With the season well underway I couldn’t be happier with the way my horses are going. After Zone’s win in the 1.10m class at Geelong SJ Championships the next event on the calender was Friends of Werribee Horse Trials. I had three horse competing, all grey and all ESB Irish Sport Horses! Zone in the 2**, ESB Irish Hobbit in his first Pre Novice and ESB Irish Cowgirl (aka Yeeha) in the intro; her first ever event! She took it all in her stride, remaining relaxed and putting in a good, but green performance in each phase to finish midfield. Hobbit’s dressage was rather disastrous, which was somewhat expected considering his anxiety issues. It was like he hit crisis mode and went into meltdown the moment he entered the arena and began zigzagging his way up the centre line! He did make up for it though by jumping a stellar double clear in the jumping phases. I was very impressed by how rideable he was cross country, he ate up the course like it was nothing and despite it being his first pre novice he feels ready to tackle a much bigger course! Zone had a typical Zone spook in the dressage but got through it alright, and then proceeded to jump clear in the show jumping, and clear with a bit of time in the cross country to finish in 5th place in the CNC 2** class – a fantastic start to his eventing season!
The following weekend we headed to a local Freshmans SJ Day on Saturday where Yeeha jumped clear around her first ever 90cm, and I got to know my new ride ESB Golden Knot. It unveiled some missing areas in his education, so I came away with a good game plan for his at home schooling and lots of work to be done before his first eventing start the following weekend.My two amazing grooms Ruby and Sarah also brought their horses along, and they both jumped some fantastic rounds – I was very proud of them and it was great to see their hard work paying off. We headed home for a quick horse swap, loading up the ‘big boys’ Zone and Hobbit and beginning the night road trip up to Sale Show where I would be competing them the next day. Hobbit jumped well, tackling his first 1.15m, rattling a few rails but showing plenty of scope, confidence and ability. I have only had the ride on him for a few months and it just feels as though we need a bit more mileage as a partnership and to get to know each other a little more! Zone was on his game in the 1.20m speed class, but threw a shoe halfway around, and then just tapped out one of the following jumps which was a shame. Luckily Adam Johnstone was able to put the shoe back on for me (thank you Adam!) in time for the 1.15m class, which Zone proceeded to win, jumping two clear rounds and a very competitive jump off round! What a good boy! He certainly made the rather exhausting weekend and long drive to Sale worthwhile.
It was back to the eventing scene the following weekend, at the Victorian Eventing Championships, this time with Knot joining the team of grey ponies! The weather was absolutely awful, with it pouring all day on Friday, however we managed to work out how to put the awning up on the truck and the horses thankfully stood under it while Ruby and Sarah plaited and prettied them up! The intro horses Yeeha and Knot where both fantastic, doing nice dressage tests and jumping double clear. Knot finished in 3rd and Yeeha in 6th place, a solid effort. Hobbit was more relaxed in the dressage arena than last time, however took a major dislike to the puddles in the arena and hopped and skipped his way through them losing focus and accuracy as a result! He made up for it with another super double clear in the jumping phases. Zone showed improvements in his dressage test and got an 8 for his extended walk which I was pretty happy about. He then jumped a clear show jumping round, showing how consistent he is becoming in this phase. I decided not to run him cross country with the Australian Show Jumping Championships coming up so close in less than a week. All four horses jumped clear in all jumping phases, which I was pretty stoked about!
We had hardly got home and we were back at the waterlogged Werribee again on Wednesday, this time just with Zone and Hobbit for the Aussie SJ Champs. This is always one of my favourite events, as it is so well run and there is a real atmosphere in the main arena. It was really quite enjoyable only having two horses to compete, and with Ruby and Sarah keeping everything under control we had lots of time to enjoy watching the jumping. Hobbit did three 1.10m height classes over three days, unfortunately rolling one rail in each but jumping progressively better and more consistently each day. As usual Zone stole the limelight qualifying for the Emerald Series final, and then won the Open 125cm! I couldn’t be happier with him, it was his first 125cm course and he showed that he was well and truly ready to step up to and be competitive in these bigger classes. So so so SO proud of him!
Arriving home from a successful Aussie Champs I had an incredibly busy two weeks of school holiday coaching madness and still try to work all my horses. I ran a beginner clinic, an eventing clinic, a holiday camp alongside Sally Francis, and taught at the Pakenham Pony Club Eventing Clinic. We were meant to go to Avenal HT straight after all this, but it was cancelled due to continues wet weather, which was a bit of a relief really as I don’t know how we were going to get organised in time! With the school holidays having ended I am now enjoying being back to the normal and comparatively quieter routine of working horses all day and just doing lessons in the afternoon. We still have lots more coming up before the end of the season, and Zone’s preparations and fitness program for the CCI 2** class at the Australian 3DE in Adelaide are well underway. Exciting times ahead!