Some of the lovely 'care packages' I received in hotel quarantine 
It's hard to believe that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was just a few weeks ago – in some ways so much has happened since then (and also so little!)
We’re sure that many of you have spent time reflecting on those remarkable Games – we certainly have! The stars were not aligned for us when, even with two lovely and well performed horses, you don’t make it. Maybe the Universe was telling us ‘it was not meant to be’! Whatever the reason, it was not our turn and you just have to look to the future and where you go next
For us, that meant travelling to England for Stuart and Leporis (Leo) and hotel quarantine for me (Karen). From Tokyo to two weeks in a Sydney hotel doing mandatory quarantine is not how you imagine the end of an Olympic Games but, thanks to care packages and Zoom calls with friends and family, online pilates instructors, a limited amount of alcohol (strictly rationed) and some Netflix bingeing I made it through
The girls, our lovely daughters Jaymee and Gemma, have kept the yard ticking over while we were away and also picked up a very special birthday for me whilst I was in quarantine. With Stuart away, there is now a new man in the house – Brian. He has a bit more hair than Stuart and is much blonder but Stuart is (slightly) better house trained
Brian settling in and snuggling up with Harvey
It was a bit depressing to come home to another period of lockdown in Sydney but, on the other hand, we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to travel in these strange times of ‘ghost airports’, no shops, being ushered into holding compounds, spit Covid tests and the list went on!
Now there is a little bit of hope on the horizon for NSW where we live and we may even get an event or two in before the end of the year, fingers crossed
We’ve been keeping the horses in light work and there is always plenty to do on the yard – now that there is a glimmer of hope about getting out and competing we’ve been checking all our tack, cleaning our wonderful array for Bates saddles and hoping that they will come out of their blue covers at a competition.
Gemma may not have been able to get out on cross country but she has had fun jumping at home
Stuart is still in the UK with Leporis – what we do next with him is a work in progress and we may get him out to some small events over there before the cold weather really sets in. With just one horse, Stuart has had some time to play the tourist in London and even hack out on borrowed horses (!!!!)
Hopefully the next Tinney blog will have some competition news for you and no doubt photos of a bigger Brian – he is growing so fast and can’t wait for his first event!
Tourist time in London for Stuart and Elisabeth Brinton (owner of Celebration)
