Today was the day: Macho, our Friesian stallion, made his debut at the selection competition in Balkbrug. The journey there was an adventure in itself – Macho, our newest team member, made it clear at every stop that he was present. “The king of the gas station,” you might say.
Arriving in Balkbrug, we were greeted by typical Dutch weather: rain. But that did not dampen our spirits. Inside, there was a bustling environment with many other three-year-old stallions, a setting that only increased Macho’s energy.
Zoë and Macho started warming up in the Diamanthal. The stallions seemed to be having their own ‘royal discussion’ about who exactly was the boss in the hall – an impressive, but not very convenient spectacle for a competition test.
When the trial began, we were hopeful, but it quickly became clear that the location was not ideal for a horse like Macho. With spectators and other stallions coming and going on both sides, Macho was more impressed by his surroundings than focused on the test itself. Yet, the score was better than expected – we missed the semi-finals by only two points.
We can conclude that, if this was Macho’s worst day, we should not complain. We have learned a lot and are looking forward to the next opportunity to show what we can do. Macho is Macho, and we are just getting started.
Richer for this experience, we are already looking forward to our next challenge: this Thursday we will be in Lunteren with Oege. There, we will put everything on the line to secure a place in the semi-finals.
