Horse Hunting Day #3

Day 3 is upon us!

Excitement filled the breakfast table as Dad, Mum, Conor and I enjoyed a meal anticipating the day ahead filled with beautiful horses and a lot of scary Belgium traffic.
We all got ready and met in the hotel lobby. As I waited the A.C. Milan team that was bunking at our hotel were coming and out of a back room where they were relaxing and getting prepped for that nights game, I found it amusing that a grouped of 3 guys, 2 teenage boys and their father I messed sat in the lobby and waited for the players to pass so they could get an autograph. The coach passed at one point and I was nearly taken out by a group of 5 teenagers that rushed in with autograph books and iPhones in hand for photos and a signature from the great coach. I guess hockey to us is soccer to these guys.

We headed back to Stephex stables and before long we were there, after a very confusing and screwy car trip thanks to our little leprechaun tour guide Conor, including a few circles, a few red lights run and an interesting few moments of Conor sitting smack dab in the middle of a 3 way street.

Stephex day 2 was a great success, we saw 3 horses, first a fiery, gorgeous 7 year old gelding with a total white face, that was just a little too... untrained, then we tried the 7 year old mare from last night (the one with the small star and spot on her nose. absolutely beautiful girl)  and found that she was better outside, in better footing not to mention it seemed as the jumps grew, she improved. Finally a little cutie, a 6 year old stallion that was not our taste but cute as a button anyways, pretty face with a nice long white blaze.

After a cold afternoon we joined Stephan the owner of Stephex Stables for a hot soup for lunch before striking a few deals and headed out. But nothing before Dad and I went back to see Stephan's second business, horse trailers, both solely campers and half living half stalls, incredible machines I might say, gorgeous on the inside, Canada really should get some of those, they would work magic around here and sell like hot cakes.

Since we had been there for hours by the time we went home it was time to simply lay around and enjoy a little relaxing, we headed to a strange Italian restaurant down the street, after probably the best pizza I've every had... literally. We paid the bill and walked home.

It was time to have a few drinks, time to toast the future of our horses. A successful trip, coming home with 2 horses and hopefully another after negotiations but all in all a great trip. The few drinks, turned into a few more and a few more, I ended up going to bed since I was dying of sleeplessness. After a long conversation regarding the owner side of the new horses and a chat with D I'm going to lay my head down and sleep.

Tomorrow will bring a long trip home, but it will be worth it for my pets, my bed and to wake up enjoying my sheets, my house and my real life.


Cheers everyone,


A.Grange