The Land of Driving on the Left Hand Side

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We finally arrived at Heathrow. We picked up our baggage and dashed off to the car rental lot. Considering that driving on the so-called "wrong" side of the road was new for us, we opted to pay a little more for a car with an automatic transmission. We didn't care to cause any head-on collisions due to having to multi-task, thank you very much! Perhaps the busy roads around Heathrow didn't provide the optimum environment to cut your teeth driving in the UK, but Seth quickly got the hang of it. Once we were on the M25, he was very relaxed and we were on our way to meet Seth's family in Burton-upon-Trent. The World Pony Driving Championships were being held nearby at Catton Hall in South Derbyshire.

When we arrived, everyone was already out at the grounds, so we checked into our hotel, and proceeded to freshen up. The most remarkable thing I noticed upon entering our room was that the windows were wide open and there were no screens. All I kept thinking about was whether mosquitoes were going to devour me. I learned later on in the evening that that was not to be the case! I found it quite amazing that there weren't any bugs coming into our room at all. Behind our little hotel was a canal where people lived in houseboats.

Later on, Seth's family arrived at the hotel, and we went back out to the grounds for dinner and festivities. Dressage had gone well that day, and Suzy and Bouncer had taken third place in the dressage competition for single pony.

Catton Hall, the event's venue, is a beautiful, grand estate. The present building was constructed in 1745 and has been in the same family since 1405. In my opinion, it was everything you imagine an English estate to be - stately home, beautiful grounds and aristocratic flair. Not only would Catton hold the Worlds, but there was also a food show happening concurrently just beyond the horse ring.

We were excited about the adventures the days ahead would bring!

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Photos

A Toast to a Good First Day Result
Wayne toasts Suzy and Bouncer's results with a delicious Tetley's Bitters.

Suzy Stafford, Dressage Ribbon
Suzy is third from the left.