Another month goes by and all of a sudden the Melbourne 3DE is fast approaching! I’ve got just over a couple of weeks left to make sure everything is organised before we start our long drive from WA to the cold, wet and muddy town of Werribee. Although the weather is rarely inviting, the people are, which makes us always want to go back as we always feel welcome.
The past month has included WAYER CIC event and then Moora CNC. WAYER wasn’t my most successful event, having to unfortunately scratch Early Days for something not very serious and then Just Corona didn’t have a good time show jumping which actually saw us eliminated in the CIC 3*. However the event itself was very successful and was the last Olga Reveler memorial event – story as told by Sonja Johnson here on AEL. It was great to be a part of it and I know the committee worked incredibly hard to make the event a success – well done to everyone and particularly my mum, who was the event secretary and just worked tirelessly for the two months in the lead up to WAYER.
Just Corona showjumping at WAYER 3*
Photo: Ella Shore
Two weeks later on the Thursday and Friday I held a two-day eventing clinic both at my property in Cardup and also the State Equestrian Centre cross country course. Being the school holidays it proved to be quite popular and was a great two days teaching! Everyone was a pleasure to work with and the rain held off for most of it, thunderstorms had been forecasted, so we ended up being very lucky! Thanks to everyone who attended, I’m looking forward to the next one, and thanks to Caitlin Baptiste for her efforts in helping with the organisation side of it.
That weekend saw us make the three hour drive north to Moora for their CNC event. Here I had upgraded Daisy to her first 2* competition and was riding a clients pony (literally – pony – 12.3hh!) in the Introductory 1. Moora was a great event aside from the dust! An early 4:30am morning on Saturday saw myself and my partner Aaron driving north. I blame the fact that I was tired on why I forgot to check the diesel levels on the F250 and at about 50kms south of Moora I suddenly looked down and felt sick – we were nearly on empty! 15kms out and the fuel light came on and I was sitting there just preying that we would make it, driving very slowly to ‘save’ fuel and I refused to have the air-conditioning on (if that makes a difference at all?!) But we made it, just.
Early Days on the CNC2* cross country course at Moora
Photo: Redfotos
After that stressful morning I had Daisy doing her dressage test at 10am and I was happy with how she performed, a little tense for the first few trot movements but then settled in the first travers. A score that I think reflects the test – 60 penalties. She is getting better and I felt a few movements there that were really great although the turns on the haunches really let us down. Let’s just say that Daisy has spent the past week doing turns on her haunches! There are always things to work on but overall I was happy with the mare as it was her first time doing an elementary level test. The pony I was riding was Yartarla Park Paparazzi aka Buzz owned by Megan Knuckey. Buzz did a super cute test and scored I think the best score I have ever scored – 31!
On to the next day where Daisy went cross country like a pro, feeling great. I didn’t push her at all for time although ended up with only eight penalties which is far less than I expected. I actually forgot to even start my watch so I had no idea where I was at! She pulled up great and show jumped well, if not a little ‘electric’ for two rails. She was out of the placing’s in the ‘WA 2** Olympics’ as many were saying but it was a very positive event for her. Buzz the pony unfortunately didn’t have the best time jumping with such a heavy rider on his back (as opposed to his usual rider – 10 year old Indianna all of 25kgs!) but we made it around the cross country course and Buzz was quite entertaining to ride.
Going cross country on Yartarla Park Paparazzi at Moora in the Intro1
Photo: Redfotos
Now we have Wooroloo CNC on the horizons approaching this weekend the 17th/18th May. Here I have Daisy again in the CNC 2** as a final preparation run before Melbourne. We are leaving for Melbourne on the 31st of May and it will take us five days to get to Victoria as we are spending two nights in Adelaide city. I am travelling over with friend and competitor Michaela Martindale and her 1* horse Kinnordy Gatow. My next blog is due just as Melbourne is finishing so hopefully I can post up some great news and great results. It’s getting close and I’m getting pretty excited!
Til then ...
