together! This whole journey and process started about two months ago at the end of May. I spoke with numerous companies about orchestrating this trip and it quickly proved to be a big trip to make happen. If I were traveling and competing with a gelding the process would be very straightforward but because Annabelle is a mare it is a lot more complicated. CEM quarantine and testing is what mares and stallions entering the US have to go through. Mares go through a 15 day quarantine and stallions a 6 week quarantine. It is due to the concern of introducing STD’s into the states, and therefore they are put through a series of tests to make sure they aren’t carrying anything.
So, after talking to numerous people about this trip I was extremely lucky that Richard and Georgina from Cooley Farm Sport Horses got me in touch with Henry from Peden Bloodstock which was the only company that would help me get a CEM waiver to go to the US. The waiver stops her from having to go into a mandatory 15 day quarantine before the competition. It was a very long road to getting this trip organized and approved but we did it! I could not have done it without Georgina and Richard getting the ball rolling, Peden Bloodstock, Penny Barreras at Farmwood CEM Quarantine Centre , Dr. Brianna Schur who wrote the variance and made this possible, Rebecca Farm for helping and being so accommodating to our needs, Nick Gauntlet for getting us ready to compete at this fantastic event, and of course my parents for their unwavering support of my crazy passion. Also, thank you to our sponsors for supporting us along the way and with this trip as without their support we wouldn’t be able to compete and travel at our best! This trip literally took a village to make possible and I feel so fortunate to have been able to make this happen, and experience this incredible journey. I have explained what got us to be able to do this incredible trip, now I will explain what happened on our big adventure together.
The Journey
The journey started at 11pm at Chescombe Farm on Sunday the 9th of July. Annabelle and I loaded onto the rig and DJ Plumb International Horse Transport took us to Dover where we rode the ferry to Callais. We then took the lorry and dropped off a horse in Belgium. Afterwards we finally made our way to the Horse Hotel Holland where we arrived around 4pm local time. I can not recommend this facility enough. They have a beautiful indoor arena, covered eurociser, and fields that you can turn the horses out in. All of which are open for visitors and guests to use. There are apartments above the arena which you can stay in, and have a live feed to the cameras in the barns so you can keep an eye on the horses. I was able to turn Annabelle out for a few hours once we arrived. I think this helped give her not only the mental break but physical break she needed from the traveling before our big flight. The horse hotel is run by a lovely family who are so generous and kind and I would go back in a heart beat.
The next day it was up early and off to the airport in Amsterdam to load at around 8am. I helped load Annabelle onto the Pallet then kissed her good bye as I went to check in and go through security at the airport. I then boarded the plane with the priority boarding members and met the Animal Attendant, who is responsible for all animals on the flight. The animal attendant on the way over was a lovely lady called Shira. I was very excited and nervous to be with Annabelle for Takeoff and Landing. Although I had no reason to be as she barely batted an eye during either process. I was able check on her and water her throughout the flight and I am very proud to say she ate and drank like a trooper. The regulations are that the animal attendant has to be with you in the cargo hold at all times, so it was only possible to head back when Shira wanted to or was able to. The process and experience was unlike any other that I have experienced and I feel so grateful to have been able to accompany Annabelle on this incredible journey.
We landed at around 3:30pm on Tuesday the 11th at LAX. I kissed her good bye once again and then left to a local hotel where I waited for her to be released from the quarantine at LAX. As grooms, riders and owners are not allowed to visit them until the mandatory quarantine is carried out. We were released at around 11am on Thursday morning and from there we took a truck and trailer to Farmwood CEM Quarantine Centre in Oregon. Due to now being in the states Annabelle had to be under USDA supervision and quarantine 24/7. Which meant she had to be sealed and unsealed onto the trailer by a USDA certified veterinarian.
This meant that at 11:30pm on Thursday when we arrived at the Farmwood CEM Quarantine Facility a vet had to unseal her from the trailer and give her a check before she was able to go into her stable. We stayed there for a few days until early Monday morning. The facility was beautiful and perfect to let Annabelle stretch her legs and have some hacks. I can not recommend this facility enough either. Penny Barreras who runs it is an amazing person and horsewoman. She does a phenomenal job with the centre and the care of the horses is second to none. There will be no doubt where I will be laying over in future years for Rebecca Farms or where I will send my mares that are imported into the west coast. I strongly recommend anyone who is looking to import stallions or mares into the west coast that they consider this remarkable facility.
Penny drove Annabelle and I early monday morning to Rebecca Farms. The drive was 13 1/2 hours long… So a very long haul after an already long journey. I was lucky to have Penny’s beautiful corgi Carly as my hot water bottle for the entire trip. So it wasn’t so bad since I got to cuddle a puppy the whole way! We finally arrived at Rebecca Farms at 7:30pm on Monday night. We were greeted by a huge crowd of vets and officials. News of our trip and what we were doing had definitely spread by now… The USDA vet unsealed her from the trailer and we went into our FEI stabling. Our paperwork was checked and then we were set to go for Young Riders.
The Competition
The show did not officially start until Wednesday afternoon so Tuesday was a nice relaxed day. It mainly consisted of hacking with Annabelle as well as a bit of unpacking. We had a lovely spaghetti team dinner that night and it was lovely for me to get to know all of the girls a bit better. Wednesday morning I had a lovely dressage lesson with Bec Braitling, to help prep us for fridays test. Then Annabelle and I both got ready for the jogs that were around 2pm. She jogged like a star and was so well behaved. I was actually a bit shocked considering there was a lot of atmosphere surrounding the jog strip. After jogs we had the parade of the areas/teams which opened the show. It was loads of fun and something I will always remember. After the parade and our team meeting we went to the opening ceremony dinner where we got to meet the other areas. There were opening talks introducing the Judges and Organizers and giving us riders the opportunity to show our appreciation to Rebecca Farms for hosting this year. Thursday Annabelle made it very clear in the morning that she wasn’t just content with hand walking and me sat beside her stable baby sitting. So I made the executive decision to take her for a very long relaxing hack so she did not kill anyone. Which luckily kept her happy until we had a lesson and ring familiarization at 4pm that afternoon.
Friday was when the competition really started for me. I had an 9:42am dressage test. I was nervous about the atmosphere in the arena as it was quite electric but, I have to say she was absolutely incredible. I could not have asked for her to have been any better. I know the judges wanted a bit more step in the test but I am just very happy with her rideability, suppleness, and obedience. I was also quite proud of my riding as I felt like it was one of the best tests I have done at the two star level. There is no doubt in my mind that we both learned and improved with this test. I made a bit of a boo boo/mistake with my first salute and only saluted with my head and did not take my hands off the reins, so I was errored but it makes me feel better that our score would have been a bit different if I hadn’t made such a silly mistake! It comes with the territory and I can tell you now I will never make that mistake again! You live and you learn right! I am very excited about our future with dressage and look forward to continue to improve it!
Saturday was a very incredible day for Annabelle and I. I was fifth out on course at 8:42am. The course was a definite test for a two star and this was a championships, so it was certainly not a soft track. I stuck my ear buds in 20 minutes before getting on to get in the zone before cross country. I find that it always helps calm my nerves and stops me getting in my head. I believe nerves before cross country are healthy but only to a certain extent. Nerves keep us on our toes and stop us making any really bad decisions. Yes, there have certainly been a few times where I have felt like I was going to throw up before getting on and that is why I use music to help. I have a cross country playlist that gets me in the zone and pumped to go out and attack that course.
So after listening to my playlist, I got on 20 minutes before my ride time to warm up. Annabelle was certainly rearing to go and power walked her way to the warm up. We jumped a few cross country fences in warm up and I did the usual brake checks before we went to head to the box. Of course in usual Annabelle fashion she was a bit troublesome getting to the box but we did get there in the end! She was absolutely unreal on course. I could not have asked for her to have been any better for me. I finished the course not only feeling incredibly lucky but also truly blessed to have such an amazing partner and horse. She was amazing in the ten minute box and so well behaved. I feel so special to be able to share a bond with her like I do. She stood with me for fluids and ice like a pro, no questions asked and so relaxed about it all. In fact we both had a little nap together after the adrenaline had worn off. We both definitely slept well that night!
The start to Sunday was very early… Got up and got “The Boss” ready for jogs. Annabelle as per usual jogged like a pro. No fuss and perfectly behaved which was lovely to see and deal with! We didn’t show jump until around 12:36 in the afternoon. So we got on after the Area VI team killed it and brought home gold. The girls worked so hard all week and they so deserve the amazing finish that they got! Annabelle warmed up amazing and I was so pleased and happy with her. She tried her absolute heart out in the ring and I felt really proud of my riding. She tapped one of the poles into one of the combinations which resulted in us having a pole but I couldn’t be happier. She had a little time as we went early on and we didn’t really know how the time was riding. But to be honest I am just thrilled with how much my riding and Annabelle and I’s partnership has come on. It was one of our best rounds to date by far, even though it doesn’t look it on paper. But sometimes thats how it works out, you don’t always get the finish or placing you want but, what I have come to realize over the years is if you can be proud of your riding and how your horse and you went, then that should be all you need to be happy. This sport is tough enough as it is, as long as you both had fun, did your best and walk away healthy you should be happy.
When we looked at the score board we realized we were .2 off of tenth place as we finished 11th in the division. This just shows me that we are so close to that top 10 finish that we have been working for and I could not be happier. I know it will come and I am so excited to see where this takes us. This competition has only fueled me even more to train harder, work harder and get the best out of not only Annabelle but all of my horses. I have not only grown as a rider but also as a human being from this experience. It was truly unforgettable and one I will have with me for the rest of my life.
The Long Road Back
Annabelle got sealed onto the trailer and we left at around 6am on Monday morning. We drove the 13 1/2 hours back to Farmwood CEM Quarantine Centre in Oregon. We arrived around 7:30pm in Oregon as we went back an hour due to the time zone change so it was really 8:30pm Montana time. Annabelle and I relaxed and rested a bit during the day Tuesday and then we were off again at 7:15pm in another sealed truck and trailer to LAX. We went through the night and ended up getting to the LAX quarantine facility around 10:15am. Annabelle was unsealed from the trailer for the last time! Trust me I was singing hallelujahs in my head… She then got to rest for a day before she was loaded onto the pallet for the plane around 3:30pm, as our flight was at 4:50pm for Amsterdam.
The flight was again long and not very fun but Annabelle once again was a trooper and handled the whole experience like a pro. Which I guess she would, as I realized this would have been her 4th time flying… We landed in Amsterdam and I then deplaned and walked to the Horse Hotel which is literally right around the corner from the airport. It is the same spot where we loaded her onto the pallet for the flight to LAX. The horses pallets where lined up and ready for them to be unloaded and checked. We waited a decent amount of time before we were able to unload them as we were only able to unload once the vet was there to check them. Of course Annabelle was last and thank goodness the vet decided he just had to look at her whorls, because she practically dragged me to the rig. Where she was loaded once again onto DJ Plumb International Horse Transports rig. She was lucky enough to be given the equivalent of a box stall to travel in, which made me feel better since she had been not able to move much for the last 12 hours or so. We had to wait a little longer for her paperwork to clear customs and then we were finally off.
We drove from Amsterdam to Callais port once again where we took the ferry to Dover. We had to take the second horse to customs in Dover and then after a 45 min paperwork check we were on our way to Reading where we dropped the second horse off, which happened to be owned by a family friend of mine! Its such a small world! After dropping him off around 2 am we were on our way to Chipping Sodbury! We finally made it back at about 4:30am Saturday morning. Annabelle practically dragged me off the rig in her usual fashion and to her stable where she enjoyed a good roll, drink and then started munching on her hay. And with that it ended our insane journey of roughly 14,000 miles!
I am still in shock that it is all over and I am so incredibly thankful to have been able to have this opportunity. This was definitely a trip of a lifetime and one I will have with me for the rest of my life. Thank you once again to everyone who helped make this possible! Annabelle and I appreciate it more than you will ever know!
Until Next Time!
Sophie and Annabelle (plus the whole team :)!)
Sophie Hulme Equestrian 