Sunday, July 17, 2011

A Special Day

Yesterday July 16th Bill and I travelled to the small town of Dominion in Cape Breton to see our oldest son Robert in the RCMP Musical Ride . This was a very special moment for us for several reasons, first that it was our first time seeing Rob take part in the Ride as well as our first time seeing him ride a horse . Secondly my parents were there to see him as well , they were thrilled to be there and they even announced their presence which was really special for them . My youngest sister and her husband were also there and my other sister was there with her granddaughter so lots to cheer him on .  Now I should mention that yesterday was anything BUT ideal conditions for this event , it was pouring rain and a strong wind off the ocean ,it was an outdoor event in a baseball field that was just a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean and you could see the breakers were reallllllllly high with the wind we were experiencing . So I guess you would think we came prepared for such weather ,well think again , when we left home it was dark and threatening but the forecast was for cloudy skies with sunny periods and a temperature of 26 C. I did wear a sweater and took a jacket but no rain gear ,wrong decision ,I had to wear a sweater that Bill had in the car as well as my own and the jacket and still I was cold , it was only 12 but with the wind it felt even colder !  Our drive to Cape Breton did involve some rain but nothing real heavy and it looked like it was clearing in the direction we were heading but upon arrival in Dominion the rain started in earnest and unfortunately did not stop all the way through the performance but they did not cancel as several thousand people had turned out and were braving the elements to see the show and as the saying goes "The show must go on"  We did find limited shelter under a canopy that was over a stage for the musical performance that preceded the show but I have to tell you the truth I was soaked to the bone and frozen ,yes frozen in July , I was trembling with the cold as my pants and jacket had absorbed all the water they could but you know it really didn't matter I still enjoyed every minute . Ok you are probably saying by now ,  enough already we want pictures . I did take pictures but it wasn't easy with hands so cold they didn't want to push that button so forgive me for the quality and quantity of the pictures .
Now isn't that a sight to see , just so impressive ,I believe there are 26 horses in the Ride ,I'm not 100% sure but I think Rob is the fifth horse from the right and the horse has a white star on his forehead , he is a very large horse and just handsome as you will see in a picture I will share just a little later .
They are into a routine here and I want you to observe the crowd in the background with their umbrellas and raincoats sitting along the sides of the field , at least they came prepared  ;-0You may not be able to tell it is raining in this picture but I can assure you it is raining very hard with sideways rain !

You can see here that the field is starting to get chopped up pretty bad from the horses and they have some difficulty in this area and two horses slip but thankfully don't fall .
I'd like to introduce you to my handsome son Rob and his horse Steele , Steele is over 17hands high and the second tallest horse in the Ride , his brother Sam is just slightly taller . This picture was taken before the performance when they were preparing the horses for the show .
This is my favorite picture , this is after the show , we took my parents back to the stables so they could see Rob and as you can see we are all pretty happy . My Dad is 91 and has been around horses his entire life , raising and racing Standard Bred horses and my Mom has tagged along to the races as well so seeing the Musical Ride with their grandson taking part was realllly special for them . I was just so proud of Rob , he worked so hard for this and did so well , he has been experiencing some back problems lately so I was rather concerned for him but he did fine .The final picture I want to show is of Rob with Bill a very proud father .
I hope you enjoyed seeing some photos of the ride , the next show we will attend will be an inside performance with  the possiblity of taking some better pictures :-)    

15 comments:

  1. How lovely that so many family members were able to be present. You must be very proud of him!!

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  2. Wow Sheila. Such a special day despite the rain. So wonderful that you parents were able to make it to watch Rob. I can see why you & Bill are so proud. :) Hugs,

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  3. How fantastic Sheila.... pity about the cold and wet but it looks like it was just magnificent.... well done Rob - gotta love a man in uniform!!! and great to have a family gathering too....
    Hugz

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  4. My dear Sheila, I have goose bumps looking at your pictures because I can see the love & pride in all of your faces. How sooo very wonderful my friend. What a treasure to have a good snap with your mom & dad. Rain, wind nor anything can take over your pride as you watched ROB. I know how proud he was too to have his loved ones there. I am happy for you. Love you: Dianne

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  5. Oh Sheila...what a nice group of pictures....you mist be so proud....worth all the rain and cold...a once in a lifetime thing.

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  6. That was so wonderful Sheila. What a sight in their uniforms and all those beautiful horses. I love the photo of your handsome son and his wonderful companion..how gorgeous is that horse. Such a special time for you all and one that you'll always remember bad weather and all. Well done Rob and Steele.

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  7. A special day indeed Sheila. Thank you for sharing with us.

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  8. Wonderful Sheila .... you all look so happy - despite the rain :) How great everyone looked

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  9. Absolutely fabulous. It does look spectacular.

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  10. I just wanted to say WOW your Dad is doing really well...91!!! What a fabulous age. Loved seeing the pictures. Linda

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  11. Sheila, I am so proud of you and your family! What a special day for you all.. Rob is a handsome boy.. Your dad is amazing..What a shame that it was sooo cold..

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  12. It is so wonderful that some many of you could be there with him. That must have been very uncomfortable in the rain and chill but your photos are great.

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  13. What a wonderful family you have, looks like you had a lot of fun.

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  14. Sheila, thanks for for sharing this wonderful day. Sorry about the weather, but you allthough looks so happy together, great to see *smile*
    Liebe Grüße
    Bente

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