Flanders Horse Event - CSI*** Beervelde 2013

whoop whoop, I finally went to a horse show again! Like I mentioned in my previous post, I was planning on going to Flanders Horse Event - CSI*** Beervelde, Belgium, this past saturday and that is what I did. :)
Beervelde a little town near the city of Gent, which btw is a really nice place, a little under 2 hours away from Maastricht. I left early saturday morning and I got there around 9ish. First thing on my To Do-list: find the show office and 'pick up my stable bracelet under the name of Lauren Hough'. I'll never get tired of saying lines like that, haha. Anyways, thanks to Lauren I had stable-area-entry-rights now so off I went to see the ponies and Mama Denise, Lauren's stable manager.

I am so pathetic when it comes to those horses. (btw, same thing for the horses at Sloane's place) I just miss them like hell, as tho they were my own. And so I spent most of saturday morning giving all my saved-up loved to Lauren's new ride Reconnaissance (Cougar) and Eirin's (Eirin Bruheim, Lauren's student) new horses Rita (Favorite) and Dorada. But without doubt, most of the love went to Tickles (Tackeray, the mighty stallion) and Muffin/Eve (Everyway). Best morning. <3

At lunch time, the Bruheim's perfected my already great day by inviting me to lunch at the VIP table. Needless to say, lunch was superb, both food (including sushi, carpaccio and crepes with nutella...) and the view of the ongoing classes. I ended up having dinner at their table too, with Denise this time, and lunch/dinner with the Bruheims today, on sunday, again.

Cause yes, I had such a wonderful day on saturday that I just HAD to convince my dad to fast-forward his planned (or rather I'd-like-to-do-that-one-day) trip to Gent to this sunday so I could be at the show one more day. I love my parents, seriously. Even tho my mother stayed at home today, my dad agreed to driving all the way back to Gent once more so yeah, there I was again this morning :-)

I've had an awesome weekend, LOVED to see everyone again, 2- and 4-legged, and I can't wait till next time.

Extra bonus much thanks to the Bruheim family for my VIP arrangement. Thank you.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pics!

Liza

PS. little fact about me: I'm obsessed with horse show accreditations, the passes with name and photo are THE BEST, but bracelets are mighty fine too. I save them all, like a little girl collecting pony stickers. Super lucky me; the VIP gave us a new bracelet for each meal so instead of just the rider band and 1 VIP band, I now have a total of 4 bands saying 'Flanders Horse Event', on my wrist! Yippie!!! et for each meal so instead of just the rider band and 1 VIP band, I now have a total of 4 bands saying 'Flanders Horse Event', on my wrist! Yippie!!! 

Jessica Kürten!

Another one

Lauren & Cougar

7A-B-C-D.. don't see that a lot!!!

UNICORN!

sleepy Muffin

xxxxxxx for Muffin

Morning coffee with Lauren & the Bruheims

Muffin selfie

YAAAAY

VIP!

sleepy TicTac

Tickles :)

Dorada

next stop: COLLEGE!!

It's been a little quiet here recently, my apologies for that. For the first time since a long time, I'm actually staying with my parents at home in the Netherlands, enjoying a couple weeks of summer vacation like the old days. I've been all over the place this year and even tho I was occasionally here in holland with mum and dad for a week or two, it was always just a mini break from work in the US. In my mind I was always thinking about upcoming shows we were going to or organizing my next move. (Or... Organizing school. Because yep, I'm going back to school. College, starting this September.) However, as of last week, I'm more or less done planning, organizing, worrying etc. I moved all my stuff back over from the us to holland, which was, note to self, incredibly/eye-opening/ridiculously much!!! College preparations are also dealt with and even the little yet time consuming things like filling out applications to be an inhabitant of the Netherlands again, is all behind me now. So there's finally some rest! Yeah!

I figured this might be a good time to tell you what I'm gonna be doing once the holidays are over, so.. Here we go!

The college I'm gonna go to, is called Helicon/NHB Deurne. For those of you who noticed, no that's not 'University of this' or 'College of that'... And that is because, like most things in my life, this is not an ordinary college. It's a, Surprise surprise, Riding College! I've thought long and hard about this, cause apart from my passion for horses, I'm also really interested in psychology, photography, fashion and neuroscience. Unfortunately for me, there's nothing that mixes all that together and still contains horses, so I went for the bold move and decided I'm not giving up my equestrians dreams yet. Ok back to NHB Deurne; this college is the oldest and biggest horse college in the Netherlands as far I know and it got my interest since it launched a new, higher level, 4 year study called Equestrian Sport. It includes everyday riding (all English disciplines) but also teaching (both riding lessons and in classrooms) a bit of business and a variety of veterinary subjects. I'm gonna be in the sport-class, in which there's an extra emphasis on riding/competing so all of this together is a mix I feel is made for me. :-) But, there's even more to come. This school is like a boarding school. All students stay in the same building all week and only go home in weekends. (College campus/dorms are highly unusual in the Netherlands)You're required to wear a school uniform for any equine activities. (Navy school polo shirt or sweater, tan breeches) Small groups of students stay at school during weekends or holidays to look after the horses. Also, all students are required to be at school at 7AM, feed the horses and muck stalls, then have breakfast at school together at 8 before classes start at 9. We also have lunch together and dinner once all the horses are well groomed/fed for the night.  In my eyes, this makes the school similar to one of those ballet academies featured in tv shows haha!
I'm honestly so excited. A year without books and study was great after 6 years of high school, but now, I'm looking forward so incredibly much to combining my passion of riding with studying horses and everything around it at an actual educational institution. Only with classmates as crazy about horses as I am..!!! However, it will be a couple of months before I open any book... The sport class starts off the year with a 3 month internship at a barn/riding school. NHB Deurne decides who goes where and luckily they placed me at one of the greatest barns I have ever worked for in the past..; Jos Lansink Stables! Weehoo!! So after quite some years and other barns in places far more away, I'm returning to Belgium to work for this great man, who in my eyes, will always be the World Champion, just sayin' ;-), and his super team! I can't wait. :-)

This party will start early September and will last until end of November. But, obviously, I couldn't possibly sit on my butt at home until September.. Thankfully, there are still some shows to attend in the meantime!

This weekend I'm going to a 3 star show in Beervelde, Belgium, to see Lauren and Eirin Bruheim (and the ponies i miss so much) jump and then the week after there's the Global Champions Tour of Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, to which I'm definitely going since half the United States appeared to have flown in their horses to compete! :D

I'll keep you posted with pictures! Until then, thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your summer!!

xoxo 

NHB Deurne!!

my mentor for this school year! Mr. Mans Buurman

school uniform polo shirt

the beautiful Lansink stables

CHIO Aachen pt. 2

Whoop whoop, I got to go to the CHIO for the last days too!!! 

Saturday was quite an easy day. I arrived at the show grounds around 11AM and the first jumping class would not be starting until 1PM. But saturday morning is always an exciting part of the CHIO anyways, because it's cross country day. Meaning that the eventing riders ride their cross and the cool thing is; the cross always ends in the main stadium. Therefor, I spent all morning in the stands, cheering on the riders as they galloped into the stadium, jumped their last obstacles and eventually cross the finish line. Usually, there's not that many people in the stands, but I love watching it. The starting order is in reverse ranking order, (the dressage test and show jumping part already took place before saturday) so the highest ranked go last. By the time the top 10 riders are starting, it's much closer to 1PM, so more and more jumping people are filling the stands. The Aachen spectators are so generous, they love cheering on the riders in front of them, especially the German ones of course. I have to admit, the cheers when the rider enters the stadium and even more, the cheers/clapping when they cross the finish line after a successful cross country course.. it gives me goosebumps every single time. I mean, crowds are obviously a part of every show, wherever the show is, but there's nothing quite like the Aachen crowds. On the early saturday mornings, it's probably just a couple hundred people there, but can you imagine the roar of 40.000 spectators when a german rider goes clear in the sunday grand prix? Exactly. It's breathtaking. Each and every time. 

That takes me to another one of my Aachen favorites. Prize giving ceremonies. I know that must sound crazy because usually, they are a pain in the but. The handshaking, name listing thing always seems to take forever and it's much to everyone's release when they finally announce the lap of honor. However, yet again, in Aachen it's all different to me. At the CHIO, during every prize giving, they play the national anthem of the winning rider while they raise the corresponding flag. Now, this is something many more shows do, but again.. it's those 40.000 people that raise up from their seats as 1 man, hearing the first tunes of the anthem.. it's the huge stadium, with stands all around, which seems to capture the sounds and boost the volume.. it's knowing someone, one very talented, hard working person, has just reached an ultimate goal; winning a class on the holy grounds of CHIO Aachen. 

I wish holograms would be deadnormal already, so you could all turn up at the CHIO just to see and feel that in person. I'm trying my best but words just cannot describe, especially when concerning the grand prix on sunday. 

Grand prix on sunday leads me to my next favorite, which was actually a first of this year's CHIO; a course walk! I was lucky enough to be able to walk the course for both rounds of the Aachen grand prix as well as the jump off for this spectacular class. Let me tell you, it was BIG. Sloane took me on a course walk in Kentucky once, to kind of explain the basics of walking the course and I figured I might as well practice a bit.. Well. Holy Guacamoly. Walking up to the first fence and standing right in front of it, got me quite impressed but wow.. those combinations later on in the course.. some of the oxers.. the tricky distances.. it was amazing to see. And just take a look of the pic I'll put up here of the triple bar... There is an average/tall guy standing right behind it... It was HUGE. 

I guess every GP in Aachen really is one of the toughest classes you can possibly ride in your life as a rider so I have an incredible amount of respect for anyone able to go clear in any of the rounds.. It was no surprise however, that Nick Skelton won the thing this year. His horse Big Star could not have been named more accordingly and Nick himself.. well.. he's just a freak. In the most positive way. Every time I see him ride, I get the feeling you can put him on a lama and he'd still win the class. When I worked for Laura Kraut, his long time partner, I was fortunate enough to stay at his barn in England for a couple days and just for the heck of it, I will include a picture of part of the viewing room overlooking the outdoor arena. In this room, a great collection of Nick's won medals and other trophies are displayed and seriously.. the room is stacked. I'm talking olympic medal almost stuffed between giant silver plates kind-of-stacked. The guy is frigging Albert Einstein on a horse. 

Okay back to Aachen. Obviously the prix was a pleasure to watch, very well done too to young Swiss Janika Sprunger and French Patrice Delaveau, 2nd and 3rd respectively. 

End of the GP means time for I guess one of the longest living traditions of the CHIO: The 'Abschied der Nationen'. The official closing ceremony one could call it. Every nation sends their riders who participated in any of the disciplines into the stadium once more, all after each other, while the national anthem of the particular nation plays once again. The Aachen speaker then thanks them for coming and wishes them good luck for the future, in the country's main language! Very impressing ;-)

Then, when everyone is in, it's time for one last lap of honor, and now the white tissues come out. Every single soul in the stadium, rider or spectator, has one, and while the CHIO anthem plays, they all wave goodbyes as the riders exit the stadium. It's really quite something to see. And for sure a unique thing in the show world. 

So that's it. Another CHIO came to an end, another year is over, another year has just started! I wish you all the best for this year and I hope to see you at the CHIO Aachen 2014! 

Tschüß!!! (bye in German) 

Safe finish for Michael Jung! 

water.....

Aachen!

Rolex combination, last jumps before the 2nd round finish line

stone wall...

Rolex last jump of the 1st round

Rolex Grand Slam!!! Calgary & Geneva together with Aachen

HUGE TRIPLE BAR

winner winner chicken dinner! Big Star & Nick Skelton win the GP

Just a couple of Nick's trophies....

Abschied der Nationen! See you next year!

CHIO Aachen!

It’s the beginning of summer again and that only means 1 thing in my mind: CHIO Aachen time!!!! CHIO Aachen, Weltfest des Pferdesports (World Equestrian Festival, the Germans’ own little WEF party) is this giant horse show that lasts more than a week and features right about every equine discipline, even vaulting! The show jumping starts after the first weekend, on tuesday, and lasts till the Big Famous Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen. The biggest and most prestigious grand prix in the world. No kidding. 

For me, the CHIO is like my personal New Years Eve. It means another year is over and in general, whatever I do the rest of the year, I always end up in Aachen in july. So every CHIO GP sunday, I wonder what the coming year will bring me. Where will I spend most of my time? Will I be at the next CHIO as a spectator or as an official horse owner or groom? Will I be there at all? This year has been great and very international, I was only home from the USA for 24 hours when I when to my first CHIO day.. But the coming ‘year’ I’m starting college in Holland, quite the adjustment after a year in the States! Thank god it’s a riding college with big ass internships that I can do my (probably American) way! ;-) Anyways, here’s a few lines for you about my days in Aachen 2013 so far!

Thursday June 27
Nations Cup day! Or: Preis der Nationen tag! Thursday is the second biggest day in Aachen after Grand Prix Sunday so luckily I still got in cause there were NO more tickets! Completely sold out! It was packed, wow! Aachen is so nice tho, the atmosphere is amazing and so far, no other show managed that. Yes, Wellington is amazing too, but hey, we’re talking about the holy green grounds of Aachen here! I didn’t do much on thursday, I arrived just an hour before the nations cup started and only met up with a friend for a bit. The NC itself was obviously cool to see, but I felt like a part of it was missing. It’s just not the same without an American team. (Or the Swedish team for that sake!) And I miss Rolf-Göran Bengtsson here. Just  sayin! Anyways, NC was fine, the Dutch won, good job Holland, it’s never easy at the CHIO. I only took 1 picture, which I also put on instagram, and which then ended up on the fabulous website www.horseandstylemag.com, yay! They have a special section each month with their favorite instagram pictures! Check it out, their website in general is really fun. 

my photo on the Horse & Style Magazine website! whoop whoop!

Friday June 28
An easy day, but I’ve been quite active! This morning I felt like practicing my course walking skills after a lesson with Sloane in Kentucky so I stepped foot on the hole green pastures! I think that was the first time even.. It was pretty cool. They had 3 different courses set up for pretty much the whole day so there were plenty of lines to walk! Apart from the normal jumps, it was also quite cool to see the (water) ditches and the water jump from up close. That last one has got to be the most hated jump ever together with the plank btw, those two cause like 70% of all faults. Not very surprising, both are huge! (Pictures at the end!) After I spend like an hour walking around in there, I went up to the Champions Circle VIP area which is like crazy high above the competitors stand. You almost need binoculars to see a horse! I met up with a Swedish friend I met in Florida, she works with Alvaro Demiranda & Athina Onassis and it was so nice to see her again! Plus, the heat lamps and the hot green tea were very welcoming too since temperatures are not quite summer-y here..!! In the afternoon I met up with a Norwegian friend whom I also met in Florida (yay for WEF, best new friends ever) and we watched the Jump & Drive together. This is such a fun class!! 8 show jumping riders are paired up with a 4-in-hand driver and first they jump a 1.25m course as fast as possible, then they gallop to their grooms in the corner of the field, jump off, throw their horse at their grooms (sometimes successfully, sometimes not quite, lol) and then they run as fast as possible to the driver’s carriage, jump on and ride on the back of it while the driver completes a driving course set in the main stadium too. It’s all about the speed and time and all the spectators are encouraged to cheer them on along with the music so it’s a pretty fun class to watch. Heads off for Boyd Excell, AUS, and Shane Breen, IRL, for being the fastest! 
We then watched some of the eventers go in their show jumping phase and I was AMAZED at how many Americans I saw!!! There were team jackets literally everywhere I looked! Way to go USA!!! #USAreppin’ :-)

So that was another great day at the CHIO Aachen, I’m trying to go tomorrow and sunday as well and if i succeed, I’ll make a CHIO pt. 2 with all the new pics! For now, thanks for reading and enjoy the photos! 

ditch with liverpool

Rolex!!!

Jump on top of a bank

The Aachen Water Jump. More like; the CHIO pool...

triple combination followed by an oxer.. so triple bar,  plank vertical, oxer, line, oxer.. yup.

Jump & Drive driver Chester Weber! whoop whoop USA!

pt. 2 of the liverpool combination... and look at the eventing water jump in the background!

follow the leader, leader, follow the leader!

CREPE WITH KINDERSCHOKOLADE. #foodporn

Tschüß!!!!

The Coles Family

Today was my last official working day at Spring Ledge’s home farm in here in the Plains. Tomorrow we all leave for Saratoga Springs Classic horse show for a week and after that I will make 8 hour drive back here to pack the last things, sleep one more night and then fly home to Holland. I’ve been here in Virginia for about 2 months (should have been 3, but college messed it up) and I want to dedicate this blog entry to the wonderful people I worked for here; the Coles family.

Obviously I worked with Sloane Coles all winter in Florida since she was working with Lauren, but funnier is the reason why I knew Sloane’s name long before I actually met her.. A couple years ago, I was spending my sunday afternoon on YouTube. Looking for interesting horse related videos such as clinics etc, I stumbled upon an episode of what appeared to be a tv show called; Road to the Maclay. (--> Maclay = ASPCA Mayclay Finals = right about the most prestigious final for junior riders in the USA) This show followed the top junior riders of that year on their road to the finals. The riders were training with either Heritage farm or Beacon Hill, two of the biggest show barns in the US. Perfect show for me to watch! So I did. The main character was a still very young Brianne Goutal. While most of the action took place at horse shows or at those show barns, Brianne did have a best friend who lived in Virginia and in one of the episodes she goes there for a weekend so the viewers get to meet that friend....Sloane Coles. :-) Now, I don’t remember much of what they were saying in that episode but the one thing I never forgot was the first scene with Sloane in it. You should know, all the kids in this show were always dressed meticulously in their very classy, kind of conservative neat looking tan breeches/tucked in shirt etc etc. Well, Brianne arrives in the Plains and here comes Sloane Coles. A hands on girl, ready for trail ride, wearing jeans overalls and just looking like she’s about to mount a wild mustang like any other day. Brilliant. I said to myself; I like that girl. 

Turns out I was absolutely right. The Coles’; Sloane, dad mr. John Coles, mom mrs. Julie Coles and even sister Fraley and brother Peyton whom I only briefly met, are I guess the best people I have ever worked for. I mean, people underestimate sandwiches and kind words, really. They bring snacks (healthy, not Walmart) down to the barn/show or sandwiches and drinks or have us all come up to the house for breakfast/lunch/dinner.. Not once, nearly every day! They help whenever they can with everything. Yes, also with night check and mucking stalls. It’s been amazing. (Despite now they are all trying to make me feel really guilty for leaving earlier) If every boss would be like this, the world would be a different place. Instead of feeling like I just worked myself to death for 2 months (still recovering from the end of Florida....) I feel like I spent 2 months in a host family of the best kind. I just would like to thank the Coles’ for giving me that feeling and adding this great experience to my list! I’m gonna miss you all very much! Hereby I do want to give you a 1 week notice of Chantilly and Bailey leaving. They are flying over to Holland with some girl who just loved them too much to leave them behind. Just sayin’! 

Good luck Spring Ledge, for the rest of the summer! 

Thank you!!!

Chantilly, the BEST. 

Baby G! love him

Beautiful Coles residence

So pretty here

BAILEY. <3

Nugget & Bailey! 

Gertie Boo!

Best boy Conner :)

Pretty Mama spa treatment :) 

Princess Chantilly

Aww Gertie!

puppy love

best dog ever.