Drum (left) and Lolly enjoying sometime out of the mud during the last few weeks
Unfortunately the past two months have been rather uneventful (pun intended) with the horses I’m riding. It seems that, after the storm of uni exams, there was a backup when it came to work and school holidays. You see, I work at an adventure park on the Mornington Peninsula, so when it comes to school holidays I’m literally able to get work from 8.30/9 – 6 o’clock everyday if I wanted; and these holidays I did want to… almost. Working five days meant not enough light hours in the day for me to ride, but when I did, it was twice a week.
Really?? And so it begins! (Again) Drum's back in work
Now I’m back at university in my second year, with also a few third year subjects thrown in, I have a lot more time to ride and piddle around. The horses are back in work, getting everything moving around again, lungs pumping and muscles stretched. Because mum and I leave in five weeks (eep!) to watch our horse CP Qualified and Shane Rose compete at the WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES!!!! (more eeep!) For two weeks, there won’t be any competing, excluding dressage or combined training comps until we get back. So on that note, my two fluff balls, Wyuna Take a Chance (Lolly, the rising 5, coloured mare) and Touch of Honour (Drum, the 16yo 1* old sport) will be working hard in the background, with new addition to the full work team in Jasper, Wyuna First Sun. Jasper is Lolly’s half younger brother from the same sire (our black and white Paint) out of an ex-Grand Prix jumping TB mare.
Wyuna First Sun, Jasper, ready to get into full work. Plus Sky (the jumping filly) peeking through
I’m particularly excited about Jasper because he’s extremely balanced for a young horse, he feels mature and strong, and he’s also incredibly intelligent and learns things almost instantly. This does sometimes include learning the not-so-great qualities; so it’s always an interesting experience bringing him on as I have next to NO experience with such young horses. I mean, I’ve done the off the track TB a few times, but it really doesn’t compare from starting from scratch! Thank goodness I have my mum to help me with the beginning phases.
On the note of young horses, our new black TB cross mare, Kita, is about to pop out a baby in October to the same sire as our black and white filly, Sky. Who just happened to jump out of our paddocks, which are enclosed by 1.50m fences with no possible way of getting underneath… we were going to sell this filly, not anymore!
Shane and Darcy at their first 4* - the Adelaide International 3DE are now off to Normandy
Back to Darcy and Shane to finish off. As many people know, Shane’s only had Darcy just under two years now, so the fact that he’s competing at 3*/4* level is beyond impressive to us, let alone the great amount of success he’s had both in training and out and about. I cannot express how blissfully excited I am to be a part of this ownership, and have to continuously thank both my parents, Felicity and Adrian, for allowing us to keep the half the ownership of Darcy after it went south with myself in 2012. Even though I was almost heartbroken it didn’t work out back then, everything happens for a reason, and I certainly wouldn’t change a thing. The experience of being an owner of an elite horse is just as exciting as being a competitor itself, but without the long hours of work.
Hope everyone is staying warm and dry (as much as possible) during this particularly cold winter!
Until next time 
