Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Rain in Bahrain means chaos. Personally, I can't stand the stuff! Makes mud and puddles which may be fun to drive through but my horse hates both.
The rain certainly put a question mark over the proceedings for the BREEF National Day Show Jumping Championships.
The start of the week saw massive downpours but the two days before the show were glorious, so at 6.30am, to step outside to yet another torrential downpour was incredulous.
However, after a quick call it was confirmed the show would go ahead.
Well done to all those who braved the weather and came along to enter and support. Almost as if to apologise, the sun came out in sympathy and maintained its support for the duration of the show.
The problem with rain is it has the potential of changing our lovely springy turf at the Budaiya security ground into a quagmire. Thankfully, not this time, although many riders took no chances and used studs in their horses shoes.
These are exactly like studs in football boots and are inserted into the horses' shoes and enable them to grip the ground - essential in Europe but not often used in Bahrain - this weekend being an exception. Here's hoping they can now go back in the drawer.
Anyway, back to the show. Well the overwhelming junior winner of the day was young Oscar Lauri on his mounts Emily and Galopin who took first and third in the first junior class and then first and second in the second junior class; awesome riding by Oscar.
Another consistent winner in the junior section was Laura Louise Wilkie, securing second place in the first class on Zain Al Batal and third in the second class riding Bushiya.
And then, performing his own double whammy was Sami Ghazwan, taking the title in the second senior class with Chilli and clinching first place in the Grand Prix with Fairooz which, with fences up to 1.4m, was an amazing display of horsemanship.
Salem Ali, riding brilliantly in the first adult class of the day on the stunning Amira Coska De Toeufles held off stiff competition to ensure they made top podium position.
The pair also placed in the second adult class of the day's events. Consistent in the placings was Benny Diricx riding Al Khalidah Mikaela, and a fantastic round by Shaikh Hassan bin Rashid Al Khalifa astride ARG Whoepie in the Grand Prix, saw him neatly claim second place.
Well done to all riders who took part in this the last show for the BREEF in 2009.
We are all anxiously looking forward to their next show scheduled for January 15 ... in the sunshine.
q q q
Now let's hope this rain has had enough fun, and goes off to dampen someone else's day, because Friday will see the start of the Twin Palms Dressage League, and mud splatters over your pristine horse and yourself is not good.
But the weather forcast for the week says its going to be nice - hooray!
So make sure you come along to Twin Palms Riding Centre, hopefully without your wellies, to watch the dressage. The show is scheduled to start at 9am, with five classes - Best Turned Out, Newcomer, Preliminary and two Working Equitation classes.
Next week, I will give a full report of the start of what promises to be a fantastic dressage season.
KIDS CHRISTMAS GYMKHANA
Twin Palms, not content with running a dressage event on Friday, is putting on its renowned Kids Christmas Gymkhana tomorrow.
This is always an extremely popular event, especially with the spectacular entrance of a certain red coated, bearded person ... ssshhh it's a surprise!
This year's gymkhana promises to be an action-packed event with themed races and games, a fabulous start to the festive holidays.
