Of course I could jump it....!

Well, the guy next door to our booth, selling the Australian raincoats, must have been out doing a rain dance on Thursday evening because during the night we had torrential rain, and Friday was a mixture of thundery rain storms and sunshine. Not a bad day, with quite a lot of interest from both competitors and spectators. On Friday night Tony and I went out for a Mexican meal with a couple of the other vendors who are running the booth opposite. It was nice to spend an evening with new friends and put the world to rights over a couple of very good Margaritas.

Saturday dawned clear but there was great concern as high winds and severe thunder storms were forecast for the afternoon. The concern was so great that the organisers decided to keep the cross country going without a lunch break so that they could get all the riders and horses through the cross country phase before the storm arrived. And, oh boy did it arrive, with a vengeance! At around 3 ‘o clock in the afternoon the skies darkened and the thunder and lightening started and within minutes the winds had got up and the floor of the big marquee we were in was flooded. There was then an announcement over the PA system, we think from the police, and everyone was instructed to leave the premises. We were told that there was a tornado warning and that the organisers had taken the decision to close up the show, and all the tents and marquees, for safety.

Not 'our' tornado thankfully, but it gives you an idea of what they look like!

Well, 3.30 in the afternoon found a very wet and bedraggled Tony and Hilary walking (me riding scoot) the mile back to the RV park, hoping our booth would not get washed away overnight. Saturday night finished with the local tornado warning sirens sounding which I have to say was rather unnerving!

Sunday morning dawned fine but overnight a high wind had blown up which was rocking our marquee to its foundations. The booth was pretty much underwater when we arrived and we spent the first hour drying out the floor and moving cardboard boxes out of puddles. The next problem was a hurricane force wind which came through the opening of our marquee and blew most of the display off the shelves. The final straw came when a particularly strong gust flattened our backdrop, which we were then forced to take down to prevent any further damage.

The rest of the day passed slowly and by 4pm we were ready to pack up and call it a day. The torrential rain which started at about 4 pm made the breakdown of the stand even harder and, by the time we put the last box on the back of the pick up at 9pm, I have to say that both of us would have been glad if we never saw the Kentucky Horse Park ever again!

On a brighter note, William Fox-Pitt won the event, and we understand that both Oliver Townend and his horse, who had a crashing fall during the cross country, were not badly injured and are recovering well.

The other piece of good news that saved the day was that the Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop and Saddlery www.kyhorsepark.com are going to start selling our products in their saddlery section and we were able to provide them with their opening order at the end of the show. A real silver lining to the dark storm clouds over Kentucky!

Onward and upward as they say, tomorrow we start our trip from Kentucky through Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, down to New Orleans, in Louisiana, for the National Animal Supplements Councils (NASC) www.nasc.cc annual meeting. Wish us luck there as there is a tornado watch for this area!

Hilary & Tony

Bruce Davidson

So here we are at the Rolex Three Day event for the first time for many years. The first two days have been rather quiet, not just for us to for all the vendors in our marquee, but then there have not been many visitors as yet. Everyone is confident that things will pick up from Friday onwards. The guy running the booth next door to us is praying for rain as he is selling Australian coats, hats, and wet weather gear! Everyone else is hoping for sunshine to drive the visitors in.

Rolex stand

After we had closed up on Wednesday we took a stroll over to the lovely new stadium that was completed in 2009. The dressage events that have been added to the programme this year, along with the dressage tests for the eventers, are all taking place in the sand arena overlooked by the stadium. Outside the stadium is a great bronze statue of the famous American event rider, Bruce Davidson, which of course Tony took a quick snapshot off to attach to this Blog.

Main arena

We then walked back to the RV and Tony got to work on the camp fire which has become a bit of a daily ritual, he really is regressing back to his Cub Scout days!

Cheers everyone!

More news in a couple of days.

Hilary & Tony

Well it has been over a week since I did our last Blog!   Sorry folks, but Tony and I decided to have a few days rest after the Equine Affaire show in Columbus, not that we have been taking it easy, oh no! We have been very busy building camp fires and experimenting with my latest catering gadget....but more of this later.

On the 11th April we set off to drive the short two hundred-odd miles that would take us from Columbus, via Cincinnati (this looked like a really nice city) and on into Kentucky. The scenery changed dramatically almost immediately we left Cincinnati behind, moving from flat agricultural land to rolling hills that reminded us both of Somerset and Dorset. The green and expanse of the grassland was intense, with perfectly mowed paddocks all neatly contained within glistening white post and rail fencing.

As we neared our destination, the Kentucky Horse Park, just outside Lexington, Kentucky, we were amazed by the size of the estates. Huge houses, some sporting neo- classical columns and chateaux-like entrance gates, which bounded literally hundreds if not thousands of acres of velvet grassland stocked with fine looking thoroughbred horses. The size of some of these estates is breathtaking and a real eye-opener for those of us who hail from a small island! We have taken the opportunity over the past few day to drive around the area and have a look at some of the amazing properties, many of which are set up long winding drives easily over half a mile long.

We have been setting up our stand for the last two to three days and tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday) we are planning to open for a few hours as there is a dressage competition going on just below the Trade Show marquee. We are in booth 204 and would love to see anyone who is reading this blog, in fact if you come on the stand and mention the Blog we will give you a free gift!

Our booth is in a black hole!

We are in the ‘overflow' marquee, next door to the big Trade Show building, which has been added this year to provide booths for new vendors to Rolex, such as ourselves. It is located in a sand school so we are hoping it doesn't get too dusty or muddy, the weather is due to change at the end of the week and there may be rain!

Anybody would think I'd done this before!

Anyway enough of this, what about the camp site I hear you say? Well the campground here is lovely, to see it visit http://www.kyhorsepark.com/index.php. We can drive into the Horse Park from our campsite and I will be using my handy Scoot to get from the RV to the booth each day. For anyone wanting to visit the Horse Park with its fantastic museum and tours I couldn't recommend a better place to stay. As usual everyone is very friendly and helpful, the park is quiet, well away from the road, and has lovely sites with fire rings, picnic tables, and trees. The only sound to disturb your peace are the Canada geese and the very distant lonesome hoot of the freight trains.

Base camp at Rolex

Back to the fire rings, which brought out the Cub Scout in Tony, he has gone all ‘Baden Powell' on me, and has started collecting kindling and firewood so that each evening we can sit by our fire ring whilst I use my latest culinary discovery.

The very first day we picked up our RV we went into a camping shop and I spotted a Rome Pie Iron. Now I know all you hardy pioneering Americans will say "Oh those things, that's nothing new", well I can tell you it was new to me and I would reckon it would be new to a lot of other Brits.

The Rome Pie Iron (Rome is the make ( http://www.romeindustries.com/ ) is basically a cast-iron toasted sandwich maker, but its actually a whole lot more than that. It is made up of two pieces of cast-iron which link together at the top, and each side has a long handle which allows you to put the whole thing into or onto a grate over a campfire or fire ring. I will get Tony to take a photo of it as my explanation is not very good. Anyway I bought a recipe book at the same time and a few nights ago we made our first Pie Iron with some of my left over home-made chilli. I buttered a tortilla on one side, filled it with the home-made chilli, added some grated cheddar cheese and a few sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro to the Americans), buttered another tortilla and put it on top of the first one to make a chilli sandwich, closed down the lids, which automatically seals the edges of the sandwich, then placed it on the metal grill above the fire. We cooked it for 6 minutes each side and then checked it out. It was absolutely delicious, pockets of crispy toasty tortillas filled with hot chilli and melted cheese.

Of course this was just the beginning, since then we have made cheese and ham toasties and a sweet toastie using whole-wheat bread, containing fresh blueberries and honey served with organic vanilla ice cream. We have got to bring one of these pie irons home with us, no doubt we will find that they are already available in the UK, but we are definitely hooked.

So back to the Rolex 3 Day Event ( http://www.rk3de.com/ ). We haven't walked the course but did spot a couple of lovely wood carvings used for the fences. Tony took photos of course and they are here with this blog. Let's hope the show is a good one and we meet up with many both new and existing customers. More to come.

Would your horse jump this??

Sunset over the Kentucky Horse Park

Hilary and Tony

"Hi my nam is Zac and I am a 12- year Border Collie. I moved to my current home when I was 18 months old, where I have thoroughly enjoyed myself playing at Obedience and Agility, and now I am trying to do Cani-Cross. Unfortunately I am no longer able to compete as due to my early treatment I have age-related stiffness in my elbow and spine, but since I have been taking Seaweed & Rosehip as a general tonic, Gastrix to help my tummy, and Veteran and CDRM to help my back, I have felt extremely well and even can give my brothers a run for their money.

I went to Crufts this year to help mum promote the Cani-Cross Trail Runners and thoroughly enjoyed myself despite some people thinking I was stuffed! However I did get my photo taken lots of times and plenty of cuddles from youngsters and adults alike. While I was there, me and my brothers, oh and mum, thought we would go and see our friends at Hilton Herbs and thank them a great deal for keeping us all on the straight and narrow. Yes, we do go to the vet when we have a slight relapse but not too often. Anyway a great hug and kisses from us to Hilton Herbs, thanks".

Zac the Border Collie

 ZAC

Equine Affaire, Columbus, OH

The show has been going well with lots of interest from new customers, and great feedback from people who have been using the products since they first bought them at the show last year. This show draws a real mixture of equestrian types from bull riders, cowboys, trail riders, and show people.

Hilary, Corri, and a customer

Throughout the show we have been helped by Corri, from US distributors The Healing Barn. Corri is expecting her first child in August and we wish her, and her husband Paul, the very best of luck and will post baby pics after the happy event.

Small but perfectly formed!

Last night Corri was treated to a private audience with Stevie, a Watusi bull, who takes part in the evening Fantasia event. This is a choreographed musical production which includes a performance during which Tommy Garland, a well known horse trainer, rides Stevie under saddle, and performs a comedy duo with a horse in which they try to outdo each other to the tune "Anything you can do I can do better". The photo shows Stevie resting up in his pen prior to the evening's performance.

 Steve the Watsui bull

Today is the final day of the show and at 5pm we will be packing up the trailer and getting ready to drive down to Kentucky and get ourselves settled into the Kentucky Horse Park, in preparation for setting up our booth a the forthcoming Rolex Three Day Event.

More stories and tales soon

Hilary and Tony

I can't remember where I left off but think it was when we were over-nighting in a Wal-Mart car park in Harrisburg, please excuse me if I have missed some time but think I am OK! After Harrisburg we drove onto towards Ohio through the most amazing countryside on a route through the Appalachian mountains, passing through tunnels cut deep into the mountainside. Spring is just starting to reach this area and the trees are beginning to turn that brilliant lime green you get when the leaves are just starting to appear.

Enroute we stopped in at a big service Plaza alongside the Interstate so we could fill up with diesel at $2.75 a gallon (£1.83 a gallon - your heart out UK motorists!), and whilst filling up the truck (which has three tanks and holds a total of 70 gallons), a State Police vehicle cruised up alongside and asked Tony "Is this your rig sir?" There is always that heart-stopping moment when all your previous sins race before your eyes and you try desperately to think if you have done anything wrong! Luckily enough the policeman was just a fellow ‘toy-hauler' owner and wanted to know what Tony thought of his new Raptor (the make of the RV). Let's hope this is the only time we brush with the law in the US!

We were determined to have a peaceful night and succeeded when we found this great campsite nestled into the mountains alongside two beautiful lakes fully stocked with bass - a return trip must include this venue - with only the sound of Canada geese to disturb our rest. We met up with a great guy called Jim, from South Virginia, who called me ‘ma'am' and made me feel like a genteel lady from the Southern states! Jim is working on the gas pipeline and told us that last year he only spent 13 days at home!! He provided us with heaps of dry logs which enabled us to have our first fire in the fire pit alongside our RV site and Tony took some snaps of us enjoying the pitch black night and roaring logs.

Next day it was ever onwards toward Columbus, passing from Pennsylvania, through the very northern tip of West Virginia, and on into Ohio, but not without stopping briefly to visit Cabellos, a sportman's outfitters of world renown. Andrew, the son of Kerry and Nancy Gingrich who own the warehouse in PA where we hold our stock, had told us that we should not miss the opportunity to visit this store. Well, it was unbelievable, Tony was like a child in a sweet factory, and took lots of pics. Needless to say we did buy a few vital items (sorry Janice!) that we just had to have for our BBQ kit and camping regalia!!

Cabelo's - sportman's paradise!

Then it was back to reality and on towards the Ohio State Expo/Fair Ground which we reached at 5.30 on Tuesday evening. We were welcomed with open arms by one of the staff who, despite being due to clock off, got onto his golf trolley and showed us where we could park up for the duration of the show. What a difference from the sort of reception we have come to expect in the UK when a man in a hi-viz waistcoat tells you on arrival that "you can't park here mate" and makes you feel like a b****y nuisance, rather than one of the countless people who are contributing to their wages. Some of the larger venues that we have exhibited at in the UK over the last 20 years could certainly learn a thing or two about customer service from these people who run a large site not only efficiently but courteously. Still, enough of my moaning!

A good start to building the stand!

Today found us setting up the stand in the Celeste building and we have hired a golf trolley for running backwards and forwards from the campsite to the venue and for restocking each evening. The stand looks good (pics to come) and we are lucky enough to have Tommy Garland's booth right next door to us. Tommy is a natural horseman who has used Hilton Herbs products for some time now and we will be speaking to him over the next few days to arrange to link up with him to help promote our products through his natural horsemanship programme. See Tommy's website www.tommygarland.com.

Hilton Herbs at the Equine Affaire, Columbus, OH

The show starts tomorrow lets hope it's good and we get the opportunity to meet and speak to lots of horse and dog owners interested in using herbal products for their animals and pets

Hilary Herb power!

Hilary and Tony

This is just a quickie. Here we are on Easter Saturday parked in a Wal Mart car park, the only place we could find in the middle of Harrisburg, PA. Something tells me it is not going to be a peaceful night as it is 9pm and the place is still very crowded and noisy.

First of all can I say a big ‘thank you' to everyone who supported me by writing to their MPs and filling in the government questionnaire regarding Statutory Regulation for herbalists. The good news is that all your efforts have paid off as it was announced within the last couple of days that the Government have approved Statutory Regulation for herbalists. This means that we will continue to have full access to all our herbs and that the public will be able to continue to consult qualified medical herbalists in the UK! Well done everyone and thanks, once again, for putting yourselves out for me and all the other herbalists who have been working so hard to bring this subject to the attention of both the public and the Department of Health

Now back to our US travels. We left Oak Grove RV park in Hatfield, near Souderton, this morning and drove over to the warehouse to load up. I can't believe how much stuff we put in the ‘garage' area of the ‘toy hauler' but we had to load enough stock to hopefully be sufficient for both the Equine Affaire show, in Columbus Ohio, as well as the Rolex Three Day Event in Lexington, Kentucky. The drive was uneventful enough and the truck and RV purred along, we are very glad we went for the Ford 550 pickup as anything else would have just not been up to the job.

We meant to take some pics for Easter but I'm afraid events overtook us, sorry, will make up for it in the coming days. One thing that did happen is that we found the most amazing artisan baker in Souderton, of all places. Each time we have visited Souderton over the past 12 months I had noticed a small bakery, placed on its own, in a residential area of the town. Finally on Thursday I made Tony stop as we drove past and we went in. Well, what a find! it is the most amazing bakery, called Bakery on Broad because its on Broad Street. It's run by a French artisan baker and his American wife, and they have been open for four years. We bought Foccacia, a whole-wheat beer bread, and some Croissants. The owners are very friendly and were fascinated to hear that we are devotees of Max Poilane, the famous Parisien baker (sadly deceased), whose boulangeries are located in Paris and whose sour dough breads and almond croissants are always bought whenever we do the Salon de Cheval show each December. Imagine Tony's joy when he saw on the baker's flyer that he also makes almond and chocolate croissant! The first purchase lived up to all our expectations and we made a bee line to the bakers the very next day to buy some of the said almond and chocolate croissants. Tony pronounced that it was' like being in France', a quote that the baker's wife immediately added to her quote board that she has outside the shop. We will certainly be going back there as soon as we get back to Souderton and only wish our RV's freezer was larger!

!!!!!???

Anyway that's about if for now, will send more news once we arrive in Columbus and start setting up the show.

Cheers

H & T

Sorry for the silence but we have been working and this (10pm on Monday night) is the first opportunity I have had to get everything down!

The rest of the Global Pet Expo went extremely well, with a lot of interest from both distributors and pet shops that specialise in natural pet care. We took several orders from existing stores who reported excellent feedback from their customers, along with a number of orders from new stores who felt our product range was just what their customers were looking for. Thanks to everyone who came by the booth and showed an interest in our product line and a special thank you to everyone who placed an order, in particular three new customers, Pennye from the Big Bad Woof, Deborah from the Holistic Pet Shop in North Carolina, and Diane and Maria (?) from The Healthy Animal in Massachusetts.

We are keeping our fingers crossed because during the show a company from Washington State, that showed great interest in our products in 2009, came back to the booth and asked us to go through our product range with two new members of staff as they wanted them to see the products and what we offered. In addition an organisation that represents a large number of independent pet stores has told us that many of their members have requested that Hilton Herbs be asked to supply the group. We are very keen to do this and are hoping to make contact with them over the next few days. This will enable us to distribute our pet range to independent pet stores right across the USA!

The show was busy and I have to say that by 5pm on Saturday I was pretty whacked, so when Bill Bookout, Chairman of the NASC (National Animal Supplements Council) who had a booth just up the aisle from us, offered to help us pack up I was not going to say no! Bill was fantastic and can have a job any time! He helped Tony haul the empty boxes from the back of the RV that was parked at one of the loading bays and cut our ‘get out' time in half so that by 7pm we were driving out of the Convention Centre loading dock and were on our way out of Orlando. We drove nearly 200 miles before stopping for the night at Camping World in preparation for going shopping the following morning for essential supplies. Unfortunately the shop didn't open until 10am on a Sunday so we were forced to head on without any doing shopping, Janice, our Accountant, will be thrilled!

Sunday night found us back at Big Bass Lake in Dillon, South Carolina, where Guy and his wife Julie, along with Henry the dog, made us extremely welcome. This is a great site and we will certainly stop here again next year when we return to the Global Pet Show. During the night a bad storm blew up and the rain was lashing down all night, however we felt lucky when Guy told us this morning that North Carolina has suffered six tornado ‘touch-downs' during the night. When we asked Guy what his evacuation plans were for such an event, his reply was that he would head for the bridge under the Interstate highway just down the road, as he reckoned this would be the safest place! Very reassuring!

"more wood, I'm cold!!"

During our 300 mile drive from Dillon to Fredericksburg we dropped into JR's, a shop at mile marker 97 in North Carolina, just off the Interstate 95. This is a great store offering everything from cut-price perfumes to Wrangler Jeans. I took the opportunity to buy two pairs of Wrangler Q Baby Jeans - these are jeans designed for cow girls and they are amazingly comfortable to ride in as well as being really fashionable. They usually cost about $120 but at JR's they can be bought for just $50 - fantastic bargain.

So now here we are parked in a Home Depot Car Park, off the Interstate 95, just north of Fredericksburg in North Virginia. The plan is to travel on tomorrow and reach Hatfield in Pennsylvania, which will be our home for the next four days. We will restock the RV ready to travel up to Columbus, Ohio, to set up for the next show which is the Equine Affaire.

"seemed like a good place to stop..not smart but its free!"

Happy Easter everyone just in case I don't get another Blog done before Friday.

Hilary and Tony