Training with Kyra Kyrklund in England

Thru some unbelievable fortune I have been able to train with Kyra Kryklund in England. What a trip it has been so far. 

Credit: C Fraser

The horses left the barn on July 1 at 11 am. Luckily I am about one and half hours from JFK where they were flying from. My assistant Nicole VanderVliet made the first leg of the journey with Cinco and Whitman. She stayed overnight with them to insure that they were as calm and rested as they could be for the flight that was to depart the following day at 10 am. They were loaded onto the truck at 8 and taken to the runway where they were then loaded onto to a pallet, which was then driven plane side and put on a lift and slid into the plane. All went smoothly.


We took off soon after 10 am and we landed in Leige, Belgium at 11 pm local time. There was a slight delay unloading, but the horses were quiet. From there we went to the vet inspection and were released quickly. Unfortunately, it then took three and a half hours for my equipment to clear customs. Whitman and Cinco literally hung out at the airport with their heads hanging out of the side of the van as they munched hay and drank lots of water.

Cinco

We eventually left at 3:30 am and drove two hours to Stable Feichter to have a little rest. The truck to the UK departed at 9 am! We then went three hours to the ferry to cross the English Channel. While I was quietly freaking out about having two very valuable horses on a boat, they propped a leg and ate hay. It is amazing what horses will do for us.

Whitman

After our ferry ride we then drove two hours to Snowhill Farm, home of Kyra Kyrklund. It was now 7 pm on July 3rd. Our total travel time door-to-door was 50 hours! The horses settled right in and never missed a beat. I rode them very lightly the first two days— maybe 15 minutes of walking. But by day three they were squealing and ready to work. 

I am excited about beginning lessons with Kyra and her husband Richard. I am still pinching myself that I am here.

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