Can Sonja Johnson and Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison help their friend Sharon Jarvis by winning the car?
Western Australia’s premier equestrian event, Eventing in the Park is on again on December 12th at Taylor Reserve, Vic Park, with some of Australia’s most talented eventing and showjumping riders competing for over $100,000 in prize money. With a modified course, Eventing in the Park brings this breathtaking competition to the general public, allowing them to get a glimpse of this Olympic sport that is usually tucked away in somewhat inaccessible country venues.
This year they are also supporting Paralympic dressage rider, Sharon Jarvis, on her ‘Road to Rio’ campaign to compete for her country at the 2016 Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro.
Eventing in the Park has offered a free entry to Sharon’s friend and mentor, fellow Olympic medal winner Sonja Johnson, with the aim of winning the $35,000 car to donate to Sharon’s campaign to help purchase a share in the syndicate that has been formed to buy world class dressage horse, Ceasy.
Sharon has spent her life struggling through adversity. Surviving Sarcoma in her left leg as a child, which left the bone brittle and honeycombed and destroyed the muscles, would have to be her greatest achievement in life, but she hasn’t stopped there.
Sharon won bronze at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky Photo: FEI
Sharon loves horses! So she has turned her passion for these animals into a quest for medals for Australia at the Paralympics, and World Equestrian Games which are held in between each Olympics. And she has succeeded! Sharon won two bronze medals at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA, in 2010 on her beloved Warmblood gelding, Applewood Odorado in the Para-equestrian Dressage events.
The death of her father just prior to the international event made Sharon even more determined to win, in honour of the man who had supported and encouraged her in everything she did. Sharon’s mother and siblings still run an organic apple orchard in Donnybrook in the south west, which is also the home of Applewood Pony Stud where Sharon breeds and trains Riding Ponies for the dressage, show horse and eventing industry in Australia. However, much of her time is spent at the stunning Brookleigh Equestrian Estate in the Swan Valley with its’ all weather indoor arena, which also gives Sharon easy access to WAIS and to attend regular physio sessions
Sadly Applewood Odorado, or Odie as he is fondly known, had to be retired just prior to the next major event, the London Olympics in 2012, so Sharon, and Australia, missed out on riding for medals that time.
The search for a new horse began! It is no easy task to find a world class horse at an affordable price. When no suitable horse had been found in time for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in France, and once again Sharon wasn’t able to represent her country, the equestrian industry’s governing body, Equestrian Australia (EA), stepped in to help.
Equestrian Australia usually supports the country’s talented top equestrian athletes, and their four legged partners, by providing access to some of the world’s best coaches, farriers, vets, sports psychologists, and doctors, as well as access to the Australian Institute of Sport and in WA the WA Institute of Sport.
As no horse could be found that met the criteria in Australia, Sharon and the EA looked to Europe, where dressage horses are almost as prolific as racehorses. The EA facilitated the purchase of a Dutch Warmblood mare, Ceasy, and she was brought to Australia in early 2015. The horse is to be syndicated, allowing several owners to have a share in the excitement and adventure of owning an Olympic level horse.
However, as the road to success is never smooth, one more bump popped up when Sharon’s fragile, honeycombed leg fractured again in August – and not even when she was riding. She is currently in hospital recovering from having a rod inserted into the centre of the bone, some of the latest medical technology, which will support her weight, allowing her to continue riding and, incidentally, walking. With her typical focus and determination, Sharon just wants to know how soon she can get back on her horses.
If Sonja can win the car, donated by McInerny Ford, on Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison, who is owned by Nikki Harwood from Brookleigh Equestrian Estate, another one of Sharon’s sponsors, it will go a long way to helping Sharon in her quest to win more medals for Australia.
Article by Diane Bawden
For more information, or to buy tickets for Eventing in the Park 2015, visit www.eventinginthepark.com.au or visit their Facebook page.
