Getting ready for the big day...

After 90 days of preparing, the big weekend finally came. Andy and I set the alarm to 2am and made it out to the barn by 3 Thursday May 13th. Neo was lying down in his stall when we got there. We hooked up the trailer and loaded him up. 9 hours later we made it to Norco, CA. It really is a "horse town". The sidewalks are bridle paths and there are more tack stores than grocery stores. Most every house had a paddock in the backyard. After we unpacked, I saddled Neo up and neaded out with Janet and Charlie (2 other trainers). We went up the hills and took a look around at what our competition trails might be like. It was steep and Neo handled it like a pro. I knew from that moment he was going to do well and take good care of us both! Here are some pics from that first day: