Early Days at Eventing in the Park Photo courtesy Redfoto
It would appear that I've had a hiatus from blogging … a five month hiatus that is. The last half of 2014 flew by and we are already well into 2015. It’s completely terrifying however I think this is going to be another exciting horsey year for my team.
Since I imagine I have well and truly lost my blogging followers I will do a quick re-cap of the last half of my competition season for 2014.
July saw Early Days make the step up to 3*** level at Dryandra CNC. She couldn't have performed any better in all three phases, just picking up a bit of time to ad to her dressage score and we bought home 2nd place. August saw Daisy have a slow run at Gidgegannup CNC 2** for 4th place as this was her last 2** start, with Wooroloo CIC 3*** approaching.
Early Days at the picturesque Alcoa International CIC 3*** Photo courtesy Redfoto
Wooroloo went fairly well, however two rails on the board saw us slip to 3rd place - still it’s an FEI MER which is very exciting. Daisy's last run for the season was Alcoa CIC 3*** where she also bought home 3rd place. Just some fun facts for my season on Daisy; we started her in nine events, however withdrew from one of these. Out of the eight events we competed her at, she placed in the top six in all of these - a few special ones including Sydney CCI 2** 6th, Albury CIC 2** 6th, Brigadoon CNC 2** 1st and also those I've mentioned above. I am so proud of this consistency, as in my first season with Daisy at EvA105 and 1* level - we didn't even bring home one single rosette!
Love That Blonde was spelled in the paddock at length following our return home from Sydney. We did run her at one EvA105 start at Dryandra in July where she performed really well, to just miss out on a place. However for such a big first half of the season, for such a young horse, the workload all became a bit too much for her brain, so a spell was needed. It was unfortunate to miss out on running Blonde at our Perth HT Wooroloo 3DE however this year!!!
Love That Blonde - delighted after our Eventing in the Park round Photo courtesy Redfoto
Blonde came back in to run in the EvA105 at Swan River HT and was nice and refreshed. We then prepped her for our exciting Eventing in the Park where she zoomed around the Diamond Class like a professional, and just missed out on the Top 10 - with 13th place out of 50. We also dabbled in some dressage in December at the Transitions Dressage Day and came home with 1st place in the Unofficial P1:2 (85% - yes, not a typo!) and 1st place in the N2:1 with 68%. Blonde is currently on the market to make room for many youngsters to join the team. She is a 6yr old (2008) TB mare by Cape North, standing at 15.3hh. She has done a season of EvA105 and will step up to 1* at Capel CNC in March. Easy to do absolutely anything with, moves well and scores well in the dressage, is a bold XC machine, yet a careful and powerful show jumper. She’s been ridden by kids from 14yrs and above with ease.
Blackall Park Lucy commenced her competition career with 3 eventing starts. We began at Gidgegannup EvA65, then went onto Harvey EvA80 and finished it off with Swan River HT EvA80. Everything about Lucy excites me and she has shown an impressive talent already to eventing. I can't wait to see what time and age brings for this young horse.
Blackall Park Lucy at Swan River HT EvA80 Photo courtesy Redfoto
The other horses I had the pleasure of competing were Red Dar Jon, owned by Kistin McConnel and SOLD on behalf of us to the Gerhardy family. Wild At Heart, owned by Summer Bright - 'Simba' and I popped around the Perth HT Wooroloo 3DE CCN105 with a qualifying score after only 4 rides!!!
Silk N Starz ('Romeo'), owned by the Williamson family, and I had a very fun run at Swan River HT EvA65 and bought home a nice 3rd place rosette. Riding Romeo (who only stands at about 14.2hh) was the best of fun and shortly after the event I somehow ended up with a pony of my own in my paddocks. Purchased from Louise de Longis 'Ruby de Luxe' was bred by Louise and is a 4 yr old, sired by the German Riding Pony stallion Cheval de Luxe, out of a Welsh Cob mare. I spent the summer breaking Ruby in and look forward to spending a year competing in the smaller grades on Ruby for some fun, and also with the intentions of producing a super kid’s pony to go on with.
A new addition to the team Mistwood Hawke at Transitions Dressage Day Photo: Eric Lloyd Photography
The other addition to my team is a young TB off the track 'Mistwood Hawke' who stands at around 16.2hh. He is a big, powerful gelding by Valixir, who I am told has sired a Melbourne Cup winner previously. Hawke is the best moving thoroughbred I have ever seen and is stunning to the eye. Hawke will get out eventing this season.
As well as competing, coaching and riding, I also managed to fit in some socialising with a trip to the Gold Coast for my great friend Michaela Martindale’ s 21st, spent a girl’s weekend away with friends Monica Bagley and Summer Bright down in Margaret River and on another occasion went down there with Rachel Cross who is organising her wedding in February that I will be a bridesmaid at!
I was lucky enough to head over to Adelaide to watch the 3DE in November and was delighted and so proud of Jess Manson's effort. I did a season of Thursday Night Mixed Netball which was awesome and a really amazing group of people.
It was a pretty hectic end to 2014 however I have had so much fun and it has been nice remembering it all and getting it all out on paper. Christmas flew by and was spent with friends and relatives who came over for my beautiful Nanna's 80th on the 23rd December.
It's all systems go from now. As well as all of that, for about two months now I have been riding racehorses in the mornings, at Bob Maumills' yard. We have six racehorses in work and I'm enjoying doing it and getting to know each horse. There is one particular mare that I certainly wouldn't mind taking home with me…!!!
Coaching and riding is full on. I had a quiet month there in December however January is already making up for it. At one stage I think I had eight eventers here also in work however thankfully it is school holidays, so I have had some great help from students Tayla Cooper and Lily Knuckey, as well as a few friends here and there.
Next week I am running my first School Holiday Kids Camp! Eight kids and their ponies will come for 3 days and 2 nights to stay and participate in lessons and fun activities. The planning is done so now we need to set things up and prepare mentally … luckily I have great friend Caitlin Baptiste roped into helping out, as well as Mum and Tayla too.
Horses all back in work, two mares being put into foal, getting through my NCAS Level 1 work, cross country clinic planning for February, Summer Series Dressage competition, weddings to go to - oh and how could I forget I have planned a trip to England and America in June too! Planning is also underway for our first trip east for 2015 to Sydney CCI 3*** … never a dull moment with horses.
Til next time and hopefully that’s not five months away
Makayla X
