Unexpected and exciting news!

Update on Adelaide Hill!

Well Adelaide is staying in the UK.... for now.  Adelaide aka Mr Spooks was meant to start quarantine on the 1st October. Before he started quarantine I decided to have his tendon scanned so I had something to compare to after he arrived back in Australia.  Before the scan I had told Becks Bennett who is currently looking after Adelaide that knowing Adelaide’s previous history, I would certainly not expect to see much improvement in his tendon as it was only 7 weeks between having the treatment and re-scanning.   

Well Adelaide made a liar of me and poor Beck’s vet thought she was crazy as well, after he’d been given the whole story about slow healing and retirement.  Adelaide has shown remarkable healing in a very short time period. Becks informed me that we should maybe give Adelaide another go.  I thought about this long and hard and decided that he should come home to Australia as planned.  But after making this decision I spoke with several vets and after seeing the scans myself I started to have reservations about my decision. So just a couple of hours before Adelaide was due to start quarantine we pulled the pin on his return to Australia. 

So there were a few things that helped me change my decision. Firstly, Becks was happy to have Adelaide stay and do his rehab program.  I had two vets; one that didn’t know him, and one that did know him, say with careful planning Adelaide might be able to have a comeback.  With Adelaide already being in the UK I have the options of so many more events to choose from with better going and surfaces.  If I bought Adelaide home to do the rehab I would never be able to afford to take him back to the UK.   

The plan at this stage is 6 months rehab and fingers crossed Adelaide might have a chance at doing some select One Day Events and hopefully an ERM or two in 2019. We have however made the decision that Adelaide will no longer do long format events (CCI).  If Adelaide can’t cope with any part of this plan he will immediately return to Australia.  As I’ve promised one William Bates that he will get Adelaide eventually as a schoolmaster. 

The one annoying thing is that Adelaide’s gear has arrived back in Australia and thanks to Rob Palm I’ll be able to collect my gear at Goulburn this weekend. Shame it will need to return to the UK.  Oops.  

Christine 
Xx