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I'm 20 years old, was born in Scone and have been riding since I was two. As a child I did the usual pony club thing and then my family moved to a small property at Spring Ridge, NSW, when I was around seven.
I grew up riding young, green horses, often ones that my mum (Karen Peel) and Aunty Joy (Joy Jackson) would break in, ride for around 12 weeks and they say ‘here you go’, (we'll not quite). Aunty Joy was very very TOUGH on me and she had to be and I often hated having a lesson from her and listening to what she had to say.
It is probably only in the last 18 months that I completely understand how important the basics are and also the time, dedication and perfection it takes to make a good horse and rider!
To be honest it is the horse I have now that has made me become who I am today. I ride every day and give up Friday afternoon drinks on the farm to ride my horse. I think I’m pretty dedicated and determined (you have to be determined and have a goal set, otherwise you feel that their isn't much point in riding every day). My Aunty has always said ‘ride every day and the one day you can't then that is their day off!’
I believe it’s all about how you ride your horse each time and I think a lot of people can make their horses go sour from going round and round in circles every day. Riding them out in the bush and doing different things really helps to make for a happy horse.
The horse I currently have in work is one that I got from Sue and Jim Gunn. I spent three months last year polo grooming for the Gunns and when I arrived I pointed to a horse and asked Sam (Gunn) to tell me about him. He told me he had just been broken in and they hadn't had much done to him, but he could buck!
Sam gave him a ride and the next day off I went on him. I knew he was green, very green but there was something about the horse. He has tested me a lot until I have almost snapped, but I am not giving in!
He has now done two dressage tests and in his first one he scored 63% and his second one was 73%.! He has a super careful jump and although he gets a bit nervous on cross country and show jumping I believe he will come good and look out when he does!
Recently I have been working on a Thoroughbred Stud In Scone, NSW. ‘Yarraman Park’ is owned by Harry and Arthur Mitchell and I work with the yearlings, preparing them for the sales, fitting in riding after work. But the thing that has seen me now head off to America came from when I went to Marcus Oldham College two yeas ago in Geelong, Victoria.
I was studying Horse Business Management and whilst there I organised a few clinics, one of them with Brett Parbery. Brett suggested that I should try and get over to Clayton Frederick's yard to further my career (at this stage Clayton wasn’t based in his new farm in Ocala, Florida.)
I kept it in my mind for a while and when I met Clayton at Equitana last year he said Brett had mentioned me and a few months later here I am about to get on my ‘last plane’ to Gainsville which is 20 minutes from Clayton's. I plan on spending two months here, providing I can get my stolen passport sorted out – but that’s a whole other story!
I can’t wait to start blogging!
