Two things everyone should be scared about- oh wait, maybe just two things I am scared about... the American Eventing Championships and polish chickens. Yep thats it. I mean, why worry about the economy, politics, health care, the meaning of life, paying bills and finding a suitable career when you can distract yourself by worrying about the AEC's and chickens? That's my view on things. I am in fact, such an efficient procrastinator that instead of worrying about things that actually matter- I can create OTHER things to worry about first! Should I put that on a resume?
Anyway.
Why the American Eventing Championships? Well, here's a little background. Deep in the woods near Fairburn, GA is a gorgeous farm owned by eventing olympian Carl Bouckaert called Chattahoochee Hills Eventing or Bouckaert Farm.
This farm is hosting the AEC's this year and I have somehow volunteered myself to work there. I did this way back in January and have been working as the Chief Cross Country Fence Judge all season long. That very long title is really just code for "the one who makes sure the fence judges have everything they need and don't say anything crazy on the radio and is the liaison between them and management" There are also other duties like making packets and checking over course maps and making sure riders know where to go and helping catch loose horses etc. So at the other events this year all went well. I drove around in my spiffy, yet painfully slow little golf cart and juggled a few radios and everyone got their job done and had some fun watching great rides! Maybe that's because I am very well trained and highly efficient- or maybe it's because there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 riders at the other shows. Now, at the AEC's there are 700ish riders! (Cue JAWS music again) ummmmm OMG? 700? What? Yes, not kidding.
This farm is gorgeous and well manicured and well staffed but that amount of horses and riders- plus sponsors, spectators, staff, trainers, grooms, dogs (which everyone brings, but that's another blog) is a TON of mammals in one area. I am quite afraid of how this is all going to come together and though I have great faith in the staff and volunteers I am working with- the logistics of how this is all going to flow is frightening. We will of course be running multiple phases simultaneously and that means there are potentially HUNDREDS of riders mounted and traveling to/from barns and competition areas any given time. I'm envisioning I-285 on a Monday morning in the rain, but with horses AND cars AND golf carts AND people all at the same time. Are you sweating yet?
This all goes down Sept. 9-12 so pray for me and pray that all the horses and riders stay safe and that there is no 'road rage" of any sort anywhere in the vicinity. Pray that the competitors are patient and respectful to the volunteers and that they remember they are working their butts off out of the kindness of their hearts. Pray that the volunteers and staff remember that the competitors worked SUPER hard to get themselves and their horses there and expended and great deal of money in doing so. An atmosphere of patience, respect, and good clean competition is my wish for the weekend! So no more worrying for me now that it's all off my chest... on to the chickens!
Have you ever seen a polish chicken? Well here are a couple for your viewing pleasure:
We will have 25 chicks arriving at the farm next week- they are set to hatch next Wednedsay and will be overnighted to us as soon as they are vaccinated. I have been waiting for them for a week already and I feel like it's been a year. So maybe I will admit I have an overwhelming maternal/nurturing instinct- hence my job as a nanny and my studies to become a nurse and my love of animals- although it hasn't yet made me want to have children of my own. I am already almost brought to tears at the idea of any of the chicks not surviving the trip or getting eaten by predators once they are on the farm. Needless to say, these are not meat chickens, they are for laying eggs and as a farm fashion accessory only but already my level of worry over them is a little extreme. Husband had to tell me to stop talking about them already so I turned to the blog. I am realistically not knowledgeable enough to raise 25 chicks so I have been researching the topic relentlessly- hopefully to ease my worry, but chickens are a pretty vast topic so it hasn't worked yet! My next blog will undoubtedly be chicken introductions and pictures- so stay tuned! If you want some eggs- you know where to find me.
