CAMDEN WINTER FESTIVAL

The weather was magnificent and the ground very jumpable after heavy rain a week or two beforehand.
Liz had a great few days with her two horses.
With Greenbah she won the 1.10m two phase with a cracking round. She was 6th in another 1.10m and had one down in the Grand Prix 1.10m and the last fence down in the jumpoff class with a good fast time.
On the grey mare, Lady's First, Liz rode her in the 1m's for two seconds. One on the first day and 2nd in the Grand Prix.The other day they made the jump off but a mistake put them out of the places.
Harry rode Dusky Farm Jane in the Four year old and the 1 metre clases.
They jumped very well and Harry rode a great round in the jumpoff for the 1m GP just a toenail knocked one jump down otherwise they would have been right up there.
Lauren Nicholls was third in the 1m GP as well as riding in the 1.20m for experience.
We are looking for her next horse to be competitive in 1.20ms.
Millie Clarke jumped very well all weekend to win one of the 1.20ms with her chestnut horse Connelly's Eclipse.
As you might notice some of the height variations we compete in do not sound progressive.It also depends on the heights the organisers go with. Some horses find the 1m - 1.10m gap too big so opt for the smaller one.
Entering online has many advantages and one of the few disadvantages is the availablility of your favourite classes to get into.Entering early is the way but showjumpers are notorously late entering. Maybe we will improve.

The FEI AMATEUR Challenge for Category A-B-and C brought plenty of country competitors.
Aaron Hadlow riding his old mare Step Sister was the convincing winner,Rikki Cox was a very deserving runner up.
There was a good group from Dubbo.
Rikki and Sandy Cox, Dale Frew, Kate Edwards and Karleen Barton.
They certainly made their presence felt with plenty of places and wins.
I am off to Townsville teaching this weekend and all systems go for Gunnedah Winer Jumping Festival the following weekend.
Then it is July!!!!

CLINIC AT SIEC

Two glorious days of sunshine and light breezes kept all the young riders keen during the Jumping NSW regional Clinic for under 25 year olds.
The coaches were Rod Brown and Jenny Sheppard.
Liz rode Greenbah in her lessons with Rod.
Lauren Nicholls was also there doing her best to improve her riding.
It was a very pleasant two days, during dinner on Saturday night we(the official organisers)asked the riders to stand up and talk about their lessons.
Afterwards we had a talk about rules using the white board for Q and A's.
The purpose of these clinics is to foster young talent and bring some togetherness to our sport. United we stand, and the earlier we educate our youngsters the stronger our sport will be.The next clinic is a Wagga.
See Jumping NSW website for the info.
This week will be busy preparing for Camden Winter Festival. Three days of jumping will be something to look forward to.

THE BIG WET.
What a wet week,I am very lucky to have the grass area because there are still parts jumpable.
I am a keen jumper, I cannot go many days without jumping something!
The young horses (2/3 year olds)we have been starting ground skills with etc have been ignored this week.
Next week will we will be starting on them again, patience and perserverance.
If you take the time to teach horses in small bits it is amazing how well they remember.
One young horse was a bit wooden and slow to pick up on his backing up and being light off the halter,or to stay inside the halter, a phrase that makes sense as well.After a week or two of going slowly what an improvement. He is very light now when I ask him to yield backwards and sideways.I have learnt from smart horse people to teach horses on the ground what you need before you jump on.
I like the halter better than the bridle to start because the horse can learn without the pressure of the bit. It doesn't take long before you can add the bridle and you have a happier horse.Most importantly you have a lighter hand/feel on the rein.It will make a difference too when you are leading your horse around in the halter, no dragging you around!!!
Liz is riding in a Jumping NSW Youth Development clinic this weekend at SIEC.
There are two coaches and it should be a fun weekend weather not withstanding.

GOOD SUNDAY FOR THE GIRLS.
Yesterday we went to a Zone Showjumping day.
Liz took Lady's First,Jessica Conran rode Orion Star and Lauren Nicholls rode Barney (not sure of his showname).
Jess kicked off the day with a win in the Two phase and Lauren was 3rd.
Next was the jump off AM7, Lauren was 2nd, Liz 4th and Jess missed out by one place.
Last class was the AM5, Liz 1st, Lauren 3rd, Jess 5th.
It was a very good result for the girls.
Lauren was the age group Champion, well done for her and Glenorie Pony Club.
It is looking very Wintery outside now, the grass is brown and nothing much is growing. The horses are more hungry at feed time more then normal.
As a result we give them more hay (bulk) to help maintain their weight and hunger pangs.
A very good horseman told me once for an older horse "a rug is as good as a feed".
So for those very old horses or those who feel the cold a rug is essential ,especially on those wet winter nights.
At the opposite end of the scale we should not be rugging young horses.
I do not rug any horse until I start to think I want to take it to a show.
They do not need rugs and young horses need to have an uncomplicated life. Many a horse learns bad habits at feed time when people are trying to put rugs on them.
If there is shelter, trees or shed the horses cope very well, after all they are waterproof.
Our next outing is the Jumping NSW Clinic at SIEC in two weeks.
It should be a good weekend socializing and learning how to ride our horses better.
I am off to Townsville teaching this weekend so I will not need my overcoat!!!

Weekend of World Cups SIEC

What a big weekend,
Eventing World Cup and showjumping,there were hundreds of horses there.
I rode Harry's Jane in the 4 year old Young Horse Class.
It was optimum time for the jump off and Jane was clear again to be second.
She coped well and she is a tough girl, I like her for the future.Harry will have a great time with her.
It was nice to see many riders with their young horses.
The time has come for Australia to run these classes on a regular basis.
NZ has been running them for a few years now successfully plus of course the European countries which provides a solid base of educating the horses ,showcasing for sale and some stables specialize in producing young horses only.
The Sydney Jumping Club will be holding a qualifier in the next month or two.
I watched the cross country two and three star,for a while, which was great.
The main requirement is still the same, the horse must go forward and straight.There was a double of narrow hedges on an acute angle for the three star which looked quite formidable accuracy wise.
Those riders and horses just ate it up, very impressive.
Liz was an onlooker while I helped Millie Clarke in the Juniors and George Johnson in the 1.30m's.
George had a good show placing each day.He is very competitive in those classes.Millie rode well without winning a ribbon but what an improvement in the last two months she really is on the up and up.
The World Cup eventing was a cliffhanger,with Chris Burton jumping a clear to claim the $8.000.00 first prize.
Jamie Kurmond rode a classy round on the young mare Colthaga to jump the only double clear to win the showjumping World Cup.
We have a quiet time competition wise for a few weeks. I have a few jobs teaching clinics
We have 4 young horses that are ready to drive.
I use two long reins and lunge them and walk around steering them etc teaching them about the bit before someone gets on!their back!!
It is fun working with the young ones, you need to keep your wits about you, make haste slowly.
I am not a buckjump rider by any means but I can play with them and get them started.
I like to leave the rough riding to the younger brigade!!
I have learnt from smart horse trainers to teach the horses to do what you want them to do on the ground before you get on, it makes the horses' lot much easier.
I ask the horses to leg yield, sh in, backwards and sideways. I use a halter first so they learn to respond to light pressure before the bridle goes on.There is so much to learn about horses.
Sydney weather perfect, although the grass is dying off and the horses are bit more hungry at feed time now.

MORE SHOWS
We are back from Gunnedah.
It is a big country show and the ground is magnificent.
Three days of busy ring events. Lots of kids riding around having fun with their horses.
We took two horses each, I rode the two four year old mares in the low height classes and Liz rode Lady's First in the D's and Juniors also with a horse James Mooney loaned Liz for the weekend.
Liz started off with a good win in the Junior A2 in the half dark.
Natalie McNeil riding her old favourite Peppymint was dropped off at the 2nd fence and hurt her back. The show was held up for her to be carted off, she was ok but a whopping bruise on her lower back will be there for a while. Natalie bounced back by winning the Junior the next day on her imported mare Vasandra.
Millie Clarke was there with her two horses.
She jumped well all show, but the last fence down a couple of times caused her grief.Millie chased the demons away with a good third in the Junior GP and a place in the D's..
George Johnson was there with his two horses for the bigger classes and he was 1st and third the first day in the 1.30m and 3rd and 5th in the GP. His young big warmblood Corey was a very good 5th in the D grade champs.
Shows like Gunnedah are great for getting the miles (experience)so necessary for learning.

HAWKESBURY
Our local show,the entries were big which is great. The ground was good lots of different classes to go in.
First day, Harry rode his sister's horse Vandal to go double clear in the 75cm. Pretty good for a four year old as he behaved perfectly.
Harry rode his four year old mare Jane in the 90cm and 1m to keep him busy for the day.
I rode Annie, Peter Carcary's 4 year old mare in the 75 and the 90. I was 6th in the 90cm. She is very straight forward and a very cute jumper, lots of fun there.
Liz rode Lady's First in the pony club classes and won the A grade jumping.
Saturday, Ceasar went well in the 1.25m Power and Speed to be third.
Liz was running second when the last horse to go went around everyone to win. That was George Johnson with Ozbred, George was 1st and 5th.
Sunday,
Liz won the EA Junior Equitation on lady's First, she had to ride well as Kelly Slater had ridden a very good round.
It was a breakthrough win for Liz as she had been placed there many times.
Caesar went around in the Juniors but didn't place.
Harry went around again with Jane in the height classes to finish off a busy three days.
Tuesday was a tragic day. As Liz was riding Ceasar he collapsed and died.Liz was not hurt but it was a huge shock for her.
It was all over very quickly and now he is buried down near the jumping paddock with my old favourite Rebound.
Ceasar was a delightful horse to have around and he and Liz were really going well.He will be greatly missed.
It is amazing the gap you feel in your life when they are gone.
I suppose a clydie cross with a white snip will be on the shopping list now.

Day two Copabella

Liz just had one fence down to run 6th drat, only three clears in the Junior.
Millie knocked two down but rode a very good round. For her first go at the big league Millie jumped very well.
The exciting news is that Chris Chugg and Vivant were equal 7th in the World Cup final world Class effort.
For us it is back to work this week and be ready with some other young ones for Hawkesbury.