Diani's last show day at the Asian Games

Diani competed in her last event today. She rode great, but had some mistakes in her changes (yesterday she scored 8 on them), so that cost her a lot. But, that is how it goes sometimes and there is nothing to do about it now.

She did a really great job and I'm happy that I could be part of it!!! There are just two riders from each team who can ride the last test, which is the freestyle. Her two teammates (siblings!) who had mistakes yesterday, rode well today and came in second and third, so they will be the two from Malaysia competing in the final phase. I cross my fingers that they will have a super good ride the last day. Tuesday is the day off for the dressage horses and the freestyle is on Wednesday. So tomorrow we will ride early and then head out from this remote area to do some sightseeing. I look forward to that.

I will fly back home on Wednesday or Thursday. I am looking forward to going home and I really miss my horses!!! I feel that I have been gone for so long. When I finally come home, I will have made a full circle around the world. WOW!!

So I will send you one more letter from China before I'm off.

Until then........

Mette

Opening Ceremony at the Asian Games!

Two hundred buses left the Athlete's Village on Friday. It was very impressive. They had closed the road that took us to the Sports Arena, so there were only the buses on the road. The side of the road was filled with people who wanted to see the athletes on their way. When we got closer to the stadium, buildings were lit, there were flowers all over, trees with sparkling lights and trees with lights that looked like they had drops coming down in red, green and more. The river had floats made out of flowers with tons of sparkling lights. I could go on forever because it was so pretty. Forty-nine different countries participated with about a 1,000 athletes. So many people did everything to make it work. Many university kids from all over China volunteered, so instead of a fence there were people and more people. I have never seen anything so impressive as this ceremony. Just the way the fireworks were organized was amazing! And those, of course, went on and on, more and more!!! The director of the ceremonies must be a genius!! The theme was water, so the stage had a layer of water and surrounding the stage there, was a moat. There is no way I can explain the show that lasted for about two hours, but it was fantastic!
For a reason that I don't know, I was interviewed several times and, sure enough, I was on Chinese TV the day after. Pretty cool!

On Saturday we had the jog and all horses passed, so that was great. Today Sunday the Show started. The team took a bronze medal, very close to silver and Diani was in the top 12, so she will go forward for tomorrow. She will then ride Prix St. Georges. She was the only one on her team who had a clean, straightforward test, so I was very proud of her. She did a great job! Cross your fingers for tomorrow!

So all is well in China. Just a couple more days and then I'll be on my way home. Thanks' to Super Anna who is working hard at Mill Creek and taking care of everything so well at home. So keep it up girls-I'm so thankful I have you!

Just to let you know, that Facebook, Twitter, blogs and my own website are blocked in China and I cannot listen to any of my voicemail on my phone. Just so you know! I will catch up when I get home.

~Mette

What a Trip!

In the space of a week, I was in America, Europe, the Middle East and China! No wonder I don't know if I should get up or go to bed!

Last Sunday, I first worked with Diani and her horsein Aachen. In the evening we started the trip to China. I did get a couple of hours in Dubai, so we took a taxi and saw the city (the photo to the right is the Burj Al Khalifa building, the tallest building in the world). Very exiting and different! Fun!!! By the time we arrived at our hotel in Guangzhou it was 1:30 am on Tuesday. It was a long day.........

We are outside the city--actually out in the middle of nowhere! It's very pretty, but only hard working people who don't speak English. It took me days before I could get help with my computer, because so few people speak English. Of course I had to ask for Diani's help. She is the only one in our group who speaks Chinese, so she has to translate for all of us! Thank God for her! Without all of her perfect preparation, I'm just sailing through. She has done a fantastic job!!! If things are not done properly, you are sunk. No exceptions for anyone.It's too much to tell you all how it is. The security is enormous; there are checkpoints everywhere. Lots of security workers, police and guards: everything is checked when you go in,and out. If you look up the hill, you find them! If you look out the hotel window, you see them walk the fence line. No trespassing here, that's for sure!! There are people from parts of old Russia, India, the Middle East and countries that I've barely heard of. It's fun!

The horses arrived late Tuesday night after a long flight. One team horse is still not 100%, but we all hope he will come around. Diani's horse Stravinsky is looking great and the training is going as planned. We do the veterinary jog on Saturday and start to compete on Sunday. The opening ceremony is on Saturday evening and they tell us that it will be a big thing. This is so importent to China and very political. I'm looking forward to be part of it!

So for now, that's it. It's 6 am, the fog is lifting from the river and I have to go to work.

Best to all!

mette

Happy Birthday Mette!!!!

Home at Mill Creek Equestrian Center everyone is very excited for both Mette and Diani and their trip to China! We cross our fingers and wish them all the best luck!!

 

Today November 8th we want to make a big toast to Mette and wish her a Happy Birthday!! She will be up in the air flying from Germany to China but we are all thinking about her and we will be eating lots of her favorite "Princess cake"!

 

We love you Mette!!

 

Anna, Romeo and Amanda together with Mette's horse Taison

One more day on the China trip!

All is going well. Lots of good riders and horses are doing the last training before we all leave for China. Everybody is busy getting everything ready for the trip. There are so many things that have to be perfect, not only the riding has to go well, but all the paperwork!! There are so many extra things that have to be done in a certain way for going to China or you don't get in or out! Thank God that Diani is on top of it. She is very organized and is not only taking care of herself and her horse, but she also helps the other riders all the time.

The team looks great and I hope it will stay that way. Diani and I have gone through each of the three tests: two regular tests and one freestyle. Today when we were going through the freestyle, it rained so hard that we could not be outside. So poor Diani had to ride in the big indoor arena, together with eventers and show jumping horses. It worked, but no 20/60 Dressage arena all to herself. She looks good, so I hope she can pull it off in the Asian games.

The Aachen showgrounds are super: fantastic footing and beautiful settings. It's just a little cold, gray and wet. It will be a huge change from here to Guangzhou.

If you'd like to learn more about the 16th Asian Games, visit the website at http://www.gz2010.cn/en.

I will keep you all posted from China. It will take some time though before we all are there. I'm looking forward to the opening ceremony. In the last Asian Games four years ago in Qatar, they had a rider on a horse riding up a long staircase to light the flame. After what we saw at the Olympics, I think China will put on a great show, too!!

I hope we all will get there safe and sound!

Soon.....;

Mette

Started my trip to China!

I have now arrived in Aachen Germany, where I have met up with Diani Lee and her horse Stravinsky. There are also all the dressage, eventing and show jumping horses here in quarantine before they all fly to China. The Aachen show grounds are great and the hotel where all riders, trainers, officials and "the rest"are staying is just across the street. There are people here from so many different countries and it is a lot of fun to meet them all.There are four riders from Malaysia on Diani's team and they all look good. Horses and riders are ready for the Games!

We will stay here until Sunday, November 7, then we all will fly to China. The flight will go via Dubai and if there is a long enough layover, I hope I can make a very short taxi ride to see Dubai! The final destination is Guangzhou and I hope we will all eventually get there safe and sound.

This is like a mini Olympics, so there will be all sports--not only equestrian. Very exciting! I will try to keep you all posted from the trip and hopefully get some pictures down the road. Without my super girl, Anna, who is home taking care of everything, I'm not so sure!! She is always the one who takes all the great pictures!!

Best,

Mette

Below, Mette, Diani and friends eat a a Chinese restaurant in honor of their upcoming trip!

Great Last Show of the Year!

I competed with Finally and Taison at the Regional Finals at Los Angeles Equestrian Center the weekend of October 7th-10th. The days before the show were, as it has been lately, very shaky. Rain again.... in October! It never rains in October in Los Angeles, but it sure will when there is a show at LAEC! So I felt that I didn't do the work I normally would have done before a show and left a day later than I had planned, since I had good footing at home, so stayed there as long as I could. I went to the show the same day I was going to compete and just hoped it would work.

My classes were huge and a lot of good horses and riders had qualified for the finals. Both Taison and Finally had not been to a show since the National Finals in Gladstone in August, so I wasn't sure how they would be in the ring. Both of them were so good! They stepped up to the plate and just did a great job. Finally was Champion in Intermediare Freestyle with a score of almost 74%. Taison was Reserve Champion with a score of 73.500%. In another huge class, Finally was in a lead for about 5 hours and the last rider of the class beat us, so he was Reserve Champion with a score of 70%. Both Taison and Finally were placed in each class they entered. Great scores, good rides and lovely horses! (Complete results are available on Mette's website.)

So now the plan is just to work harder, so that I can move them up to Grand Prix. I hope to be able to bring them out in Intermediare II and later on to Grand Prix. It's easier said than done, but I'm looking forward to the journey.

This coming weekend, I'm off to give a clinic on the east coast and a couple of weeks later I'm on my way to China to coach my student Diani who will ride in The Asian Games.

I will tell you more about that later on.

So...enjoy.

~Mette