Minor Miracle

I've had a stinking headache most of the day, and when a PC-based parts programme didn't work (whatever happened to parts books?), I threw in the towel and headed off to the stables for a refresher until people started rising from their beds in Germany. Sophie finished school early today, so she came with me and practiced her dressage skills with 'Jaguar' ready for a competition that's rapidly approaching. Sure enough, my friends in Stuttgart got the problem sorted with a typical level of efficiency that's almost as refreshing as playing with horses, and when I got back, I was able to continue my work again in an altogether better frame of mind.

Courtesy Carrot Club

It's also nice to report that Miracle Rouge (pictured here in her September 2013 outing) did the business today with Uchida-san, coming in in third, despite being a bit heavy by her usual standards and having to cope with race-rust. Due to the snow and resulting ground conditions, the race distance was changed from 2000m to 1800m for the day, and I'm not sure whether that helped or hindered her. Anyway, the bottom line is that the jockey, Uehara-san (the trainer) and myself are all pleased with her performance - this is a horse that always fights hard, and the next race should be something worth looking forward to.

Meanwhile, Agua De Vida's training has gone according to plan, in spite of the rough weather, and apparently she's looking good for the next Kawasaki meeting as a result. There's still at least two weeks before Kawasaki week, so hopefully there's still some time to do some more fine-tuning. At least her weight is about right, as she currently tips the scales at 462kg.