WASHINGTON — After being tossed from a horse on a Tanzanian safari during his Christmas vacation last year, Va. Gov. Terry McAuliffe is sticking to skiing this year.
“Last year I had a little trouble with the horse in Africa; I’ll do my best [do be safe] on the ski slopes,” McAuliffe joked on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor.”
McAuliffe has more experience skiing than horseback riding.
He and Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe are skiing at a resort near Vail, Colo., with four of their five children and several members of the Virginia State Police Executive Protective Unit. The EPU is responsible for the safety of the governor and his immediate family around the clock, including on trips to other states or countries.
“I am flying out of National Airport in the Commonwealth of Virginia, I remind everybody Dulles and National Airport are in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” McAuliffe said Wednesday.
McAuliffe has included $50 million for Dulles Airport in his proposed two-year budget in a bid to make flying from Dulles more attractive for both passengers and airlines. The money is expected to end up benefiting airlines by lowering per-passenger costs at the airport by a few dollars.
Last year, McAuliffe broke seven ribs around Christmas Day during a trip to Africa to visit a daughter who works for a nonprofit on the continent.
The injury was kept quiet until he had to check into a Richmond hospital for treatment a few weeks later. The governor’s office said doctors had expected the injuries to heal on their own before further tests revealed more treatment was needed.
