Amanda and Diesel - the Hugh Jackman of horses
When Amanda Ross sold her share in the two chestnut horses that went to the UK with their owner Michelle Clough, (Loxley, now ridden by Emily King and William Wordsworth, now ridden by Storm Straker), she vowed not to compete again until her fitness business was properly established and she could find another horse that was ‘really worthwhile’
Then the Hugh Jackman of horses came into her life. The nine year old gelding Dicavalli Diesel, winner of the Young Eventing Horse Championship at Sydney International Horse Trials as a six year old, was bought in late July from Shane and Niki Rose. Since then Amanda has been getting to know Diesel at home and in competition but she now feels that they are starting to gel as an eventing combination in the run up to their biggest competition so far in the CCI2* at the Australian International 3 Day Event
At a recent unofficial competition at Tonimbuk the pair showed they were certainly on form in the dressage phase, scoring an impressive 78% in the 2* dressage test, almost 10 percent ahead of the second placed combination. However Amanda says that there are still areas that need to be worked on
“One part of me is nurturing this horse for the future but another part of me knows that I have to learn to run down the time, learn to ride a great test in the arena and learn to jump 1.30m really comfortably. I have to be able to go out to a competition, prepared to give it my all because you can’t practise that outside, you can only practise that at the event”
“I’m really blessed to ride this horse” says Amanda and is very thankful that Fraser and Chrissie Brown have bought Diesel for her to compete; not only did they buy the horse but also some horsepower with Amanda getting a smart truck to take him to Adelaide in. What more could you ask for?
Amanda Ross
