Saturday 19th August - up early, everything packed, on the ferry..yeah we're going to St Albans. Off the float and around to our camp (all set up last week for two horses (yikes, we forgot Pashi) - Sue brings the float and truck around and soon Tara arrives with a new horse.mmmmm, she's ok! Entries in and off for a ride down to Wellums and back - this is good! Brian comes out for dinner at the pub - last full night's sleep for me!

Sunday 20th August - camp is buzzing, vet in and off for a ride with Sue and Tara and new horse then this wonderful lady called Sharon May Davis checks me out and I wonder where she is at all the other rides. Early to bed!!!!!!

Monday 21st August - lights on at 2.45 am and all ready to go at 4am with Tara and horse and we trot up the Common, up Browns, along the Transmission road, down Blue Hill, passed Lyn's up to word of life and back to town, vet through and have a break and then out again. Up to Joe's Crossing (all sand, no water) and up to McKechnie's. Sue's off and walking but this is a breeze, look at Allan's rock (so this is what they were doing on the weekends I was stuck at home) and up to the top.

We trot along with Sue on and off a lot and water at the top - how good are these black tubs? Great for washing your mouth out - oops, it's apparently just for drinking. Around to Jack's - more tubs - down to Joe's again and home - vet through - one day down and four to go.

Tuesday 22nd August - out at 4am and up Boyd's (Sue's least favourite track so she stays on - Tara, Jan and Helen behind). Stuart put the flares out and all goes well, we go by Sally's stallion (nice boy) more water at the top, saddle adjusted and along the Woomera, down McKechnie's and out to Prestons. Tara is worried about her horse but we continue on to Prestons. Sue lets Roy on a stallion and Deanna go through and gets off to tail up - down Gotches but Tara's horse is lame and waits for a float while Oakey and I head for home. Oakey starts telling me about when he and my Auntie Bonnie (Shabonne) did Shahzada in 2002 - he tells me that if we stay in a working trot we'll get along famously! Vet through and have a break and then down towards Lyn's again and up Blue Hill with Jan and Helen. Sue tails up and Helen too and Oakey carries Jan to the top - he is fast becoming my hero. More water and then down Short Wellums - lots of talking..does Sue ever run out of things to say.then round that Lake where Megan's Colin and I had the race last year (great fun), look respectable for the camera and then home vet through and Sharon gives me a good going over, laser, the works and eat and sleep.

Wednesday 23rd - out at 4am and down past Lyn's (look out for the goat) and then up Shepherds Gully - very rocky and uneven (not hard for an Indian pony but Oakey hates the rocks) so we walk on the rocks and trot on the sand for km after km to 8 mile turn off. I look back and see a line of little headlights - they pass us in the light as we head towards the meadows but Oakey and I are happy with some new friends, back past Lyn's (yeah - Lyn is there to say hi) and back to town, vet through and head out a little earlier for the afternoon which always takes longer than you think. Out the common and over Joe's (photographer's car is stuck in the sand) and on to Jack's. Sue hops off to tail when we get to the steep bits - I trot up with her hanging on..talk about laugh!!!!!!! Scoot along to Boyd's and down (more cameras, on horseback this time) and then a good trot back to town, to vet and more Sharon, food and sleep. Brian arrives with a bottle of wine and avocado and they talk and laugh for hours with Rhonda Locke but soon, with everyone else at Idol, I get some shuteye.

Thursday 24th - out at 4am, down to Lyn's, Sue tails up Blue Hill again and after a lovely drink at the top we (Jan, Helen, Rex and Mel as well) trot along for a while meeting Alan Caslick trying to shift a tree that had come down during the night. Sue holds all the horses while the others move the tree and then we are off to the Steps for that special walk down. What?? Bumper boots, surely you jest????!!!! Change back to mini fetlock boots as normal and after an easy walk down I get a stick under the boot that takes the hair and a bit of skin off - don't you just hate it when the rider is right? No way I'm going to let on that anything happened and we trot back to town and vet through - bit of lunch, bit of a break and out to Joe's again and up Jack's and left again on the Woomera to Bakers - it feels shorter this time, I FEEL GOOD (as the song says) and we carefully pick our way down again. Sue tells me that the clearing was a bit last minute on this one as we may have used another track but assures me that next year Alan's team (let's hope all 22 of them want to do it again next year) will start with this one! Back to town - boy that water at Word of life hits the spot! The water team has been working overtime - Kathryn's Ron and the lovely Ali Roberts have worked their bums off all week. Through the vetting - boy this has been so cool this year..everyone smiling and saying nice things about me and Sue has trotted me all week instead of asking someone else so I must be looking good!

Friday 25th - out at 4am, 14kms down to Webbs Creek Mountain Road, just Oakey and me now - Sue and Jan start rambling on about Scotland as the sun comes up and reveals the mountain peaks with fog in the valleys and suddenly Sue starts whistling Danny Boy.you had to be there!!!! Out to McKechnie's and down - at the bottom Cherry on Ferrymaster trots along Peter's Avenue looking a picture. Rex is with us now and we're on in to town, through the vetting, a massage for Oakey and a break for me - Sue and Jan laugh their way through an interview with the documentary lady - they have been laughing all week actually and having so much fun - but wait, there's more!!!!! After lunch we set off for the Steps (no laughing matter) and we are being watched by lots of photographers. We go slow and rest after the hard parts but soon we are up the top and Oakey with Jan, Helen and Carol follow me the rest of the way to the water stop on the where we turn to go down Brown's. More water at the dam a chat with Gavin and down to the Common with more water and a lovely trot back to town. Yikes!!!! Heaps of people cheering - how embarrassing! Oakey (my hero) and I both vet through and it's over - what a shame we go home tomorrow!!!!!!

Shakista, an APPALOOSA and proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!!

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