A Barnmice Community News Feature:

Olympian Christilot Boylen is sharing with us her blog about riding on a quadrille team at a celebration in Oman...

The first of January! We left for the stadium early in case of traffic and because we have been warned about the extra security.  Due to security no-one, was allowed to carry mobile phones or cameras onto the site.

At the stadium, we were stopped at our usual entrance by a tank with Omani soldiers, one of whom carries an automatic rifle.  Above us, two helicopters circle constantly over the site.  After fifteen minutes of waiting, the show management allows our bus to enter through the normal entrance.

Later Udo (one of the other participants in our group) told me that the public and all spectators were required to go through a normal scanning process, and phones or other recording equipment were removed.

We then proceeded to wait for 8PM when the show is scheduled to begin ... then 8:15 ... then 8:45 ... and nothing has happened.  We wondered if maybe the Sultan decided to stay home and have a cosy evening in front of the TV set instead?

Suddenly trumpets blare!  There is whistling and screaming coming from the direction of the stadium.  Word spreads: His Highness has left the palace and will arrive at 9PM!!!
The opening act - 1500 horses and 500 camels - swing into motion and start  to file into the stadium.

We hear the roars when the Sultan arrives and then the familiar rhythm from the dress rehearsals sets in.  We cannot see the other performances, and those who have chosen to watch cannot come back to the barn or warmup areas.

Ulf Moeller, the co-ordinator of our quadrille, walks us through the pattern two or three times.  Then we start to prepare the horses.

Each rider has decided for themselves how much warmup they require and we constantly are given messages telling us how far along the show is running.

We are all warming up when Ulf tells us to come together and dismount:  We are all going to be searched by security!  So down we get.  Three officers apologetically search us and we are back on and warming up again!

We take formation and the curtain goes up!  The quadrille comes off very well and we ride out relieved and happy to have carried it off.  And the Sultan has waved!!!

To be continued/