So, it wasn’t the best Royal Winter Fair we have had. It has not been a ‘lucky’ competition for O’Hanlon Eventing, although it is always a very enjoyable one, as we all love the RWF.

Selena and Solo started out beautifully….Of course we don’t have photos of the nine fences he soared over with ease, but when he came to the bank, it almost looked as though his right front got caught against the fence and he tipped up and over to land head first on the floor. He seems okay but we are having a vet/physio/acupuncturist, Dr. Morag McMurray take a look at him, and he is having a few days off to get over what must have been a painful landing.

The good news is that he didn’t roll onto Selena, since she had pretty much stayed in the saddle the whole way down. I guess eventers always have that hope that if they drop the reins and stay in the saddle the horse might find a way out. Unfortunately, this was not to be.

I was watching the live stream…..argh! Thank you to Sean and Geraldine Dennis for staying with Selena to the end….3:00 a.m. by the time x-rays have been done and a diagnosis of a broken collarbone had been given. They also kept me in the loop with phone calls every half hour. I sat up all night vibrating with the ‘what might have happened’ scenarios running rampant. Solo has never made a mistake before. Selena was lucky to walk away with a sound horse and nothing more than a broken collarbone.

And a big shout out to the person who has taken care of things since the fall and is taking most of the strain, with Selena and I both being out of commission at the same time. Anne Marie Duarte was at the Royal Winter Fair. She took Solo from Sean Dennis, who quickly caught him and calmed him down. Anne Marie dealt with Solo, made arrangements for Paige Talledo to come in and help in the barns the next day. Then Anne Marie stayed there to make sure Solo was okay through the night and to bring both horse and rider home the next day. Since then she has been doing all the riding, teaching, driving, shopping and organizing at a VERY busy barn of 30 horses. She is amazing and manages to do it with a pleasant cheerful smile. Se even fixes televisions…I kid you not!

Thank you EVERYONE who is doing a little extra and working a little harder to make up for our absence. We really appreciate all your efforts and everything you are doing for us

Here’s a video of Selena’s round before the fall.