AND DEBS IS BLINDFOLDED FOR HER FAREWELL RIDE 9th JAN

I am not in the mood to ride this morning. I am in fact feeling down and emotional. Debs convinces me to go. It is her last day here. We fetch the horses from the field. I am riding Apollo. We canter the beach and try to get clients cantering, without much luck. We try and try and try again. Some clients seem to think the horses will just break into a canter in the style of follow the leader. This is not so with Cheryls horses. You need to use the correct aids to tell them what you want them to do. We now take Debs for her last canter on the beach, as she is leaving tonight. She is blindfolded! Cheryl does this with the volunteers so they can realize how much their confidence and riding has improved. We are led by September on Royal, followed by Alex on Robin. I am behind Robin and in front of Debs, who is riding Nsync. Luisa is behind her. We are tasked with guiding her by voice. We head for the canter out and the canter back. Debs is in her element. I salute you Debs!
Debs and I are left at the stables whilst Cheryl, Don and Luisa go to the shops and home. They return and we set up for the afternoon ride. Don is taking Debs to the airport this afternoon. I am riding Apollo. It is a mix of Advanced to beginners. It is a full house with 20 riders in all. I take Joel, the Mongol child who came on Tuesday to ride, for his ride down to the beach. Joel is riding Alex. We meet his parents there. The advanced group and those who will only be trotting, have just got down to the beach. The clouds are closing in. We need to head home. We are half way back and the lightning and thunder is growing. Apollo is becoming fractious and nervous. I am walking him on quickly. We cannot trot as we have to take it easy for Joel. I ask the lead guy to quicken Alex’s pace. The rains begin. Cheryl, with those trotting, pass by us. We step up our walking pace. The advanced riders trot past us in a hurry. Apollo is not happy and wants to go. I ask Luisa to stay back with me. She tells me to go on ahead with the advanced riders. She can see Apollo is not happy. I release my reins on Apollo and he breaks into a canter with the next clap of thunder. We catch up to the other riders. The heavens truly open up. There are now 18 of us rushing to get home. We are over the moon when we get to the stables and have very quick dismounts and untacking of the horses. We get home and I jump in the shower to clean and warm up from our drenching. I can wash my hair for the first time since the 6th. We eat and I retire to bed early.