Overcoming obstacles helps us grow

They may have the job of setting up fences for horses to jump during San Patrignano’s CSI, but they themselves have come to the Community to overcome their own obstacles. It’s truly a paradox, the work of the young men in San Patrignano’s carpentry workshop.

“It’s an interesting metaphor,” explains Salvatore, “We are faced with obstacles, every once on a while someone doesn’t want to jump one, just like we see with the horses. In that case, there’s always someone to encourage you, to help you jump maybe another one to help build you up. In this way, sooner or later, we can all face a full course with no faults, as they say”.

Over forty young men are working full time on the competition arena during the horse show. “We are charged with putting up the fences ad preparing for the next class, and also to look after both warm up arenas”.

Each morning, course designer Rolf Ludi breifs the group on the fences’positioning. What kind of relationship has developed between you? “He has been coming to San Pat for years now and we have become friends. He designs the course, but he definately listens to our input”.

The organizzation is spot-on, and a new course can be set up from scratch in less than fifteen minutes, if needed for television schedules. That must take a lot of practise, one would imagine. “Not really, San Patrignano is very well organized in general.We really enjoy what we do and doing it well. Seeing the best riders in the world jump the fences we have prepared over the last few months, it’s quite gratifying”.