Out trail riding at SIEC with student and groom for the weekend, Laura Bell
How time flies when you own horses. They truly are a time sink. I can’t believe it’s been three weeks since the Sydney event. I had all intentions of writing this as soon as I got home, but this is the first time I’ve sat down to take stock.
You know what it’s like, by the time you drive home, (in my case from Sydney to Brissie) you’re exhausted. Then the horses need attending to, the truck needs unpacking, you are catching up on all those jobs you didn’t do while you were away, and before you know it life is back to its normal hectic rhythm.
So Sydney…
I’ve always liked the venue and particularly like the concept of having a mid-week comp ahead of the main comp. It’s a great opportunity to help horses stepping up the grades. In my case – Adam Bomb (Adam), doing Pre-novice and Ivy Bank Casper (Casper) doing his first CNC3*. I also took Hillgrove Enviable (Enny), for a 3* run.
I was really pleased with how they all ran. On the positive, Casper flew around the cross country course like he’s been doing 3* all season. I thought it was a tough course and there were some good horses that struggled or got eliminated. Casper’s showjumping still needs more work. But that’s what makes eventing addictive, aiming to be perfect in all three phases. That’s why we love it. It’s striving to get all three phases perfect.
Adam also had a mixed run. He wasn’t that good on the Tuesday. I felt like my eye was out, and I didn’t ride that well. By the weekend he and I went so much better, there was a 120% difference. Looking back on it all now, I’d been really sick on the weekend prior and I think it affected my riding. Just shows, you can have a good horse, but the rider is still a big player in how your horse ends up going.
Enny into the water
It was Enny’s first run back since the last Sydney and she was a bit fresh. She thought having horses heading out cross country while I was asking her for a quiet dressage test was a silly idea. She also isn’t a fan of the loud speaker. It’s something I’ve been working on at home. I’ve set up a radio outside to try and desensitise her to the noise. I also had a radio playing in her stable. It’s a work in progress. Overall Enny finished up 3rd, and Casper 10th.(you can watch Casper's cross country round here)
I was really impressed with my student Laura Bell, who finished the mid-week comp fifth on her horse Pyezano. Not only did she compete, she was also a rock solid groom for me. She plaited up all the horses, was efficient, and made my job easy. Earlier this year did a stint as a groom with Stuart Tinney and the value of skills she’s brought home can not be underestimated.
My other student Cathal Nugent also finished a winner in my eyes. He completed his first pre-novice on a horse (Bundy Royal) that he introduced to eventing many moons ago. They climbed their way up from a rocky dressage start, and after a solid cross country and show jumping I have no doubt this pair can make 1* in the future.
Mum & Nell helping get Casper ready for the dressage...
You know the old saying - there’s no “I” in team and it was a team of supporters who helped me get through the week of competition. A big thanks to mum and dad who travelled down with me, then helped with the horses, and Janelle and Casper’s owners Pam and Al McGarrigle.
A big thank you to my sponsors Manly Road Vet Hospital, Tuff Rock and Equissage.
For now it’s back to the crazy rhythm of life. Riding, teaching and hopefully catching some of the action at the World Equestrian Games. Good luck to all the Aussies competing!
Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi
Happy riding
Rebs
