Zoooooooom!

Today I’m off to the great little city of Hong Kong! This may be my second OG, but I’m sure I wasn’t quite this excited before Athens – partly because I didn’t know last time how great it would be, and partly because the hype-hype-hype for Hong Kong has been impossible to ignore. If I see one more photo of horses being unloaded from a plane I’m going to scream.

Here are some things I can’t wait to see when I get to HK: those Canadian uniforms that weren’t, ahem, manufactured in Canada – especially the pants, which from the video I watched on youtube look like someone vomited on them after chili and strawberry Margaritas. It will be interesting to see who actually wears what have been described as pajama bottoms. Our horses, on the other hand, are happily sporting Canadian-made SnugRugz outfits.

I also can’t wait to see Mark Todd in the flesh, well what flesh the man has on his spare frame. After watching course builder Dave Evans carving dragons out of logs in March, I am eager to see the artistry in action, when I walk the cross country course on Friday, and then watch the world’s finest equine athletes jump it on Monday.

And of course I can’t wait for the dressage! What a race it’s going to be. I predict photo finishes for gold and silver in team and individual competition, as well as for individual bronze. Can’t wait to see Satchmo’s trot half-pass again (the goose bumps lasted days in Aachen), Balagur’s piaffe for the first time live, and Pop Art’s world’s-happiest-dressage-athlete way of going. For those of you who have read my past blogs from Rio and the Global Forum – fear not. I will still be putting my honest opinion out there when the scores start flying.

I am also just beside myself with anticipation at the likelihood that a couple of my very own freestyle creations will go under the bright lights in the freestyle final.

Some of my very favourite show jumping horses are going to be in HK, if they ever get to land that is. It wasn’t quite a typhoon that hit yesterday, but it was enough to keep some flights from arriving. 24 show jumping horses have apparently been quite literally receiving royal treatment at their impromptu stopover in Dubai – at the stables of Princess Haya’s husband Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. So far my flight looks undelayed on the YVR website and the weather has settled down enough that the eventers tested out the great drainage of the main arena last night with a show jumping practice.

Gotta fly now. Check in again tomorrow and I’ll have news from the other side of the Pacific.