Sizzle at Colac Horse Trials Chris Esh Photography
My blog this month is a little late but I am sure you will forgive me as to why... I had just completed a month long trip full of horses, highways and hilarity. I really am living the life I always dreamed of!
I briefly touched on the beginning of my trip in my last blog but the horses travelled exceptionally well on the boat and Dave (David Gardiner) and I made it to Prue's (ex-Tasmanian and friend) at Ballarat with minimal (just one) detours. We checked the horses’ temperature every hour for the first day, any variation from their normal range has to be jumped on quickly. Travel sickness can hit hard and fast, but they were feeling great. So after doing a final check of their temp in the morning of the second day and seeing that they were easily within the parameters (37.2-38.3 deg) we had a little ride to get their muscles moving again before heading to Colac on the Friday.
Woohoo! A win at Colac
Sizzle was super in the dressage on the Friday, it was just me who left my brain back in Tasmania and I stupidly carried my whip into the arena... this cost us an error of course and pushed us from 4th to 7th... Silly. Silly. Silly. He then was utterly AMAZING in the SJ jumping a lovely scopey clear over the tough maximum height course.
We actually ended up being the only clear in the 1* which I was stoked with and that pushed us up the placings by quite a few. Then he burned around the XC for a super clear and under to push us up again to finish in the top spot with a blue ribbon and a rug! Woohoo! Dave and Harry did very well also finishing in the top ten in their first mainland event!
Boneo Park Spring Showjumping Photo: Gone Riding Media
We then jumped back on the truck a few days later and headed down to the peninsula for the Boneo Park Spring SJ Carnival. This was a super successful trip with Sizzle placing in 4 out of 6 of his classes and winning the 1.10m Championship at the end of the three days! What a champion! Dave and Harry also did well and while they didn't place they improved greatly over the weekend.
We then had about a week until we headed into Camperdown, so we decided to take them XC schooling
Now I have always said, my horses love bringing me down to earth with a good bump when they think I am getting a bit too comfortable... and Sizzle did just that. After jumping really well he decided the ditch he had already jumped three times was monstrous and I gracefully dismounted and filled up my underwear with rocks. Thanks Sizzle! I was fine and I got back on and we jumped the ditch again perfectly. So after that little wakeup call we headed to Lakes & Craters 3DE with the wish to do the best we could in all the phases. If I could do that, then no matter where I placed I would be happy
Siz and I in full flight at lakes BEFORE my air vest went off... Juliette Sherrard Photography
After battling a terrible head wind (and Dave’s truck doesn't handle any kind of wind whatsoever...) all the way in and getting there on Wednesday afternoon, we had a little ride and got ready for trot up!
Dressage was on Thursday also and Sizzle did a super test on very hard and slippery ground for a respectable 65% and 5th after dressage. We then had a crack at easily the toughest XC course we have ever attempted ever. The combination of tough fences and very difficult terrain made it a true three day event course, thanks Barry and the whole committee (and thanks for reminding everyone of my whip incident at Colac, there's no hiding in Eventing !).
Sizzling round at Lakes Juliette Sherrard Photography
Well we had our ups and downs for sure! The first four fences went beautifully. Then came every careful horse’s nemesis... the maximum height brush! He jumped the brush as expected (very big) and he was very exuberant on the other side (fast and a tad bronc-like...) we then had only a short gallop to a rather narrow, tall, airy upright. I managed to wrestle back some control and tried to calm his hot little brain a tad before facing the next fence.
We got to the jump in an ever so slightly short spot which undid all my good calming work and Sizzle's brain took flight. And so did we! Onlookers swear he cleared at least 2m over the top rail... and set off my air vest mid-air. There certainly was never any doubt whether he could jump after watching that effort. Unfortunately I haven't seen any photos yet but if you happen to have one of a certain little bay horse with bling jumping fence six in the one star far bigger than needed and the rider looking outrageously large, please send it to me!!
So needless to saythat I was slightly irritated that I couldn't sit in my saddle or breathe for the next two fences due to my vest being in full protection mode, oh well! We continued on to finish clear on jump penalties but had a bit of time due to Sizzle not loving the ground which dropped us to 8th but I feel we did our best in the conditions so I was stoked
Juliette Sherrard Photography
After icing him every 20 minutes many times and then finally wrapping him up in Kelato SwellDOWN for the night, he went out and jumped a beautiful clear round showjumping to push us back up the placings to finish fourth!! What a hardy little horse he is! And that was a wrap for Lakes for me! Dave did really well also finishing fifth in his JNR EA 105 which is a fantastic effort.
Dave and I then did touristy stuff to fill in the days we had to wait until the boat home which involved DFO's, museums and driving around arguing about whether or not we were hopelessly lost (for the record... often we were...) The ponies travelled well on the boat and are both now on holidays for a few weeks until they come back in for the New Year’s season
Once I was home it was straight down to Hobart for the Tasmanian SJ Champs with Smash who had been kept in work by my little sister Bethany. He jumped really well and we finished the weekend with a great performance in the 1.20m championship to finish 5th. Not bad for an eventer I think!
That's all the happenings for now but with the Tasmanian event season just starting and with an exciting team of horses under me I can't wait to share it with you
Until next time, have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Alice 
Merry Christmas from Siz and I - look at that adorable expression!! I could just squish him!!
Juliette Sherrard Photography
