only have 5 minutes to write...

Hi I only have 5 minutes right now, but I will try to get on the computer again later. Thank you so much for all of your work, I’m sorry to hear that my mom is so sick..... So far I have been ok. I’ve been taking loads of the “Emergen-C”! One kid went home REALLY SICK and another has a broken collar bone but I'm having a blast! The kids from IRE and UK kids are so much fun & their chaperone is awesome. We actually did get a lamb dinner that was wonderful! It’s so cool, they must like my riding because I went out on a man’s personal horse and came back on his 1month under saddle 4 year old point to point filly. (Point to Point = Steeplechase). Love you much! More to come later (I hope).

Day 2 in Ireland - I looked like a Dalmatian!

After waking up, getting 8 1/2 hrs of sleep (the most I've gotten in I don’t know how long) we had a delicious breakfast and went down to plait (braid) the horses. Although it was still 6 degrees Celsius, gusting winds & accompanied by showers, when we got to the meet the showers had stopped and we met loads of nice people at the pup. I rode a lovely ex-dressage thoroughbred named “Avaunta” (German for “forward”). We had little jumping, mostly creeks and little logs, we were out for hours......slightly over 6 hours - I believe. The countryside was absolutely wonderful, but the mud was very very deep I got covered and looked like a Dalmatian. When we were driving to the meet there was a huge pond but as you moved, it continued and what was behind us faded.........It was all farmland that had flooded! One man said that it was about waist deep! When we returned we had a coke and some crisps at the pub and then headed back to the house where we put up the horses and went to the house. At the house we had a lovely dinner - my first lamb (don’t tell “Sweetie”) and another fantastic dessert!!!
The son left back to Dublin for a day, so tomorrow we have to get all of the horses ready ourselves. I think they liked my riding because I'm riding the owner’s horse. A lovely gray! More tomorrow! … We are going to be out hunting just for a short day but it will still be fun! Thanks to all the grand helpers!!!

Arrival & 1st day in Ireland

Let me start by saying: taking time in between flights only makes it take longer.....way longer!!!
This morning we left for Paris, and the little monitor that shows the map on the plane was so disturbing! Every time we looked at the little plane on the map it seemed as if we were only going in reverse. Other than that the plane ride was good, and the only glimpse I got of the Eiffel tower was what I saw as I shuffled past a gift shop. We sat in the airport for 4 hours waiting for our connecting flight, then when they started to board the plan our chaperone had gone to the restroom or should I say the “lue”... I had to go and tell the gate that we were ready but were waiting for our chaperone, his response was : O,,,,,O, ok, well I see, ok o we are just waiting for you; are you coming or not? At that moment we were able to spot our chaperone and signal her to run, then the man at the boarding gate acted as if he had never seen us, greeting: “Bon Jour”, how are you? are you enjoying your trip? Haha flash back to the movie “Meet the Parents”. Then I sat by a couple that would not stop making out! So I read 87 pages in my book "Sea Biscuit".
When we landed, we met the organizers of the entire exchange and they were so welcoming and kind! Then we went to the cars and had a small seating problem so I volunteered to go with the UK team. We were only 3min out when we stopped at a Mobil station and discovered we were lacking at least 10lbs of air in each tire! The driver got out of their car and went to tell the others what we were doing and at that instant a van backed up and luckily managed to stop, literally 1 inch away from our little car!
Finally we were on our way, after we humorously figured out how to get the car to start. That’s when I realized even if I can’t hunt, the trip was worth it! We were cracking jokes left and right and even though we hardly new each other it seemed as if we were the best of friends. We got to Puncherstown where we had a lovely lunch then went for a tour of the kennels. You might have said that it was a great day.... but it wasn't over. we next went to RACE (Racing Association and …)
There we got a tour of the school and the yard. It had a huge indoor ring, a track, starting gates, and computer labs bigger than most schools. It was immaculate, with banked stalls and huge classrooms......o and one more thing.........racing simulators! I got to ride a horse, a fake horse but I'm going to count it! It was fully tacked with mirrors all around and he gave me a small lesson, 2 other kids and I went first and the others didn’t all think it was a great idea. I think it was great fun and one person nearly fell off, imagine if it was a mechanical bull. haha
The host family that I'm staying with is truly amazing. They are so kind and I must say they also made a really good dessert!!! And to top it off, they said even if there is no hunting they will take us out and let us jump some drains.... we’ll see what happens, we had a long hard rain today but they really want to see us get to hunt.
I have made great friends already, especially with the other girl my age, we are staying at the same place tonight and already pulling mini pranks on each other as if we were sisters. I believe there are 4 boys that are on the exchange and 2 are staying tonight with our same host family, one is their son, they are both very nice.
That’s all for now its only 9:30pm here and I’m still running on more than 48 hours of no sleep. Thanks to all the helpers at the barn, I greatly appreciate it!
PS. the computer keyboards are so different here.

Almost!!!

We are about to leave for the air port, from the organizers cozy house. I met our chaperon last night and she is lovely! Today I met the other to kids from our team and they are very nice too! This morning the one of the other girls and I we went to the organizers wonderful barn and helped with morning chores. Then watched some of their hunt by hill topping in a car, We couldn't’t see much but we did see 2 bald eagles!!! I don’t know if there will be a computer where I stay but I will keep you up to date when I can, we where informed late last night that there might not be any hunting the first week if at all because Cork is completely under water. If I'm in horse country for 2 weeks and cant ride I might just die....all right just suffer. that's all for now, and thanks to all the helpers at the barn, you rock!!!

Count down....2 days!

It's 2 days before I leave and I'm still not packed, Nor do I have all the school ponies tack set up for the lessons when I gone. I'm a member of Sandia Creek Ranch Pony Club Riding Center and the Santa Fe Hunt, I was selected thought US Pony Club for the International Foxhunting Exchange along with 2 other kids from the US. we will be fox hunting with 8 different packs of hounds around Ireland, staying with host family's, and touring Ireland (hopefully most of the time on a horse). I can't wait to meet all the other members! That's all for now,I better go and get packed!