I know its been some time since Tahiti.
Suffice it that the Boularibank made it safely to port at the time forseen, that the taxi fare from port to airport (delightful Indian driver) has now risen from $25 to $52 to $65, and that Air NZ staff were wonderfully helpful and got me quickly on a plane to Christchurch, where Robin was waiting for me…
And now I’ve been a fortnight at Gerolstein.
Wendy had the place looking glorious – even though there are a few horrible jobs to do, mostly relating to water or to horses’ teeth – so I was able to cruise through week one, before she zoomed off on her first holiday in a hundred years and for week two I’ve been involved in the care of 17 horses and the training of five.
The seventeenth one is something special.
Last year, in a flush of multi-patriotism and money, Jack and I sent both dear old Gwen and her feisty daughter Duchess to be served (at a distance) by the French stallion Love You. And on 22 September 2008, Duchess (officially La Grande-Duchesse) gave birth to a glorious big filly who may have traits of her mother in her colouring and her Madagascar-shaped blaze, but otherwise must be all Love You.
We have called her Lucy de Gerolstein, and she is the first ever daughter of Love You to be born in New Zealand, and – as far as I know – anywhere at all in the southern hemisphere.
We think she’s absolutely beautiful …
And obviously we’re not the only ones!
For Lucy, at two weeks old, is featured in the J-P Dubois stud’s advertisement (below) which came out this week…
In a week or three, she should have a little brother or sister when Gwen gives birth as well. This time, I would like a boy … and imagine if it took after its mother and was black rather than bay.
But for the moment, its first-born Lucy who is the star …
Which probably makes me the equivalent of an equine ‘stage-father’!
You can see Lucy's blueblood pedigree on Jack's blog at
http://ecuriejack.blogspot.com
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