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She did not want him to go to a commercial
stud but ill health had meant that he had not been ridden
for several years. Convinced that I was just going to fail,
I started enquires about how I could import him. Two months
later with every hurdle knocked out of the way I knew that
I would have to go and see him. Being a bit of a recluse
the thought of flying at 30,000ft for 10 hours and 300 other
people terrified me, none the less my very supportive husband
convinced me to go. So Antonia, who's been working and living
with us for years and is more like a Granddaughter, and
I set off to America leaving Tony (my Husband) and Jack
who lives and works with us and has now become one of the
family to look after the farm. Sperry Okalahoma here we
come!
When
we arrived it was like going back in time, Mindy and her
sister Carol with Baby cakes and her husband were amazing,
completely bonkers. They looked after Antonia and I at Almost
Ranch for the three days we were there. Almost Ranch is
very aptly named, as 12 acres in America is “almost
a ranch”, but not quite whole one. Sir El Suad, stable
name Popeye, was turned out with a very elderly mare Beach
Ball. When we first met he put his head in my chest and
did not move, to see him with Antonia brought a tear to
my eye; if ever a horse and a girl where meant to be together.
Popeye had been out of work for so long we thought he would
be difficult; but no all we had been told about him was
true. Sitting on the patio by the creek watching the squirrels,
raccoons and hummingbirds, the deal was done.
We
came home a little shell-shocked after an amazing 5 days
and a round trip of 10,000miles, now all we had to do was
to wait for Nedpoint quarantine, KLM airlines and ETA transport
to bring him to his new home in Derby UK. Flying from Houston
to Amsterdam, an overnight stay, and road transport to Dover
for a second overnight stay he was transported to my door
with ten other horses, he came off the lorry as cool as
you like. He was home.
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