A 'Pop in' Visit to Longines Global Championship Tour

This weekend was the Longines Global Championship Tour.  

It is the world's 'premier jumping series,' brings the best horse jumpers in the world to South Beach.  

This is the third year that I have been able to attend it, since I have lived here.  

It really is beautiful and amazing, as it is held right off the water on the 
beach just outside the W hotel.

It is free, except in the VIP, which IS inside with a covered patio, but I always just sit with the people in the bleachers.  (many of whom are in their bathing suits and come right off the beach.
They have beer and wine and small bites to eat, and clothes and hats to buy.
Usually I can get in and use the VIP bathrooms, but this year,
I got there later, and couldn't get past the guard.

 But every year it amazes me that there is no coverage, for the people watching the event.
As amazing as it is...it is difficult to sit there for very long because it is SO FREAKING HOT!!

Still, most of the time, the stands stay pretty full.
I think if it was covered no one would ever get up, and leave...that must be the theory...
I know my friends and I would just sit there.
..except the bathrooms...
they keep you working to get to the far away bathroom...
There is no free ride!!
All of the horses are amazing to view, though...beautiful fit creatures.

So, because I was busy April 5 &  6, when this was happening...

I  was bound and determined to make it this last day of the event: Saturday, April 7th, 2018, 

but I really didn't want to go to it alone!!

Finally, Saturday afternoon, my German friend, Sylvia text me, and asked what I was doing.  

Sylvia is always a good sport and always up for a fun adventure!  

So we met over there around 2:30 or 3pm, and at first there was a crazy breeze on the water.

However, around 4:30, there seemed to be a break, so I wandered off to find the bathroom...turned out it was so far away that by the time I was ready to return to the competition, I was close to the W hotel, where I knew there would be air conditioning, so I went in for a spell & a breather.

Then I found a cool place to sit outside, messaged Sylvia, (who was dying to get outa the sun, and said the glass of wine she got there was "horrible," so she needed to get a better one while she was inside the W hotel), and then we found an alternative to the sweaty horse jumping competition outside...sharing a bottle of Rose' on the W Hotel Terrace.

So, following the Rose', we decided to take a tour down Collins Avenue, and visit some 

places on that side of South Beach...which ultimately seemed pretty un-eventful, and then found us back with our local friends on our side of South Beach, which is lovingly called "South of Fifth!!"

Seems there is no place like home...no matter how high the horse can jump!!!