One thing about my life it is not dull. I planned to write this last Monday after the Harvey CNC but instead I have been flat out with the sheep on the farm. Anthony Archer, our stud classer and a farmer from Tassie, has been down home since Monday getting our stud rams sorted for sale and classing up ewes. We had intended to do all the older ewes as well as the hoggets but a most welcome rain event put paid to do the older sheep. It did also slow down silage making but that is also all done and went very well. Lets hope the sheep like it come summer. The rams were pretty exciting. It is really starting to get there in terms of big-framed soft wooled sheep. Anyway back to the eventing and the Harvey CNC. Ben pony continues to improve on the flat. We had a sensational clinic with UK based Jon Pitts before the event (more on that later) and it has really helped. Funnily enough now I am straighter the pony can move a whole heap better. We finished on a 47 dressage which was a bit mean but had him 6 in front of Mojito who was having his first 3* start. Ben boy was pretty grumpy with me as he was one point behind after dressage in 3rd place. However these whipper snappers forget that ring craft is a learnt trade. Age actually helps! 
Harvey has a couple of pretty savage hills - think of Camden and double it (at least) and had some boggy wet patches. It is however great for fitness. The weather gods seem to have it in for me though as whereas at Alcoa CNC the wind blew a fence down as I approached. This time the thunderstorm started just as I got on Ben pony who was my second ride. Anyway Ben pony didn’t care and was a good boy. We actually show jumped before XC which is unusual in Western Australia. With Ben and Mojo having both jumped clear and Ben pony now 10 points in front of 3rd I didn’t fang it but he is so cool he just hunts his fences. Mojito also ran well for his first 3*. Ben boy went clear to finish 3rd and win a special prize over the 2 Harvey events of 2011 to earn $500 travel voucher. Lucky sod. So back to the Jon Pitts clinic. Equestrian Australia High Performance had brought Jon out to do a Young Rider camp in Canberra and they also offered him to the State branches. Jenine Dilts the WA HP manager jumped at it. It is worth googling Jon. He doesn’t work on the horse. He works on the rider. I have known for years that I sit to the right. I have been told to sit square. Don’t think I haven’t busted my self trying but it didn’t work. Jon was able to tell me which muscle to activate and that has solved the problem. There were lots of things like this where people had told me to do it but couldn’t tell me how. Jon isolates the muscle then I can do it. A fabulous clinic. He will we think be back in WA in January which will be super. An excellent way of removing any excess of Christmas pudding! Mum and dad will be home next week. Mum sent me a text the other day saying they had been vodka tasting and it was just as well she wasn’t steering the boat. So it sounds as if they are enjoying their much deserved holiday. That’s about it for now as I have to coach for a weekend in Perth then dressage lessons at Brookleigh with Peter Shaw followed by the Brookleigh CIC on the weekend. In between I shall help get the XC course organized before heading home and hopefully get shearing bowled over before we head to Adelaide for the Australian 3DE and Camperdown. Cheers Sonja
