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!!!