Kevin is 40!!

Friday night we picked up Kevin and Ian from the train station in Portland and took this picture of Kevin reluctantly wearing a 40th birthday necklace and a party hat. After a quick swim at the hotel where Kevin and Jessica and Ian were staying, we were off to Kevin's birthday dinner with Nicki, who rides Jessica's two show horses, and Danielle, a good friend of Jessica's and a boarder at Traumhof.

You see, Kevin's 40th birthday weekend coincided with the end of the year championships for the Oregon Dressage Society at the Devonwood Equestrian Center, about an hour from us. Kevin and Johnny and Ian and I spent the days watching Jessica's horses do wonderfully well in the show. When not at the show, Johnny and I hung out at the hotel pool with Ian, swimming and hot tubbing, occasionally joined by Kevin and Jessica. It's a tough life.

Jessica's horses were stars. Lily (Elisienne) won the Grand Prix championship and her son Rudi (Rudeau) won the First Level championship, both with Nicki astride. Rudi's score improved each day. He is one remarkable guy (photo below right). Lily (photo below left) is simply elegant.




















Kevin is one remarkable guy, too, but he was outshone by horses this past weekend. I like to think they honored him on his 40th birthday by each winning championships.