Maestro

Sunday October 19 2008

You never know who you're going to meet endurance riding. A King, a Shaikha, a Countess, a new second family in the Netherlands, or maybe a Board Member of the Boise Symphony who offers you tickets as their guest.

Connie and I were guests of Tennessee-Walker-riding Phil Carroll and his wife Margaret. Phil and his wife came to our Owyhee Canyonlands ride in September; Phil rode his horse Timer on the Trail Rides (see Timer's story here).

Not seeing each other on a horse, or wearing a helmet, it took a while for Phil and me to find each other, in the sea of civilizedly dressed syphonic patrons.

It was a night of Beethoven, the Boise symphony superb and the guest pianist, Alpin Hong, simply stunning. One of those things you can't believe you are seeing and hearing while it's going on right before your eyes and ears. It doesn't seem possible that anybody's hands and fingers can move that fast and that perfectly. He was so beyond good I can't even imagine what it's like. I'm not that good at anything.

Living way out in the boonies I don't get to see too many things like that on a regular basis, so this was not just a treat but an event - thanks Phil and Margaret!

You never know who you might meet at an endurance ride. And, you never know who you might meet at the symphony. I heard one of the oboe players rides endurance horses : )