Well it has been a blessing to have had the past 10 days to experience my last Worlds.

I am leaving today and sharing driving with my co-pilot, Patty Kanegae, since Dean got called to work early Sunday. It’s just the two of us girls and our caravan pals behind us with their horses heading back to California.

We left Will Rogers in Fort Worth around 6:30am. I have the wheel now and we are lucky to have great weather ahead of us. It’s now 2:00pm and I am starting to worry about my 3 y/o gelding. He’s been on SMZ for 5 days with a cough. I decided the best plan at this point is to drive straight through and get all the horses home quickly. I made a quick call to the others in the caravan and they mirrored my feelings.

Wow, that was a hard drive. We made it work by taking quick 10 minute stops for gas and gave water to the horses on every other stop. That way they drank more readily. So far, so good. We find gassing up at the Love’s truck stops works best for us so we keep our eyes out for those signs. They are usually easy access and have diesel. I was glad I carried water onboard to make it easier, too. We finally got into Riverside at 3:00am on Monday. I am going to sleep for two days when I get home…just to recover. UGH!

We did have so much fun and success this year. Having our friends travel and stable with us kept it light and we had built in cheering sections. Somehow sharing a good go, or even a bad go, with friends makes it all the more fun.

We finished up with a Reserve World Championship in Masters Trail, a 3rd in Hunter in Hand 4 & Over Stallions, and a tenth in Masters Western Horsemanship with our stallion and a 3rd place in Masters Hunter Under Saddle with my 4 y/o gelding. Win Win!

If I can share anything of value it would be to pack carefully so you don’t have to iron shirts or get dry cleaning done (if you do, most shows offer a cowboy cleaners service). If you take hay be sure it is weather protected, put your sheets and blankets in trash bags for safe travel, take work saddle pads and show pads, take an ice cooler and pack crackers and peanut butter for those moments at the show when you’re too busy to stop and too hungry not to eat. Don’t take more than you need, and remember to carry a small bucket for water & a flashlight for those nighttime stops.

This was my last Worlds and I will miss it….or maybe I can do it one more time in a year or two….oh yeah….I am a horse addict. And I am…..out.