Show Circuit Magazine - February / March 22 by Show Circuit Magazine

NEW ZEALAND’S ULTIMATE EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE

SHOWCIRCUIT

THE LOWDOWN ON

STIFLE CONDITIONS

ACTION FROM THE ESNZ HIGH PERFORMANCE SHOW JUMPING TRAINING CAMP

INSPIRING

INTERVIEWS

TRAINING THE YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE

THE RIDES AND RISE OF

Sophie Scott

FEB-MAR 2022

VANESSA PICKENS AMY SAGE BONNIE FARRANT BEN WEIR SALLY FIELD-DODGSON ALIX CAMPBELL MAIA WARETINI ABBEY THOMPSON BECKY & OLIVIA HARKERSS

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WELCOME

FROM MY DESK #NEW BEGINNINGS While putting this issue together and wrapping my head around becoming a digital-only magazine, I did get quite excited at the prospect of Show Circuit finally going free to the market. The season has been so scrambled with the on/off Covid situation. Now we find ourselves back to having limited events and little chance of our beloved Land Rover Horse of the Year going ahead. So, hunker down! We have some great reading to inspire you, so you come out of the blocks next season brimming with enthusiam. It's tremendous to see a young talent like Sophie Scott come up the ranks and take her first World Cup round win - we are proud to have her on our cover. We loved visiting her, finding out that not only does she have a World Cup horse, but she also has several other extraordinarily talented horses in her paddocks and stables. We hope you enjoy the article and the beautiful images by our exceptional photographer, Denise Flay. Vanessa Pickens was a breath of fresh air to interview and photograph. She certainly lives her fullon life with great positivity. We caught up with ex-showing rider Maia Waretini-Anderson (who now works at Xtreme Sport Horses) to see what he has been up to. It came as no surprise to see him working and caring for the stallions and young horses coming through their breeding programme with such empathy. Amy Sage is another young talent, and for her, it's in the dressage arena where she is making her mark. She has consistently proven that dedication and hard work do get the results. That brings us to Becky and Olivia Harkerss. What a stunning family property, nestled between the Kaikoura Seaward Ranges and the Kaikoura coastline. These show jumping sisters demonstrate their unbreakable bond, combining their equestrian interests and their everyday jobs with helping out in the family’s ventures. Wow, just wow! We hope you enjoy our many other interviews - Ben Weir, Sally Field-Dodgson, Bonnie Farrant, Alix Campbell, and Abbey Thompson. We were fortunate to be asked to cover the ESNZ High Performance North Island Jumping Squad Camp. The overview by Diana Dobson explains the development of the high performance programme and is accompanied by gorgeous images from Christine Cornege. Also in this issue, Christine Weal's training clinic features Ashleigh Kendall riding. You will all know Ashleigh, who has been an important part of our close-knit Show Circuit team for years, so it's pretty exciting to see her advancing so well on her young dressage horse. In this clinic, Christine explains the principles of building the connection with younger dressage horses and how to bring them on, building strength, confidence and a solid foundation. We also have some essential health features that everyone should read. Back pain and stifle injury can happen to any horse. Veterinarian Kylie Huxford (BVSc, MANZCVS, MVetStud, MVetClinStud, Dipl.ACVSMR) tells us how to spot the symptoms, the risks and the management. So, while everyone involved with equestrian sports grapples with the trials of uncertainty, let's remember the sheer pleasure of just being around our horses and doing the work at home. Until next time x

Sheryll Davies - Publisher

WAIATA PUBLISHING LTD 111 Stan Wright Road, RD1,

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EDITOR Pip Hume

editor@showcircuit.co.nz

FEATURES WRITER Cheyenne Nicholson

DESIGN Sheryll Davies

CONTRIBUTORS Ashleigh Kendall Belinda Pratt Photography Caitlin Benzie Photography Christine Cornege Photography Densie Flay Photography Kristal Merry Photography Michelle Clarke Photography Rebecca Greaves www.kampic.com

ADVERTISING Sheryll Davies

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NEW ZEALAND’S ULTIMATE EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE

SHOWCIRCUIT

THE LOWDOWN ON

STIFLE CONDITIONS

ABOUT US

ACTION FROM THE ESNZ HIGH PERFORMANCE SHOW JUMPING TRAINING CAMP

INSPIRING

INTERVIEWS

TRAINING THE YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE

THE RIDES AND RISE OF

Sophie Scott

COVER: Sophie Scott and GLENBROOKE RICH AS ROSES Breeder: Tania Davie (EUROSPORT CASSINI DE ECLIPSE / LITTORIO) Image - Denise Flay Photography

FEB-MAR 2022

VANESSA PICKENS AMY SAGE BONNIE FARRANT BEN WEIR SALLY FIELD-DODGSON ALIX CAMPBELL MAIA WARETINI ABBEY THOMPSON BECKY & OLIVIA HARKERSS

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Show Circuit magazine is published bi-monthly. The articles reflect the personal opinion of the author and not necessarily the view of Waiata Publishing Ltd. This publication cannot be reproduced in whole or in part in any way without the publisher’s express written permission. All contributions are submitted at the sender’s risk. Waiata Publishing Ltd accepts no responsibility for loss or damage.

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SUPA JOINT

IN THIS ISSUE FEBRUARY | MARCH 2022

The Rides and Rise of SOPHIE SCOTT

VANESSA PICKENS Living the Best Life

MAIA WARETINI-ANDERSON A Special Connection

AMY SAGE Riding Towards Success

BONNIE FARRANT It’s All About the Journey

ALIX CAMPBELL Flying High

BECKY AND OLIVIA HARKERSS Humble and Harkworking

BEN WEIR Bitten by the Bug

86 ABBEY THOMPSON Staying Grounded

SALLY FIELD DODGSON The Joy of Horses

92 PHOTO ESSAY

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ON THE COVER

THE RIDES AND RISE OF SOPHIE SCOTT

This talented young show jumper is no stranger to the winner’s circle, but even she has been surprised by how quickly she and new mount, Waitangi Skynet, have gelled. The pair have picked up three placings from three World Cup starts, including the win at the Young Horse Show in December. WORDS - Rebecca Greaves IMAGES - Denise Flay Photography Sophie is the first to admit she’s competitive – she loves to win. And it’s something she knows how to do well. In December, she and Waitangi Skynet took out the World Cup round at the Young Horse Show in Hastings after a few short months together. Sophie was just 19 at the time, and this is her first season jumping at World Cup level, but it has been a dream start for her. Ironically, it was a different horse, Glenbrooke Rich as Roses (Richie), that she imagined would be her top mount for the season. Still, Waitangi Skynet (Sky) has quickly become number one in the team. Sophie, 20, moved from Wellington to Palmerston North about a year ago, and her family recently purchased a purpose-built equestrian property, where she is based. She rides full-time, combining her competition team, schoolers, and horses she competes on behalf. “I’ve always ridden. Mum used to compete in eventing, and her whole side of the family is horsey. I grew up with horses and started riding when I was about three. It’s all gone from there. ”Starting in the Show Hunter ring, Sophie had a super team of ponies (mainly produced from scratch herself) and gained an excellent riding foundation in the discipline. The highlight was winning the Category B title at Horse of the Year. “Show Hunter definitely gives you a good grounding and teaches you how to ride. It was a good start before moving to show jumping. It’s all about how everything looks and making sure you get the right strides.” At 16, Sophie decided to move to the Show Jumping ring. “Mum wanted me to go eventing because that’s what she did, but I definitely preferred show jumping! I love the courses being technical. You get a really good buzz, especially jumping the bigger tracks – you get a lot of adrenaline going. It’s fun, and it’s competitive.”

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Sophie riding GLENBROOKE RICH AS ROSES

I LOVE THE COURSES BEING T E C H N I C A L . Y O U G E T A R E A L LY G O O D B U Z Z , E S P E C I A L LY JUMPING THE BIGGER TRACKS – YOU GET A LOT OF ADRENALINE GOING. IT'S FUN, AND IT'S COMPETITIVE.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

From the Show Hunter ring at 16 to winning a World Cup start at 19, it’s been a meteoric rise, but World Cups were always a goal for this driven young rider. Moving initially to the pony show jumping ring, Sophie produced several ponies to Grand Prix level and enjoyed plenty of success there. She got her first hack, Lakota, and the pair have won the Young Rider National title three years in a row. “We have always looked to buy young ponies and slowly produce them to the top. We sadly had to sell them all when I got too old, but I love seeing them build new partnerships and get a real buzz when they start to do well. We’ve always done it, starting with producing Show Hunter ponies. Mum has a good eye for buying young ones.” In 2018 Sophie applied and was accepted to the Longines World Equestrian Academy, spending two weeks training with Ludger Beerbaum in Germany. “It was such an amazing experience. I got to try some amazing horses.” The experience whet her appetite for overseas travel. One day, she would love to take some of her horses to compete in Australia and, eventually, further afield on the world stage. “My goal is to keep being consistent in the World Cup series and Premier League and, once Covid lets us, to go to Australia with a few horses would be cool. Eventually, the Olympics and World Equestrian Games would be the dream.”

Fifteen-year-old Sky

, by Cassini II out of a mare called Polly, was purchased from Aisha Loumachi. Aisha brought the horse in from Australia, where he had competed at World Cup level. “Mum went to do a saddle fitting on him a few years ago and said to Aisha if she ever wanted to sell him to let us know.” When he did come up for sale, lockdown made viewing difficult, and they kindly sent Sky down from Auckland for Sophie to try. It didn’t take her long to make up her mind. “We clicked. He loves his job; as soon as he goes into the ring he’s focused, and he tries his absolute heart out all the time.”

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Above: Devoucoux are Sophie’s saddles of choice. Below: Riding the horses out of the arena is a important part of Sophie’s training.

Top right image - Sophie Scott and WAITANGI SKYNET, Dannevirke World Cup Show. Image - Denise Flay Photography Bottom right image: GLENBROOKE RICH AS ROSES being the supermodel, no handler required for this horse’s superb temperament! From three World Cup starts, they have placed second at Feilding, first in Hastings and fifth in Dannevirke. “We bought him as a backup horse to have another one jumping at the top level. The horse I have produced myself (Richie) is younger and a lot greener.” Sophie had her first World Cup start earlier in the season at Taranaki on Richie, but unfortunately, he will need a wind operation when the season is over. Luckily, Sky has stepped up to fill the gap with ease. “My first World Cup on Sky, I was sceptical. I didn’t know him well, and it was daunting, but he just got out there and knew exactly what to do – it was pretty easy for him. “It was just amazing to win (at Hastings). I couldn’t really believe it. I always thought Richie was the one I knew better and had had more time with. I had more faith in him because I didn’t know Sky that well, but he really stepped up.” Sophie credits her trainer, Jeff McVean, with helping her achieve these results. “I started having the odd lesson when Jeff would come to Wellington. This winter, he started coming here, and now he comes regularly. It’s so good; he comes to nearly every show and is there to help and support, which makes such a big difference. “I think we work well together because he loves to win, and I love to win! We’re both competitive.”

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

Sky has firmly moved into the top spot, and Sophie is excited to be competing at the top level with success. He will jump the World Cup Final at Taranaki before heading south to contest the Premier League at Nationals. Sophie also plans to line up in some of the significant classes at LRHOY. Next up is nine-year-old gelding Richie (by Cassini D’Eclipse), purchased by the Scotts as a four-year-old. Sophie has produced him to World Cup level, but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. “He broke his leg when he was six – he’s like a cat with nine lives. I did all the rehab with him myself. He started at World Cup level this season, but will need a wind op at the end of the season. I hope the operation will make him even better for the future, and he’ll be back jumping big stuff again.” Given his young age and talent, Sophie says it’s worth the time and effort spent to get him right. “He’s special. He’s such a character, a little bit cheeky, and he’s massive, but he’s got it all there. I have gone through a lot with him.” Then there’s Lakota (Spot), a 14-year-old gelding by Pintado Desperado. Together Spot and Sophie have clocked up many Young Rider and Grand Prix wins over the years. “He loves to win, and he’s a lot of fun.” Benrose Casino ECPH (Paddy) is by Cassiano and was purchased from East Coast Performance Horses as a four-yearold. Now seven, he is competing in the Seven-Year-Old Series and Mini Prix this season. “Mum loved him because he was big and grey. I hope he has the goods to jump Grand Prix and, eventually, World Cup, but obviously, time will tell.” LT Holst Archie (Archie) is a six-year-old gelding by Zirroco Blue. At 18.2hh, he’s big and lanky, and Sophie explains that he has taken time to grow into himself. “He’s been to a few shows this season, and I’ll keep producing him. I’m not sure if he’ll be sold because he’s Mum’s favourite, so we’ll see how that goes!” Finally, the team baby is LT Holst Ellie (Ellie), a five-year-old mare

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Above: WAITANGI SKYNET during a training session. Right hand page: Sophie leading WAITANGI SKYNET (left) and GLENBROOKE RICH AS ROSES (right). Below: Sophie riding LAKOTA in the Lady Rider of the Year at Land Rover Horse of the Year 2020. Image - kampic.com

MY GOAL IS TO KEEP BEING CONSISTENT IN THE WORLD CUP SERIES AND PREMIER LEAGUE AND, ONCE COVID LETS US, TO GO TO AUSTRALIA WITH A FEW HORSES WOULD BE COOL. E V E N T U A L LY, T H E O LY M P I C S A N D W O R L D E Q U E S T R I A N G A M E S WOULD BE THE DREAM. SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

by Emerald. “She’s big and fancy, and I love her. I own her myself. She’s quite exciting and, I hope, has all the qualities to be a top horse. She’s got a good brain, is a quick learner, has lots of scope, and is careful. She’s been to a couple of shows this season and will do a few more.” With a team of lovely horses and fire in her belly, Sophie loves what she does and plans to ride for as long as she can. She puts her success down to hard work and an incredible team around her. “I’ve always ridden; it’s built into me. I love working with horses and building a partnership. It’s exciting when all the hard work you have done pays off at shows. Getting the results is the best when you’ve put in the time and hard work. It makes it all worth it. “I’m dedicated, and I definitely put my horses before anything else. I have a really good support team with Mum and Dad, friends and family, my partner Blake, and Jeff as my trainer. I think the secret is just to work hard to get the results.” Sophie made special mention of her mum, Tania, who has been a huge influence on her riding over the years and has an exceptional eye for a horse. “She taught me to ride, and it’s only in the past few years I’ve had lessons with others. She’s so important. Mum and Dad both work so hard to keep things ticking along. Mum supports me 100% and is always there, and she has so much knowledge and experience from when she was riding.” Sophie is grateful to be sponsored by Hygain and Kyrewood Park Saddlery. C

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Above: WAITANGI SKYNET during the winning World Cup round at Hawke’s Bay 2021. Image Christine Cornege Photography. Below: LAKOTA and the family dog, Whiskey, on the lawn at the stables.

RIDER spotlight

DREAM BIG, B E L I E V E , W O R K H A R D A N D ACHIEVE IT. I F Y O U W O R K H A R D , Y O U WILL GET THERE. IF YOU

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LIV

best life

VING THE

One of those people who never says ‘no’ to an adventure or a challenge, Vanessa Picken’s zest for life has taken her to some far-flung places and to the top of her sport.

WORDS - Ashleigh Kendall IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

In 2000, Vanessa and her husband Ross returned

home to Christchurch from an incredible experience. They lived in London for three years before being offered a once-in-a-lifetime trip, driving a tourist truck through Europe to Kenya. It was a seven-month

journey, and the passengers they picked up in Europe continued on the entire trip with them. “We agreed when we went that we would spend all our money on travelling, so we came home with nothing except malaria,” Vanessa laughs.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

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Above: Vanessa and nine-year-old Rubinesque (by Donnerubin) working out for Supreme Hack at the South Island Premier Show. Photo: Kristal Merry Photography

THEM.

On their return, they settled in Springston on their property which now extends to 46-acres. And through the years, they have made it into the perfect lifestyle haven it is now. The couple also purchased their business, Truck Plus Rentals, where Vanessa runs the office. It’s an ideal situation for her as she juggles her equestrian interests and family life with Ross, daughter Sophie (17) and son Sam (15). Ross and Sam are right into motocross, so they are often away doing that at weekends while Vanessa and Sophie head off to horse shows. “Life is busy, abut I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t have horses in my life, and Ross is amazing with his support,” she says. “He built us our arena and stables. I can’t stress enough how amazing he is, just the biggest support.” “I do spend a bit of time travelling as the kids are both at school in Christchurch. I like to try and get my horses, farm and office work done in the morning and early afternoon as, after school, Sophie’s riding is my priority. I help her; I am her groom. I love to see her enjoying the horses, and we have a lot of fun. We are tight-knit,” she says. Vanessa’s leading horse is nine-year-old Rubinesque, a stunning black mare by Donnerubin out of a Jaguar mare, purchased from breeder Ann Fletcher as a yearling. “She is very placid and loves her food, always has a weight problem and as lovely as she is she is very much a ‘please and thank you’ kind of ride!” Vanessa laughs. Together the pair have won countless titles in the Riding Horse show ring. They recently took out the Supreme Hack at South Island Premier Show in November 2021, and have navigated through the dressage levels, recently having their first start at Advanced Medium. “Without a doubt winning Supreme Hack at South Island Premier Show has been my career highlight so far. It was such a thrill too because Sophie won Supreme Pony at the same show on Danielle Simpson’s pony Greenmoor Euphoria,” she beams. “We have gone Supreme Pony and Supreme Hack three times together over the past year, and every time feels just as amazing!”

It is easy to see how

Ruby is so special to Vanessa. “Ruby has been the best, most rewarding horse I have ever had. She has taken me from an adult returning to riding to competing Advanced Medium

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dressage and having huge success in the show ring, which has always been my first passion. Showing is a heck of a lot of work to produce a show horse well. Everything has to be perfect - their diet, management, condition, training and learning to cope in a showing environment. When you manage to get all of that perfect and you do well, it is just an incredible feeling,” she explains. “It doesn’t matter if it’s me doing well or someone else; I love seeing beautiful horses, and I appreciate the work it takes to get a horse to that high standard. In my ring, there’s a fabulous group of riders down here, and all I see is amazing camaraderie between competitors which makes it that much better.” It is clear to anyone who meets Vanessa that she has an infectious zest for life. She is also highly dedicated and focused on her goals. “I work hard, and I don’t give up. I am very ordinary, but I have lovely horses, and when you go out to the stables and meet a beautiful horse every day, it inspires you to do a good job with them,” she reflects. “I am mentally quite strong, but I also have had great help along the way, too. Just to name a couple of very crucial professionals, my farrier Grant Nyhans is excellent, always giving Sophie and me sound advice; my horse dentist Gerard Treacy is the same. And our sponsors, Dynavyte NZ, help keep our team in top order. Having that great team around me drives me to want to do well. But most of all, it’s knowing that you can put as much money as you want into horses, but if you don’t do the work, you won’t see the results. They are the greatest levellers.” Vanessa is also really excited to have learnt so much from Ruby that she can take onto her young horses. In addition to Ruby, she has an up-and-coming team of youngsters waiting in the wings for their call. Vanessa considers herself a boutique breeder, and her horses all carry

the stud prefix RSVP, which stands for Ross, Sophie, Sam, Vanessa Pickens Sporthorses. Her foundation mare is Kelaray Wish (Whisper x Aloha Touch of Class), purchased from breeder Kelly Mason as a rising three-yearold. “We bought her and then put her in foal to Fugato. That foal is now four-years-old and called Fairytale RSVP. We also have a threeyear-old Donnerubin out of Wish called Duke Kaboom RSVP; he’s lovely and just off to be started.” Vanessa did start Wish under saddle and competed her for a time after she had her second foal. She won Champion at every show she went to, and now she is currently in foal to Secret. Wish was also graded Excellence on the Warmblood stud tour and won the mare section overall. In addition, Vanessa has

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

Above: Sophie and MOUNTAIN EUTOPIA who is by Euro Sport Centavos. Middle image right: A new foal arrived hours before this photoshoot and was named SECRETLY I WISH RSVP (by European dressage stallion, SECRET) and out of KELARAY WISH (by Whisper). Below right: A successfule day out for Vanessa and Sophie. Vanessa and RUBINESQUE won Supreme Hack and Sophie riding GREENMOOR EUPHORIA owned by Dani Simpson of DS Equestrian won Supreme Pony at the South Island Premier Show. Photo: Kristal Merry Photography. an exciting yearling called Francesca RSVP by Franziskus out of a San Amour mare, bred by Georgina Block, purchased as a weanling. “I did breed a couple before these, but when they were three years old, I found out they had wobblers. We had bred one, and it looked amazing, and so we bred another with the same bloodlines,” Vanessa reflects. “It’s all part of the highs and lows, and it wasn’t my fault, just one of those things, but it took me a while to get through that. It was a tough time putting such lovely horses down.”

While Sophie is as passionate

about her horses as Vanessa, she has gone in a different direction with her riding, falling in love with show jumping. She currently has Young Rider jumper Mountain Eutopia (Euro) by Euro Sport Centavos, purchased last winter from Molly Buist Brown. “We wanted to get Sophie something with a bit of experience to get her up and running and confident and were lucky to find Euro. Molly has been a great help to Sophie too. Euro had previously done Young Rider level and the seven-year-old series with Molly, and she took Sophie through competing in her first Junior Rider, where they got third.” They also have a four-year-old, Cherry MS from Matawhio Stud and another youngster by ES Diamant B waiting to come on, again bred by Ann Fletcher. “I am 50 now, and I want to support Soph and her journey in every way I can,” Vanessa says. “It’s so awesome seeing her going out and doing so well, even though in the showjumping I do have to shut my eyes a bit! It’s the same with Sam’s motocross. I don’t know how we bred such daredevils!” Long term, Vanessa’s goal is to continue breeding nice horses with fantastic temperaments. “I want to breed horses that the average New Zealand rider can ride and have fun with. But aside from that, I want to carry on learning and enjoying it. I am not worried about winning at all. I want to do a good job with young horses, and if we have great results, it’s a bonus. Young horses are a real passion of mine, and I love producing them.” C

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I WANT TO

BREED HORSES T H AT

T H E AV E R A G E N E W Z E A L A N D R I D E R C A N

RIDE AND HAVE FUN W I T H . B U T A S I D E F R O M T H AT, I WANT TO CARRY ON LEARNING AND E N J O Y I N G I T. I A M N O T W O R R I E D

ABOUT WINNING AT ALL.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

RIDER spotlight

connection A SPECIAL

From Shetland steeplechase to show ponies, show jumpers, and everything in between, as long as Maia Waretini-Anderson is learning with horses, he’s happy. Currently working as a rider for Xtreme Sport Horses in Otaki, he treats every opportunity as a chance to further his knowledge.

For his eighth birthday, Maia WaretiniAnderson got a pair of joddy boots and a lesson at the local riding school, and he’s never looked back. Grabbing every opportunity with both hands, saying ‘yes’ to any chance to ride or work with horses, at just 23-years-old he already has many strings to his bow. From representing New Zealand overseas in showing to working for the famed Billy Stud in the UK and grooming at the holy grail of eventing, Badminton,

WORDS - Rebecca Greaves IMAGES - Denise Flay Photography

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Maia has packed plenty into his life. His mum, Keri, has always been his number one supporter. A single mum with three children, the family had modest means. The only way for Maia to pursue his passion was to ride everything and anything offered, with Keri ferrying him around the countryside. “I couldn’t have done half the things I’ve done without her support.” What started as a regular Saturday lesson at the riding

COMPETITION ISN'T

EVERYTHING TO ME. I T ' S T H E S T U F F AT H O M E

I APPRECIATE THE MOST A N D T H AT S E N S E O F A C C O M P L I S H M E N T FROM WORKING TOWARDS A GOAL.

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IN LIFE, MAKE EVERYTHING

WORTHWHILE, DO EVERYTHING WITH A PURPOSE AND

GIVE YOUR ALL, E S P E C I A L LY W I T H H O R S E S .

THE BIGGEST THING WITH HORSES IS SELF-DISCIPLINE.

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Above: Maia’s opportunity to train the young horses is a dream come true. Pictured here riding 5-year old gelding, NITRO XTREME (NUMERO UNO XTREME x COLLINS). Top Right: Gorgeous 5-year-old-mare; HILUX XTREME (COROFINO II x RAMIREZ x ABERLOU). Right: Maia riding CHAMPAGNE XTREME (CASSIANO x INDOCTRO VDL) through the tree-lined tracks at Xtreme Sport Horses. school quickly developed to spending most of the weekend there, picking out all the horses’ hooves (he first thought he might like to be a farrier), then to a job feeding the horses on Sundays. Through the riding school, he spent five years racing Shetland ponies in the Shetland Steeplechase, attending Horse of the Year and winning both races in 2010. An opportunity to ride Welsh ponies for Shirley Bennett of Glendale Stud gave him a start in showing and helped finance his riding. “Mum and I would buy 13.2hh three-year-olds off her, break them in, ride them to sell on and make money to keep my passion for horses alive.” Soon, Maia was being offered rides on other ponies and hacks. He jumped at every opportunity that came his way, whether it was stewarding, picking up poles or judging at shows. It wasn’t long before he gained a reputation as someone willing to hop on any horse.

Influential in his early days were Thomas Oldridge and Zoe Gardner, who became part of the family. “They often came round for dinner. I’d follow them around when they were out competing, washing a horse, or calling a dressage test, and they helped me in return. I took a lot from watching them and how they got their horses to the top level. Thomas let me ride his horses, and to get that feeling of a horse trained to Prix St George, was amazing.”

On finishing school after Year 12, Maia got his first taste of overseas travel when he made the NZ Showing team to go to the UK - a competition he won individually. While there, he billeted at a producing yard owned by Rachael and Julia Helliwell. After offering to hop on a difficult mare that was being broken in, Maia accepted a position to stay on at the yard for a further three months until the UK Horse of the Year Show.

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I DON'T CONSIDER IT WORK; IT'S

MORE OF A LIFESTYLE. I W A K E U P B R E AT H I N G H O R S E S ,

AND I GO TO SLEEP THINKING ABOUT THEM TOO.

Above left: Maia leading 5-year-old gelding, BRAVEHEART XTREME (CASSIANO x COROFINO II) up to the stables. Below: All in a day’s work, perparing for a training session. Right hand page above: Maia holding one of the stunning stallions, ZIRROCK XTREME (ZIRROCO BLUE VDL x RAMIREZ x ABERLOU). Far right: It’s no wonder Maia is looking at HILUX XTREME (COROFINO II x RAMIREZ x ABERLOU) with admiration.

Returning to New Zealand, he purchased two off-the-track Thoroughbreds and did a stint in a harness horse-breaking yard to save enough money to head back to the UK. He spent another nine months with the Helliwells, breaking in their show horses. “I think the thing they appreciated was my eagerness. I was happy to pick up shit, fill hay nets – anything. It wasn’t just about riding; it was about learning from the ground up. “I wasn’t fixed in the way I’d been taught in New Zealand. I was willing to adapt, and I have found, now, working at Xtreme, that helps a lot. I can adapt to different horses and change my approach to achieve the same outcome.” Through the Halliwells, Maia was introduced to William Funnell and landed a job working for the Billy Stud in Surrey, where he stayed for the remainder of his two-year Visa. “It was phenomenal, and I learned everything about a professional yard. It was surreal,

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from little old Christchurch competing in Welsh shows to riding for Pippa and William.” Maia describes Pippa as the most humble person and recalls their first meeting with a laugh. “We’re driving up the driveway, and I’m watching out of the car window as she half-passes across the arena while at the same time instructing one of the riders. I’m not normally star-struck, but I was just in awe. The first thing she said to me was, ‘oh, I thought you were a girl’!” Establishing that Maia was not a girl and that Pippa was just a normal person was the start of a great friendship. “My first day there, I rode Billy Congo, one of their founding stallions, which I couldn’t believe.” From there, he rode the young horses. Despite being new to show jumping, Maia applied his trademark determination to learn as much as possible. When a chance came up to fill in for an injured groom on

the Saville Tour in Spain, of course, the answer was yes. “With my showing background, they assumed I could turn a horse out. We took three trucks of horses, and it was a leap in the deep end looking after these prize animals for my rider, Lucy Townley. That was my first proper experience of grooming.” He must have impressed because when they returned, he became the competition groom. “I’m very determined when I set my mind to things. Pippa then asked me if I would help her head groom at Badminton, and obviously, I said yes. It was my first experience of eventing, and it was nerve-wracking, but I wasn’t going to start saying no then. “When she left the start box on cross-country, I ran to the marquee where the riders were watching on TV. Sitting beside me was Andrew Nicholson, and I was absolutely eavesdropping. I heard him say he was changing his tactics at a fence based on how Pip rode it. It was surreal standing among these 5* riders watching my boss go round this incredibly scary track.” He says Pippa has been hugely influential and his greatest inspiration. “She knows every single horse she rides and its breeding and has a genuine connection with each one. I don’t ever want to allow the horses to become just a number. Seeing how attentive she is with every single horse every day

I'D LIKE TO BE

DIVERSE ENOUGH IN MY RIDING TO PRODUCE A SHOW JUMPER, AN EVENTER, OR A DRESSAGE HORSE. I'VE NEVER

BEEN FIXATED ON ONE CODE.

was the highlight of my experience.” After Badminton, Maia returned to New Zealand. He then fitted in a trip to the UK and back to represent New Zealand a second time in showing, followed by working in a harness racing yard. “It wasn’t what I wanted to pursue, but I was still learning, and learning with horses is my biggest thing. As long as I’m learning, I’m happy.” When the phone call came from the Funnells to see if he was keen to go back and do the Sunshine Tour, he took his savings and boarded a plane in January 2020. Covid forced an early exit when the final week of the tour was cancelled, and Maia was strongly advised to make plans to return home before his holiday Visa ran out. “I was very disappointed about that, but there’s not one thing I regret about my experiences overseas. I have taken every opportunity offered, and I’ve always learned something. I’ve enjoyed all of it. “In life, make everything worthwhile, do everything with a purpose and

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I L O V E T H AT G R O W T H

AND PROGRESSION, FROM LEADING THEM AROUND

TO CANTERING THEM AROUND A TRACK.

Above (L-R): Maia leading CASTELLA XTREME (NGAHIWI CHROME XTREME x CASSIANO) and HILUX XTREME (COROFINO II x RAMIREZ X ABERLOU). Below: NITRO XTREME (NUMERO UNO XTREME x COLLINS) getting a workout in the arena.

give your all, especially with horses. The biggest thing with horses is self-discipline.”

Maia returned home with no plans but to relax and spend time with his family. It wasn’t long before the phone rang to see if he was interested in working at Wairarapa Thoroughbred Stud, Little Avondale. “I spent a season with Sam and Catriona. Again, it wasn’t the avenue I wanted to pursue, but it was with horses, and I’d heard good things about the Williams family.” His job was with the yearling team, but he assisted with a foaling on his first morning, sparking a new love for breeding. “That night, I rang my sister (she’s a midwife) and said I guess I’m a horse midwife now! I had always done the producing side of horses, not the welcoming into the world side.” Once the yearlings finished, Maia got back in the saddle, staying on to help start yearlings Sam kept after the Karaka sale. “I love that growth and progression, from leading them around to cantering them around a track.”

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As well as working at Little Avondale, Maia took a job instructing at the local riding facility, Panorama, and often helped riders with their horses. “I loved getting back into my riding, but it all got pretty hectic and took its toll. I’d be at Little Avondale from 6 am, then take group lessons in the evenings and ride a few horses afterwards in the dark.” Looking for a change of pace, when the rider position for Xtreme Sport Horses popped up, Maia sent his CV. He was offered the job and has been there for nearly four months. As one of two riders, he consistently rides about ten horses daily, from recently broken-in youngsters to stallion Numero Uno Xtreme. “Xtreme has taken a step back from competition at the moment. The main thing I’m enjoying is riding these horses, seeing them develop from just broken to jumping them over their first fences. They’re all talented in their own way. I get more satisfaction from the progression than competing.” Seeing their clients or other riders take those horses also gives him satisfaction. “That’s a big thrill, knowing that I have helped develop a horse that goes well for others, and I’m not just covering something up with my riding. “Competition isn’t everything to me. It’s the stuff at home I appreciate the most and that sense of accomplishment from working towards a goal.” The thing Maia most values about working with horses is their intelligence, and the partnership created. “When you connect and create that bond, that’s what I strive for with every horse I ride. I become friends first, which helps create a happy environment for both horse and rider, and I can tell if something is wrong or they are slightly off. “And it’s fun. I don’t consider it work; it’s more of a lifestyle. I wake up breathing horses, and I go to sleep thinking about them too.” Maia isn’t sure exactly what the future holds, but he would like to head overseas again when the borders open. “I still have a lot to learn, and I would love to have the opportunity to pursue my own training again. Eventually, I’d like to be out there competing, whether it’s dressage or jumping. I’ve enjoyed all aspects of my ridden career. With the Billy Stud, I found a passion for show jumping, and my goal would be to breed and produce my own performance bred jumpers. “I’d like to be diverse enough in my riding to produce a jumper, an eventer, or a dressage horse. I’ve never been fixated on one code. I feel like I will never know everything, but I will keep trying to learn more.” C

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SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

RIDER spotlight

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Riding TOWARD SUCCESS WORDS & IMAGES - Caitlin Benzie

After a hugely successful junior career in the show ring, Amy Sage made the switch to dressage and has never looked back. Already with Horse of the Year and National titles aplenty, the future ahead is shining for this young star.

Originally from Whitford

in Auckland, 23-year-old Amy is now based on a beautiful 11acre property in Ohaupo, near Cambridge, with her mum, Nicole. Nicole had ridden since she was a child and was an eventer who progressed through to dressage after Amy was born. Given that Amy was on a horse before she could even walk, it was only natural that the horsey bug would bite her! “My first pony was called Pippy, and I have vague memories of doing ribbon days on the lead rein on him. it was nothing serious, but I remember taking it all very seriously,” she laughs. “My first competitive pony was Greenlee Sungold, a 12.2hh I palomino Welsh pony (Greenlee Achilles x Kirreway Tika Teena). It was with Sunny that I first got into doing some proper showing. Mansfield Park Magnolia, a 13.2 grey mare (Aloha Desert Prince x Glenvar Fantasy), was the pony that ignited my riding success, though. She was a total professional, and together we won many championships and titles in the show ring, including Show Pony of the Year in 2013.”

Amy’s showing career culminated in 2016 when she was a part of the New Zealand showing team that went to the United Kingdom. A change of discipline was on the horizon for Amy, however. Her dressage journey truly began when she was 17, with the purchase of RM All About Me. Acorn, or Pie as she’s affectionally known, was six when the Sages travelled to Peter and Debbie Barke’s Rainbow Mountain Equestrian to try her. Although they weren’t 100% sold at the time, it ended up being one of the best decisions they ever made. “I remember driving home from trying Pie, and Mum and I agreed that she probably wasn’t quite the right horse for me. Luckily Sheena Ross, who was helping me to find the right horse, convinced us that Pie would be a great buy and that, even if I never competed her, I’d learn so much from her. I had never ridden a half-pass or flying change, but Pie certainly had some cool buttons to play with! I’ll forever be grateful that we listened and bought Pie. “Peter had done a great job training her, but she hadn’t competed much, and she was quite a

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Amy with HPH FURST WELCOME and with her dog, Rosie

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EYE FOR DETAIL I S INCREDIBLE, A N D I G O T S O M U C H O U T O F MY TIME W I T H H E R , I WOULDN’T BE T H E R I D E R I AM TODAY W I T H O U T VA N E S S A’ S

H E R I N P U T.

flighty herd-bound mare, always calling out to others and making sure everyone was where they should be. One of my first outings was a training day, and she spent the first 20 minutes doing piaffe. It did take a few seasons of getting her out and just sticking with it. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was totally worth it. Pie will go anywhere and perform in any arena now; she’s my best friend and partner in crime!” After finishing high school in 2016, Amy headed off to Auckland University to study business in 2017. However, when the opportunity of a lifetime came up to work for Vanessa Way, Amy put her studies on hold, packed up herself and Pie and moved down to Taranaki. Amy spent two years based with Vanessa, where she found the learning opportunities were endless.

“Vanessa’s eye for detail is incredible, and I got so much out of my time with her, I wouldn’t be the rider I am today without her input. While I was in Taranaki, I learnt an amazing amount, not only riding-wise but also horse managementwise. Now I have moved back to the Waikato, I train with Vanessa at her monthly clinics, thanks to my sponsor Razor Marketing, so she still keeps us in tip-top shape!” The Sages have spent the past 18 months at their new Waikato property, working hard to achieve their dream equestrian setup. Even though the rest of her family aren’t horsey, Amy’s grandparents helped her buy SWE Barcelona, and Amy is lucky to have two older brothers, David and Richard, who have been a great help doing the heavy lifting around the place when they can. Her return home has

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Top: Amy Sage and RM ALL ABOUT ME, winner of the CDI-Y FEI Young Rider Individual Test and Freestyle, Young Dressage Rider of the Year in 2019. Image - Dark Horse Photography Above: Amy’s collection of saddle blankets is to be admired! Right-hand page: Amy and RM ALL ABOUT ME also provided Amy with the opportunity to continue her university studies. After a semester studying part-time mixed in with working with horses, she is now heading back into the new year as a fulltime student.

Her last few months

in Taranaki saw Amy having not the best luck with her horses. Still, she has now brought together a fantastic little team of gorgeous horses that will stand her in great stead for the future. “2020 didn’t start very well for me. Both horses were injured, one in the paddock and one in the stables, so I had nothing to ride. It was a hard time for me, all of it was just bad luck, but it made it hard to find the motivation. I love the team that I’ve got now, though, and I’m so lucky to have every one of them. “Queen of the farm will always Pie; she’s not going anywhere! She’s more of an oversized dog than a horse. She’s by Anamour out of Miss Dit (Witzbola/Didi) and is 13 now. The rest of my team is relatively young. I have Sinatra SW, a seven-year-old chestnut

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gelding; Sheena Ross very kindly sponsored me a half-share in him. Frankie is by Sir Donnerhall out of a Don Frederico mare and is competing at Advanced Medium this season. Next is HPH Furst Welcome (Floyd), a six-year-old black gelding by Furstenball out of a Wolkentanz mare. This season I’m mainly focusing on getting Frankie and Floyd out and clocking up mileage. They couldn’t be more different from each other if they tried, but they do both have a quite hot and sensitive side. “Finally, I have SWE Barcelona, a four-year-old mare by Buckingham out of a Sir Donnerhall mare. She has just been started under saddle by MW Equestrian, and she’s insanely cool; she’s got a canter to die for! I’m in no rush with her, though, and she probably won’t come out until next season.”

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H O R S E S A R E A LWAY S

GREAT LEVELLERS, AND I’VE LEARNT TO ENJOY

THE GOOD TIMES, AS YOUR LUCK CAN CHANGE

SO QUICKLY. Above: Amy training RM ALL ABOUT ME at home.

F O R N O W, I WA N T T O

Middle: For Amy, the bond with the horses is everything. Below: Amy left showing behind her but not before wining countless titles on various ponies. Pictured here with MANSFIELD MAGNOLIA, winning Supreme Pony of the Year 2013. Image - Show Circuit Magazine

MY DEGREE KEEP TRAINING M Y

COMPLETE AND

YOUNG HORSES

THE BEST I CAN, H O P E F U L LY T O G R A N D P R I X .

While she may have only

begun competing in ‘pure’ dressage in 2017, that hasn’t stopped Amy from achieving a reel of accolades a mile long. Together she and Pie have their names etched on every top-level Young Rider trophy in the country and were unbeaten in all their CDI-Y competitions, spanning two seasons. Amy has also won the U25 Small Tour Champion and Waldebago trophy twice, represented the North Island in Christchurch, and finally, has represented New Zealand twice against Australia, once in Queensland and once on home ground. In 2021, Amy also made the step up to Grand Prix with Pie, having trained her all the way through from Elementary. “Horses are always great levellers, and I’ve learnt to enjoy the good times, as your luck can change so quickly. For now, I want to complete my degree and keep training my young horses the best I can, hopefully to Grand Prix. Frankie and Floyd have started playing with half steps, and both have an amazing talent for the Grand Prix work. I think they’ll both come into their own as they go up the grades. It would be my dream to compete internationally on a horse I have trained myself. I’m realistic, though; I know it’s not an easy goal, and it will take an exceptional horse to get that far. In the long run, I just want to make sure I continue to enjoy my horses and that they’re enjoying their training – that’s the most important thing for me!” C

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FREEPHONE 0508 467 734 WEBSITE www.saddlerywarehouse.co.nz SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

RIDER spotlight

humble

hard

BECKY AND OLIVIA HARKERSS ARE TALENTED HORSEWOMEN COMMITTED TO FINDING THE PERFECT BALANCE IN LIFE.

The sisters are based on their family’s picture-perfect 680-hectare hunting park, nestled between the Kaikoura Seaward Ranges and the Kaikoura coastline. Their family, led by their mum and dad, Louise and Brent, operate two businesses. Glencree Estate provides luxury accommodation and corporate events, while South Pacific Safaris offers guided hunting packages for red stag, elk, tahr, chamois and fallow buck. “We have some chalets for people to stay, and we host events at the lodge,” Becky explains. “Before COVID shut everything down, our hunting clientele for South Pacific Safaris was all international. At the moment, we are focusing on the Glencree Estate side of the business, which is more suited to the domestic market - luxury accommodation, guided meat hunts and functions.” Additionally, the family has another business, Glencree Helicopters, run by Brent, who is a pilot.

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dworking WORDS - Ashleigh Kendall IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

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Above - Olivia and LACONA AMMOE during the Mini Prix class at Canterbury South Island Championships. Right-hand page clockwise - Becky and LT HOLST CHIEF, Olivia and LACONA AMMOE. The sister bond is everything to these two.

It’s a family affair for the Harkerss. Brother Dan, and Becky’s partner, James, work as hunting guides, and Olivia’s boyfriend, Quinn, helps out. Both of the sisters work in, helping with marketing, cooking, and anything else that might need doing. Becky also has a good balance of teaching clients, and she is a flight coordinator at GCH Aviation. Olivia is a shepherd at Te Mania Angus Stud, and in the AI season, she works for LIC based in Ashburton from October to December.

Currently, the sisters are enjoying a smaller team of horses. Becky, who has previously ridden to World Cup level, has Kettle GNZ, a nine-year-old Warmblood gelding by Lordano who she has had since he was five. She also has sevenyear-old LT Holst Chief, a beautiful grey gelding by Cassiano. “Kettle has just stepped up to Grand Prix, which has been really exciting,” reports Becky. “He is very cool and one for

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the future, as is Chief. I am fortunate to have two very nice horses, but I will be looking at moving them on and getting another couple of young ones to produce. I would love one day to get to a point where I could financially keep a special one. Our goal is to get to a point where the horses are self-sustaining.” Olivia has a fun and competitive 14-year-old gelding in Lacona Ammoe. They competed at Junior Rider level, then stepped up very successfully to Young Rider level in 2019. “He is super cool. He motorbikes around the course and is just so fun to ride,” she says. “Hopefully, we will be able to go to Horse of the Year this year and compete in the Young Rider there as I will be too old next season. I will probably have to sell him and look for a younger horse to produce after that as he is very competitive at Young Rider level. But it will be tough to let him go.” Both of the sisters have been heavily influenced and guided throughout the years by Ross Smith. Becky left school and moved to Australia to base with him, and while there, found a partnership with a fantastic horse called Callisto 26. She jumped her first World Cup on him at the age of 19 before heading to the United States to base with and work for US Olympic medallist Norman Dello Joio at Wembley Farm in Florida. “It was an incredible experience to be there and soak up everything they do. It is a different world. There’s a lot of money involved in jumping in the US. I went to WEF, Tryon, and then to Spruce Meadows. It was just unbelievable,” she says. The talented Callisto was sold and continued his excellent form with his new rider. Becky moved to Germany to Carsten Esser’s sales barn, riding, competing and presenting young horses to buyers. “Being able to work and experience different training and management styles around the world was unforgettable and so valuable to my own development,” Becky explains. “I enjoy producing horses for sale. Getting them to a point where they are

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ridable for other people and seeing them go on and do well is rewarding. In Germany, we would have mostly American buyers; I still receive videos of some of them competing on the American circuit today. It’s a great feeling. It was really cool to start them as young horses and then turn them into nice, profitable horses for the stable.” She finally returned home after four years. Apart from Ross, the sisters agree that their parents have been their biggest mentors and supporters in their lives. “I am really grateful for the way they brought us up, gave us opportunities and taught us to work hard,” Becky reflects. “Mum was an excellent rider herself. She won’t admit it, but she taught us how to ride. They both taught us to work hard, put our minds to it and make it happen.” Olivia adds, “Becky was a massive support and mentor to me too, I got all of her ponies, and she taught me how to ride them. Then watching her overseas was eye-opening for me too.” Louise grew up in a family of seven kids who rode. Some even went on to be competitive jockeys. “Mum rode until

Above - Becky riding LT HOLST CHIEF over the breathtaking terrain on the farm. Left - Becky riding KETTLE GNZ In the Grand Prix at Canterbury Show Jumping Championships. Left below - The girls often ride together checking on the stock. Right hand page - Olivia is proud to be teaching children in the area.

she had kids, but she has come out of retirement a few times,” Olivia laughs. “Dad came from a horsey background as well. His sisters rode, his parents bred ponies, and he got into rodeo. We got into it from when we could walk and never stopped,” says Becky. “Now I am a bit older and teach kids, I see the lengths their parents go to to get them to lessons and shows, all the effort they put into their kids’ sport, I appreciate even more how amazing these parents are,” she says. Becky believes that hard work is far superior to natural ability. “I don’t really think natural ability comes into it like people think it does. Teaching kids has opened my eyes. I have noticed that the kids who really improve

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NOW I AM A

BIT OLDER,

AND I TEACH KIDS AND SEE

T H E L E N G T H S T H E I R PA R E N T S G O T O G E T T H E M T O

EFFORT T H E Y P U T I N T O K I D ’ S S P O R T, I APPRECIATE E V E N M O R E H O W AMAZING T H E S E PA R E N T S A R E .

LESSONS A N D THEIR

SHOWS, ALL THE

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ANYONE CAN BE BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE BY A P P LY I N G T H E M S E LV E S , B E I N G DILIGENT AND WORKING HARD. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO LEARN AND SOAK UP KNOWLEDGE, Y O U W I L L O N LY C O N T I N U E GETTING BETTER.

Becky Right-hand page - Although Becky has travelled the world and experienced first-hand the wonder of European yards, there is no place like home. and do well may not be the ones with the most money and flash ponies; they are the ones who really listen and soak it all in,” she explains. “Anyone can be better by applying themselves, being diligent and working hard. If you are willing to learn and soak up knowledge, you will only continue getting better. Every time I get on a horse, I want to do better than the last time I rode it.” While Becky has enjoyed success at the top level, she says it is surprising to many that she isn’t a naturally competitive person, which she attributes to producing young horses. “It is always important to me that I am giving the horse the best ride I can and focusing on that. That is much more important to me than winning a ribbon. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to win or place, but I would rather know I had done a good job, and if I win, that’s a nice bonus. Some people are competitive, making them winners, and I admire them for that, but it isn’t my main priority. I am about the bigger picture.” Olivia is a quiet achiever, never one to talk up her achievements. In addition to her success as a Junior and Young Rider with Moe, one of her most significant achievements to date was being invited to compete at Aquis Farm’s Elysian Fields Junior Rider teams competition, where she was a member of the New Zealand team. “It was an incredible experience to be able to compete in a

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The farm is nestled between the Kaikoura Seaward Ranges and the Kaikoura coastline and is simply breathtaking with it’s rugged landscape and the backdrop of the east coast. team against the Australian state teams, and the whole show was amazing,” she recalls. “We rode borrowed horses, and it was just a cool experience to compete there.”

Becky and Olivia also love to maintain balance in their

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lives, something Becky has prioritised since returning from overseas. “I would like to keep producing young horses to sell, to get to the point where I have a nice team of young ones and a good one that I can afford to keep for myself and compete at World Cup level again. That would be the ultimate for me at the moment,” Becky says. “I think we both agree that our long term goal is really to create a balance in life and not sink it all into horses. Since coming home, I have valued balance. I was so lucky to do horses all around the world, but I am grateful that it made me realise I want more- a life where I can spend time with my family, and I don’t want to commit to it full-time anymore.” Liv enjoys working with animals and has a keen interest in breeding and genetics.

WE RODE “Working at Te Mania Angus Stud is super-interesting. I really enjoy learning about the different aspects of stud farming and being able to work outside. I love learning, I love being outside, and I love keeping it fun,” she says. She is keen to continue developing her career in this area and continue developing her team of horses and investing in their horse facilities on their farm. “Long term, we want to get to a place where we can 100% sustain ourselves and have that balance in life. We are so lucky our parents have this huge property, and let us base here. We are very grateful.” C

BORROWED HORSES, AND IT WAS JUST A

COOL EXPERIENCE TO COMPETE THERE. Olivia

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RIDER spotlight

Bitten by THE BUG! WORDS & IMAGES - Caitlin Benzie

Having non-horsey parents couldn’t stop 19-year-old Ben Weir from finding his passion for horses. With talent to burn and a world-class team behind him, Ben is undoubtedly one to watch for the future.

Ben spent his early years

playing tennis, hockey, cricket and rugby; he certainly wasn’t what you would call a typical horsey kid. However, when Ben was 11, his sister Emma got a pony, and like all of us, he was bitten by the bug. Shortly afterwards, Emma began having lessons with Melissa Steed, and Ben went along to watch. He was immediately captivated by the world of dressage, and even though jumping was his primary interest, he quickly learnt that flatwork was the way to become a successful show jumper. “My family isn’t remotely horsey, and I didn’t discover horses until my sister, who was absolutely horse-crazy, got a pony. I promptly stole it,” Ben laughs. “My sister rode a lot, and my brother dabbled in riding, but I’m the only one of us who rides now. Once I started riding, I really found my passion in life, and I’ve never looked back. I went straight onto a hack for my first horse of my own. He was little, and I was an absolute beginner, but he looked after me so well and gave me a massive amount of confidence. I’ve been lucky to have some super small hacks over the time I’ve been riding – which is quite funny given that I’m so tall!

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Above - Ben and LANICE VAN DE HEFFINCK on their way to win the FMG Young Rider at Taranaki World Cup Show in January 2022. Image: Christine Cornege Photography. Ben and CASTIEL XTREME (by CASSIANO) were at Vaughn Jefferis’ yard for our photoshoot. “After meeting Melissa Steed when I was 12, I’ve continued to train with her ever since. She first offered me the ride on her slightly fiery pony when I was a kid, and it’s progressed to the point where, when she broke her leg, she offered me the ride on NPE Del Rico. She’s been with me for virtually my whole riding career and is like family now.”

Show jumping at Young Rider level, and CDI-Y level dressage is a

I ’ V E B E E N L U C K Y T O H AV E

SOME SUPER SMALL HACKS OVER THE

TIME I’VE BEEN RIDING – WHICH IS QUITE

FUNNY GIVEN THAT I ’ M S O TA L L !

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stark contrast to Ben’s early years of hooning bareback around the hills, a very traditional start to a kiwi kid’s riding career. Although he wasn’t completely sold on it at the time, Ben successfully finished year 13 at Rosmini College before he embarked on a full-time riding career. “I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to continue through to year 13 at school; I just wanted to get out into the world and start riding full time. However, I hadn’t then, and still haven’t, ruled out the idea of pursuing further study at university, so finishing school seemed like the best option.” Ben is now based between his parents’ equestrian property in Waitoki and Olympic and World Games medallist Vaughn Jefferis’ yard in Matangi. “I met Vaughn on a clinic and have been lucky enough to be coached by him and then, slightly further down the track, to be based with him. It’s pretty crazy to be able to say that I’m mentored by one of the best riders in the world, and I’m always so incredibly grateful for everything he has done for me. Vaughn also owns my Young Rider horse, Lanice van de Heffinck.” “Ben has a great competition brain,” says Vaughn. “He’s exceptionally focused, and when he’s nervous, he doesn’t choke. A lot of people can go out and win the warm-up, but when they go into the ring, they fall to pieces. Ben doesn’t do that. He loves his horses and puts in the hard work required, plus he’s been easy to teach jumping because he’s been so well

THE MAIN THING FOR ME

ENJOYING MYSELF A N D T H AT T H E HORSES ARE HAPPY; T H E Y ’ R E T H E T W O KEY COMPONENTS T O I S T H AT I ’ M

DOING WELL IN THE RING AND G E T T I N G Y O U R R E S U LT S .

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educated on the flat by Melissa.” Ben has had vast success for someone who has only been riding for eight years, placing in horse trials, Junior Riders, Young Riders, and up to Small Tour dressage. A typical day for Ben sees him riding and coaching up to ten horses a day. Between his clients and their horses, he also finds time to ride the two permanent members of his team, NPE Del Rico and Lanice van de Heffinck. “Through my business, I have many horses join and leave my team, but the two solid fixtures at the moment are Rico and Lanice. Rico is a 16.1hh, 12-year-old bay Warmblood gelding by Doringcourt (Dressage Royal/Gazelle) out of Pandora (Falkensee) and was bred by Andrea Bank. We have competed from Elementary to Small Tour together, which has felt like an amazing achievement; sometimes, the journey feels even better than the wins! Lanice is the lady of the team and is an 11-year-old bay Belgian Warmblood by Plot Blue (Mr Blue/Ilotte) and out of Hades van de Heffinck (Contact van de Heffinck/Only Picobello) who was imported from Belgium.

Above: Ben and LANICE VAN DE HEFFINCK during the Takapoto show Bronze Tour Final. Image: Christine Cornege Photography. Right: Ben holding CASTIEL XTREME (by CASSIANO) who is owned by Colleen Crous. She is only a smidgeon over 15.1hh but has the heart of a lion and has been one of my most successful horses. We were lucky enough to win the Young Rider class at the World Cup Final Show in Hawera in January this year; I’d been waiting on a win for a little while, there had been a lot of seconds until that point,” he laughs. “Another of my most successful horses has been SF Gryphon. He came to me to be sold on behalf, but I was lucky enough to have the ride on him for two years, thanks to the Finch family. Gryphon is a crossbred by Mill Creek Valiant, out of a Deputy Governor mare and was bred by Caroline West. He’s another little horse, but, like Lanice, also puts in 100% every time. Together we placed and won at 95cm horse trials, placed in a handful of Junior Riders, and I jumped my first Young Rider classes with success on him too.”

It hasn’t always been

smooth sailing for Ben, though. Last season, due to injury, he had to make the heartbreaking decision to retire Don Perignon II, co-owned with Dominque Visini. Dan, a gorgeous grey by Don Quattro, was originally going to be Ben’s centrepiece ride on the Greenstone TV production Young Riders - a television series following eight riders as they negotiate the ups and downs of Young Rider show

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IN THE FUTURE,

I WOULD LOVE TO BASE MYSELF OVERSEAS; I H AV E S O M E R E A L LY

PROMISING YOUNG STOCK COMING THROUGH, W H O I T H I N K H AV E ENOUGH QUALITY TO BE

INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTS FOR ME.

Above: Ben and LANICE VAN DE HEFFINCK securing second place in the Young Rider class at Show Jumping Waitemata, January 2022. Image: Christine Cornege Photography Left: Ben and LANICE VAN DE HEFFINCK during the Bronze tour qualifier one at Takapoto Show Jumping. Image: Christine Cornege Photography Horses on some of their projects, including Letter for the King, Mystic (season one and two) and the Lord of the Rings television series. Doubling and wrangling on set has been an awesome experience, and I’m super grateful to the team for the opportunity!”

Ben is the first to

jumping. Unfortunately, this was not to be. “Having horses is definitely not smooth sailing as we all know, and having to retire Dan due to injury was a tough time for me and everyone involved. It would have been great to show what we were capable of on Young Riders.” However, Young Riders wasn’t Ben’s first experience in front of the camera. “I have been lucky enough to have had prior experience in television over the past couple of years and have really enjoyed working with NZ Film

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point out that the only reason he’s been so successful is due to the incredible team around him. Still, there’s no way you can look past the natural talent, passion for his horses and their wellbeing, and the hard work he has put into the sport. Looking to the future, it indeed appears that the world is his oyster. Still, while he has his sights set on the international equestrian scene, he has no plans to leave New Zealand before he is ready. “I am loving growing my business and making the most of every opportunity I can at the moment. The main thing for me is that I’m enjoying myself and that the horses are happy; they’re the two key components to doing well in the ring and getting your results. To compete at the top level, the horses have got to really want to try for you, which comes down to the bond you have with them, and goes right back to horse management and the basics, which are exceptionally important. In the future, I would love to base myself overseas. I have some really promising young horses coming through, who I think have enough quality to be international prospects for me. Although I still have a whole lot more to learn here before I even start thinking about going overseas, I have the best team possible around me, and I couldn’t be any luckier, getting to go out and do what I love every day until I’m ready!” C

RIDER spotlight

the joy of horses From childhood adventures hooning around her family’s high country property, Mount Dasher, to twice taking out the coveted Burkner Medal for the NZ Dressage Championship, horses have played a major role in Sally’s life. WORDS - Pip Hume IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

With two sisters

and a brother, Sally’s adventures around the family farm started early. “I was sitting on a pony right from when I was tiny - not much more than a baby,” Sally reports.”Dad had shepherds’ hacks for mustering, and my mother had a great passion for ponies, horses, and all animals. Mum was involved with the farm, but we more often went out with Dad. Mustering, stock work, and all of that drama was right up our alley!” A family association with Miss Violet Nichols, who founded Kuriheka Welsh Pony Stud (one of the first Welsh Pony studs in New Zealand), gave access to some beautiful ponies and the world of showing. “She bred the most beautiful ponies from her imported bloodlines, and we did a lot of showing. They were gorgeous ponies for the show ring, but we also used to go mustering on those same ponies. We did gymkhanas, hunted, took them showing, show jumping and eventing (although none of us was very good at that!). We enjoyed everything. There was no children’s dressage

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in New Zealand at that time, though - I didn’t compete in dressage until I was about 14 or 15 years old.” An early influence for Sally was internationally acclaimed horseman Hungarian-born Kalman de Jurenak, who had come to New Zealand to live. “He used to come down to Oamaru to teach and then would come out to our farm for a couple of days pig hunting. When I was 13 or 14, he gave me a lesson on my pony, and that was that. I was hooked!” Sally says that finding a nice hack once she grew out of ponies was a problem. “Back then, when Sporthorse breeding was in its infancy, we were really restricted to the Thoroughbreds and Arabs, the various draught breeds, or crossbreds. I did have a gorgeous Thoroughbred off the track called Stacey Brown - if I had known then what I know now, he could have been lovely. I would love to have him now,” she recalls wistfully. Sally says she had a lot of fun with her various crossbred horses but they just weren’t dressage horses. Alongside her equestrian interests, Sally’s

SOMETIMES

YOU NEED TO STEP BACK TO

GO FORWARDS.

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Above left: Young pony foal KINLOCH HUCKLEBERRY is intrigued by humans! Above: Sally has an amazing bond with VOLLRATH LA VIDA Left: Sally and VOLLRATH LA VIDA winning the Advanced MFS at the South Island Festival of Dressage 2021. Image - Pip Hume Photography. interest in many other sports led to a Degree in Physical Education. That was followed by a year at Teachers’ Training College and a year teaching before Sally decided it was time for some overseas experience. “I went to England to gain my BHSI teaching qualification and was based in Leicestershire with Janet Sturrock,” Sally recalls. “She was legendary and the most amazing lady. We did everything, hunting, eventing, and dressage. She had a pony she had trained through to Grand Prix that I got to ride - just a nondescript little mare, plain and ordinary. Still, she would do everything and was absolutely gorgeous.” Mrs Sturrock was also great friends with internationally revered David Hunt and Trish Gardner, who often visited to give clinics and demonstrations, where Sally was able to watch them working with other horses and riders. However, while

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Right hand page top image: BLYTHBURN ROSEHILL looks to be Sally’s next star.

there were many learning opportunities, Sally felt the pull to come home. “Everything was just so expensive over there. Looking back, if I had decided to stay there as a groom, I would probably still be a groom now. So I packed my bags and my BHSII and came home.” Back in Christchurch, Sally began sharing her knowledge, teaching both children and adults the finer points of riding. Amongst her pupils were Libby Sellar’s children - and so began the enduring association that has lasted through to the present day, with Libby owning many of the horses and ponies competed by the Field-Dodgson family. Sally had met her husband Michael while flatting in Christchurch, and after her return from England, the pair married. Their two daughters, Lucy and Belinda, share their mother’s equestrian passion and skill. They have

IT WAS MY FIRST

TIME GOING UP THROUGH THE

GRADES, A N D I V I V I D LY

REMEMBER C O M P E T I N G AT

INTER I A N D R E A L I S I N G T H AT,

TO THE JUDGES, W H AT Y O U

WERE RIDING M AT T E R E D !

had many successes in the show ring and the dressage arena at local and national levels, on ponies and horses owned by Libby Sellar. Sally then went to work for Lady Isaac at the well-known Clifton Stud, where Welsh and English Riding ponies were bred. “Lady Isaac had imported a couple of very well-bred pony stallions, and the stud became an enormous operation. I was involved in all aspects of the stud over the seven or eight years I was there,” says Sally.

On her return to

New Zealand, Sally had taken over the ride on a little horse called Dazzle, bred by her mum. At just 14.3hh, Dazzle was Sally’s first attempt at a dressage horse, and the pair went through to the highest level of competition in New Zealand at that time, which was Inter I. “It was my first time going up through the grades, and I vividly remember competing at Inter I and realising that, to the judges, what you were riding mattered! Dazzle had the most amazing hind-leg and extensions, and I was

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gobsmacked that her size mattered.” Dazzle was followed by a very different mare, Huntaway, “I first saw Huntaway when we were jet-boating up the Hopkins River above Lake Ohau. We had got stones stuck in the intake of the boat, and the men were trying to get it going again. Mum and I got a bit bored, so we wandered over to have a look at some horses grazing nearby on Glen Lyon Station. One kept turning to look at me - she had the most beautiful face and a big white blaze. We went and saw the farm manager, Larry Murdoch, and he said he would round them up and get them into the yards for us. “The next day, we went back, and there was Larry on horseback, galloping this herd of horses across a riverbed so rough we could hardly walk across it. They had to go through the river, which was quite high, and Larry’s dogs

Above: Sally and VOLLRATH LA VIDA winning the Advanced MFS at the South Island Festival of Dressage 2021. Image - Pip Hume Photography.

were being swept away, getting to dry land some distance downstream. It was quite something to see! Larry got the horses into the yard, and the horse with the big white blaze kept turning to look at me. She was the best thing I had ever seen; I just fell in love with her!” Sally named her Huntaway and says that Huntaway’s breeding was ‘debatable’. “She was part Clydie, and probably part Welsh Cob- she had that kind of movement and energy. Her attitude to work was just fantastic.” Sally did everything on Huntaway; eventing, show jumping, hunting and dressage - and they even appeared in a display with the New Zealand Police Brass Band. But dressage would be Huntaway’s career. The pair won the Tironui Trophy for the Grand Prix Kur (Musical Freestyle) at the NZ Dressage National

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Championships, and a highlight of the partnership was the opportunity to travel and compete in Australia. “At that time, we had so much support from the Horse Society (now ESNZ). They were so encouraging and went out of their way to help us get to Australia. We stayed with Clemens and Judy Dierks, and it was the most incredible learning experience - although Huntaway was completely outclassed!” she laughs. Frederick Orlando, owned by Libby Sellar, was arguably Sally’s most successful horse to date. The partnership won the Burkner Medal twice (for the NZ Dressage National Championship), the Tironui Trophy three times (for the Grand Prix Kur at NZ Dressage Nationals), and the Rigoletto Trophy at Horse of the Year (for the Grand Prix Freestyle competition), along with the prestigious NZ Dressage Horse of the Year title. The pair also won the Samsung International Dressage competition (now the World Dressage Challenge). Fred went up through the ranks very quickly. Just 16hh, he had a little bit of St James blood and some Appaloosa. “He was a super horse,” Sally reports. “He was a little bit hot at competitions and hard to settle, but he had really great piaffe and passage. His extensions were a little bit flat he would flap his legs and go faster - but again, he’s a horse I would love to have now; he could have been great if I had known as much then as I do now.” With Fred, Sally again had the opportunity for several successful trips to Australia. “Those trips were absolutely amazing for learning how to cope with everything around travelling a horse; all of the pitfalls and the drama of what can go wrong. Fred did get travel sickness on one of those trips; you learn so much.”

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SHE’S A COOL,

FUN HORSE. I R E A L LY

ENJOY WORKING WITH HER.

As often happens,

the trials and tribulations of horse ownership are never far away. Sally got Rita and Neil Fox’s Te Peka Grandola to Inter II, but sadly Chooky had a head-shaking problem. Then her outstanding big chestnut Te Peka Galston got to Grand Prix but suffered from soundness problems. Sally says that one of life’s lessons with horses, and the biggest mistake we all make, is keeping going with our horses for too long. “You persevere because you think you are making progress, but in reality, you can be working and working at it and going nowhere.” A favourite with both Sally and the crowd was Sally’s gorgeous grey mare, Amberleigh Elite (Ellie), owned by Denis and Robyn Bailey. “She was an exceptional mare. She was so sweet; at home, she was fabulous, but she was hot and got terribly nervous at competitions. She was a brilliant show horse, especially in the Paced and Mannered ring. Still, although she went up through the dressage grades very quickly and had so much potential, she didn’t cope so well in the dressage arena. “We had a lot of success at South Island level and won all of the major trophies, but when we went to Nationals and Horse of the Year, she didn’t cope well with the atmosphere. Sometimes you just don’t recognise how hot they are until you realise it’s not the horse you are used to, and the rideability just disappears in that atmosphere.” Sally has trained a total of eight horses to Advanced level, and four have continued through to Grand Prix. Currently, Sally has her Lessing mare Vollrath la Vida competing at Prix St Georges level. “She’s a cool, fun horse. I really enjoy working with her and riding her. She definitely can go to Grand Prix - but her piaffe and passage need a bit more work. She has required more time with the changes, but we will get there. “La Vida has been a bit tricky at competitions, though. She’s fine in the arena, but I’ve had problems in the warm-up because she’s not good around other horses. I have to be a bit clever about it, and she’s much better now.”

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Waiting in the wings for Sally to work on is her six-year-old mare Blythburn Rosehill, by the Holsteiner stallion Ricardo Z, who has sired many wellperformed eventers. “She’s a beautiful looking mare but a little bit opinionated at this stage,” laughs Sally. Sally says that while she was quite ambitious in her younger years and had dreams of travelling to the World Championships and the Olympics, life has a habit of getting in the way. “It’s so hard to get your ducks in a row. It’s so expensive, and the horses need to be at the very top. Julie (the late Julie Brougham) provided a great example. She set herself up for success - her organisation and lead-up were well-planned and well-executed. I hope that others will look at her example and say, ‘that’s what I need to do.” These days training is Sally’s biggest joy. “I’m happy to compete just to check we are on track. I think people compete too much. You can’t train while you’re competing because you’re always pushing the horse to do the test rather than taking the time to let their brains catch up. Sometimes you need to step back to go forwards.” Along with her own three horses, Sally’s role with the Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Equestrian Programme means she is very busy during term-time, providing agistment, training and everything in-between for around seven horses and riders. “The girls do a bit of everything, so it’s very full-on. But they are committed and enthusiastic, so they are a pleasure to teach.” Sally is very grateful for the support she receives from her family and from friend Libby Sellar.“Libby has been an important part of my life! She’s a wonderful, loyal friend and owner of many of our horses and ponies. I produce Libby’s ponies, and we have the next generation here now - 15-day-old Kinloch Huckleberry and five-day-old Kinloch Hazel. C

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RIDER spotlight

LOVELY H O R JUSTICE. I L O V E T H E FEELING W H E N Y O U JUMP A B I G T R A C K A N D NAIL IT. W H E N EVERYTHING J U S T C O M E S U P, A N D I T F E E L S REALL SMOOTH - T H AT ’ S W H AT I ’ M

I JUST WANT TO DO MY

AIMING TOWARDS.

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SES

G LY

IT’S ALL ABOUT

the journey WORDS - Rebecca Greaves IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

From the exhilarating high of being on the winning Trans-Tasman Young Rider eventing team to the crashing low of losing two horses in quick succession, Bonnie Farrant has experienced the roller coaster that is horses. After time out from riding, she has returned, refreshed and focused, and is building a team of promising young horses. .

When Bonnie’s parents

bribed her to move from Australia to New Zealand with the promise of a pony, they had no idea what they were in for. Growing up on the Gold Coast with non-horsey parents (her mum was an artist, her dad a surfer, and Bonnie’s middle name is Sunflower) was a far cry from galloping around on a pony. “I watched Spirit, and that was it. I’ve always been horsecrazy. I was ‘that’ kid who would pretend to be a horse at school. There’s just something about them; horses are so beautiful and trusting and do so much for us. It’s pretty amazing being around them every day, and I will probably be riding forever.” Currently living in Rangiora with her parents, Bonnie, 25, works full-time from home for the Government and has built a successful career that allows her to run her team of horses. “Mum and Dad have some land, and I’m lucky to look out the window at my horses.” Bonnie landed her dream job, writing computer code for environmental data, straight out of university. “It’s flexible and a good salary, which works so well with the horses. When we’re off competing in the North Island, I can work from the horse truck or anywhere; it’s ideal.” She studied environmental science at Massey University with many statistical papers and taught herself to write computer code after being introduced to it in a lecture. “I’ve always been very maths-based and analytical. I kept developing it because I was interested, and then this job came up, which required it, so it was perfect.”

With that promise of a

special pony for Bonnie, the family moved to New Zealand, and Bonnie’s grandparents duly purchased a local pony for the princely sum of $800. He turned out to be a little cracker but, initially, Bonnie was scared of him. “One day, Dad made me stay home from school and sat me on the pony and walked me around until I wasn’t scared. From then on, I was addicted to going fast. I’d get told off at Pony Club for riding around going ‘yah, yah, yah’.” At the same time, they got Bonnie’s mum a pony, a rescue case from the SPCA who had been beaten around the head with a piece of four by two. Mont was an Appaloosa with no tail, and Bonnie and her mum would hack out together. “One day, I jumped Mont at home, and poor Mum never got him back. He was so cool and so safe.” Together, they went on to win at Springston Trophy and Pony Club Eventing Champs, also competing at Pony Club Dressage Champs. “I just liked going fast, and he wasn’t going to do Pony Grand Prix show jumping, so I went down the eventing path and loved it.” When Bonnie was 15, they sold Mont to buy her first proper hack. “I also had a little side hustle buying people’s unwanted horses, schooling them up, and selling them so we could buy a horse float.” That first hack was Warmblood cross, Kaipara Dior (by Darby LS), who took Bonnie to the top level and gave her a taste of international competition. “I sat on Darcy for about five minutes in the pouring rain. She wasn’t my pick, but Dad said, ‘we have to get her.’ We claim Dad is the horse whisperer – he’s not horsey at all, but he just seems to know.”

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This page: JAY GATSBY showing his talent at Canterbury Eventing, McLeans Island

Bonnie describes Darcy as a tough little mare. “I was 15, and she was five when we got her. She was a typical mare - you had to ask politely, you definitely couldn’t tell her to do anything. I couldn’t hack her down the road; she was terrified of horse trucks. Mum had to lead me around the cross-country warm-up, and she needed multiple pre-rides to get a dressage test out of her – she was something else – but she was super-talented, and I trusted her so much. She has the biggest heart, and I knew she would always take care of me.” From being established at 95cm to winning their first 2* Junior Rider Three-day eventing title just a year later, followed by victory in the Taupo Three-day event at 2*, the pair quickly struck up a rapport. Darcy took Bonnie to 3* and on to ESNZ Young Rider squads. They made the NZ Young Rider team to contest the TransTasman competition in Australia, a trip Bonnie says was a steep learning curve. “It was an absolute disaster. Darcy didn’t fly well and was very unsettled the whole time. I was only 18 and right in the middle of uni exams, and with my parents in the South Island, I prepared for

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the big trip on my own. I forgot my cross-country boots, so she wore new ones, and we were vetted out the next day from boot rub on all four legs. It was a big lesson to learn - don’t wear new gear in competition.” The following year could not have been more different. The pair made the team again, and Bonnie had learned more about managing Darcy. They won the National Three-day 3* title, and the NZ team creamed the Aussies by a country mile. “It went from disaster one year to being on cloud nine the next year! I remember driving back home across the Desert Road. We had this old jeep that didn’t have a heater, so all the windows were down to try and de-fog the front window, and it was about -4, but we were so happy. “

Bonnie was riding high after the victory over Australia, but

everything was about to come crashing down. She gained the ride on a lovely horse, Poppy, owned by the late Barbara Thomson and Virginia Caro. “We could only really afford

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I W AT C H E D

SPIRIT, A N D

T H AT W A S I T. I ’ V E A LW AY S B E E N

HORSE-CRAZY. I W A S

‘ T H AT ’ K I D W H O W O U L D P R E T E N D T O B E A H O R S E AT S C H O O L . T H E R E ’ S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THEM; HORSES ARE

SO BEAUTIFUL

AND TRUSTING AND DO SO MUCH FOR US. IT’S PRETTY

AMAZING

B E I N G A R O U N D T H E M E V E R Y D AY, A N D I W I L L P R O B A B LY B E RIDING FOREVER.

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JUST AS DAD WAS ABOUT TO PUT THE

HORSE TRUCK O N

TRADEME, I GOT A LITTLE OFF-THETRACK THOROUGHBRED CALLED G AT S B Y. I T H I N K T H AT 1 8 M O N T H S W A S SO GOOD BECAUSE

I GRIEVED

AND RECOVERED AND HAD A

I MISSED THE HORSES

D I F F E R E N T L I F E . B U T I M I S S E D I T,

AND BEING AROUND THEM.

Left hand page: Bonnie holding BASIL B, a seven-year-old Thoroughbred by GUILLOTINE. This page: Top image: Bonnie leading JAY GATSBY Left: Bonnie hacking out as part of the her training. Middle: LITTLE ONE is the character in the stables, keeping everyone entertained as well as being a paddock companion for 2-year-old, ALBERT. Right: JAY GATSBY is considered number one in the stables and successfully competes at 3* .

to run one horse, so I was so excited to get offered the ride on the cracking little mare. I loved her and clicked with her. At the same time, I was consolidating Darcy for her first season at 4*, but I had a feeling Darce wasn’t quite right.” X-rays showed Darcy had the beginnings of arthritis. They threw everything at it – Darcy had two surgeries, iwrap and stem cell transplants, but to no avail. Bonnie made the difficult decision to retire her from competition at just 10. To top it off, she lost Poppy to complications following a trucking accident on the way to the Horse of the Year show to contest the 3* Eventing title. “I was 20 and in my final year at uni. I don’t

think anyone really knows what they want to do at that age. I gave up riding for 18 months and focused on my career. Looking back, it was quite lucky because now I’m in a dream position. I got good grades and moved to Wellington for my new job.” In the 18 months away from riding, Bonnie realised she missed the horses and the sport. “Just as Dad was about to put the horse truck on TradeMe, I got a little off-the-track Thoroughbred called Gatsby. I think that 18 months was so good because I grieved and recovered and had a different life. But I missed it, I missed the horses and being around them.” Now, Bonnie has a career that allows her to fund a small team of horses. She moved home and started rebuilding her team.

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I DO LOVE THE

ADRENALINE

RUSH O F J U M P I N G B I G G E R

TRACKS, SO I'LL SEE WHERE THINGS GO.

I WOULD LOVE T O

H AV E A H A P P Y A N D C O N F I D E N T S M A L L T E A M AT 4 * H E R E A N D

POTENTIALLY LOOK TOWARDS 5* ACROSS THE DITCH IN AUSTRALIA.

Above: Pictured with LITTLE ONE and her dog, Kirra Left below and right hand page: JAY GATSBY is pretty hot but has huge talented for jumping.

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“Covid brought about the remote working, which has been a silver lining. I think my productivity has gone up too.”

Number one in the team

is nine-year-old Jay Gatsby (Gatsby), a Thoroughbred by Postponed, who is competing at 3* level. “He’s so much fun, and he’s so cute we always say he should be called Chipmunk or Teddy. He’s hot and sensitive, but he can jump. He is an absolute cross-country machine, and I’m excited to tackle some 4* courses on him in the near future.” Then there’s another Thoroughbred, seven-year-old Basil B (Basil), a freebie by Guillotine. “You wouldn’t see him trot past and go ‘wow’, but he was just first and third in his first two 2* starts. The only thing is, he kills our chickens, and I love chickens, so that’s not on!” Darcy may have retired early, but she has given Bonnie two foals. The first, Mia, is by Eurocommerce Pennsylvania and has just been broken in. “I’ve just started riding her, and she reminds me so much of Darcy; it’s pretty cool. I don’t think Dad will ever let me sell her; she’s part of the family.” Two-year-old Albert, also out of Darcy and by ES Diamant B, is in the paddock, along with a miniature horse called Little One. As for future plans, Bonnie would love to compete in Australia again, but she’s focused on the process for now.

“I just want to do my lovely horses justice. I love the feeling when you jump a big track and nail it. When everything just comes up, and it feels really smooth - that’s what I’m aiming towards. I do love the adrenaline rush of jumping bigger tracks, so I’ll see where things go. I would love to have a happy and confident small team at 4* here and potentially look towards 5* across the ditch in Australia. “I’m also loving my career and having that alongside the horses. At the moment, both are going well, so I don’t think I’d

change anything.” Over the years, Bonnie has trained with Andrew Scott and Penny Pearce (Castle). “My horses have always been real cross-country machines, and I think Andrew instilled in me that real forward, positive ride. I still struggle in the dressage department, but Penny is still trying!” Bonnie is grateful to be sponsored by Reyna Equestrian and Cotswold Animal Therapies. C

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RIDER spotlight

flying

HIGH WORDS & IMAGES - Caitlin Benzie

High-flying stunts mixed with top-level dressage would seem an improbable pairing to many. However, for 27-year-old Alix Campbell, that pairing provides the perfect variety in life for her to thrive on.

Growing up on the family deer farm in Dairy Flat, Alix has been riding since before she can remember. Her older sisters Jana and Jaime rode, and parents Kim and Niels were always incredibly supportive of the girls’ passion for their horses. Therefore, it was only natural that Alix would follow in her sisters’ footsteps and start her riding journey. “My first pony of my own was when I was around five years old. Tuppence was a little skewbald and was just the greatest little pony. She was one of those incredible ponies who was ridden by all three of us. She became a huge part of the family and made it all the way to 30 before we sadly had to say goodbye. Over the next couple of years, I got a few hand-me-down ponies from my sisters, which I was so grateful for. It was also really nice that we could keep them in our family.” Throughout her time on ponies, Alix primarily focused on show jumping and show hunter. However, when she moved on to hacks, she was lucky enough to lease the well-known schoolmaster Master Legacy. From there, her dressage passion ignited, and she has since competed horses up to and including Advanced level. “When I decided I wanted to try dressage, I had the privilege of

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TWO YEARS AGO, I GOT INTO

BARREL RACING AND FOUND IT SO MUCH FUN.

I’M A BIG ADRENALINE J U N K Y, A N D I T ’ S FA I R T O S AY T H AT D R E S S A G E

DOESN’T QUITE G I V E Y O U T H AT R U S H . being able to lease Master Legacy from Rebecca Penman. He wasn’t the easiest of schoolmasters; he definitely liked to remind you who was in control,” she laughs. “He made me fall in love with dressage, though. We spent the next two years on and off searching for my next dressage horse. Then, when Trudi Duncan asked me to sell Astek Robina (Prinny) for her, I absolutely fell in love with her and bought her. I hadn’t been looking for a mare, but I’ve never regretted the decision to buy her; she is such a lovely mare on the ground and in the saddle.”

Working from her family farm Highgrove Equestrian Estate, Alix has been quietly building up her business, AC Equestrian, where she is available for lessons, groundwork sessions and schooling. Most recently, she has been working with more difficult horses and ponies, which involves doing a lot of groundwork with them. Alix finds that groundwork helps create a better connection and communication between rider and horse. To back up Alix’s training, Alix and the now 13-year-old Astek Robina (Holsteiner x Thoroughbred by Ramirez) have had plenty of dressage success over the years, most notably placing at Horse of the Year in Novice, winning the Medium U25 Rider of the Year and the Northland

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Above left: Pictured with her faithful friend, Ruby. Above: The beautiful ASTEK ROBINA. Right hand page: Alix is pictured with Scotty (Chacco Silver)

Dressage Championship at Advanced Medium. However, their most significant achievement has been winning the Senior II class at the World FEI Dressage Challenge last year and placing fourth overall in Oceania. Prinny isn’t the only horse in Alix’s team though, she has five others spread across a range of different disciplines. “Prinny is obviously top dog in the team and is owned by myself and my parents. Scotty is a three-year-old Chacco Silver gelding owned by Kim Campbell and Sandy Stowell. I am currently breaking him in; he will hopefully get me back in the show jumping ring. Next is Charles, an off-the-track Thoroughbred who is unfortunately currently out with an injury. The littlest team member is Tuck, my East Coast-bred pony I am getting ready to sell. Finally, we have Roy, otherwise known as Boing Boing, my Quarterhorse barrel racer owned by Des Church. “Two years ago, I got into barrel racing and found it so much fun. I’m a big adrenaline junky, and it’s fair to say that dressage doesn’t quite give you that rush,” Alix laughs. “When I started barrel racing, I found the adrenaline rush that I used to love when I was out on the cross-country course.”

SCOTTY IS A THREE-YEAR-OLD

CHACCO SILVER G E L D I N G OWNED BY KIM CAMPBELL AND SANDY

CURRENTLY BREAKING HIM IN; H E W I L L STOWELL. I AM

H O P E F U L LY G E T M E B A C K I N T H E

SHOW JUMPING RING.

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THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES WAS

MY FIRST ROLE

I N T H E F I L M I N D U S T R Y, A N D I T WAS

DEFINITELY B E I N G

THROWN IN THE DEEP END! ON

FIRST DAY E V E R O N S E T, I H A D T O RIDE BEHIND

THE SADDLE OF THE

OTHER STUNT DOUBLE A N D G A L L O P A R O U N D T H E H I L L S WITH DRONES A N D C A R S CHASING US.

The opportunity for Alix to begin working on television and film sets first presented itself in 2017 when she was asked to be riding double for one of the lead actresses on the American fantasy series, The Shannara Chronicles. Alix has spent the four years following The Shannara Chronicles working on sets all around New Zealand in the horsehair and makeup, stunt and wrangler teams. “The Shannara Chronicles was my first role in the film industry, and it was definitely being thrown in the deep end! On my first day ever on set, I had to ride behind the saddle of the other stunt double and gallop around the hills with drones and cars chasing us. I was lucky to have the owner of NZ Film Horses as the horse master to make the whole thing not so terrifying, and the uber-experienced Andrew Cottle as the other double, which definitely put my mind at ease. Cricket, the horse, was fantastic too, and it has been a joy to work with him on many different productions. “In 2018, I was contracted to work on the Disney live-action remake of Mulan as a wrangler. However, after a couple of weeks,

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Left hand page: Alix is pictured with the Mulan wrangling crew Bottom image: Pictured with fellow riding doubles from the Shannara Chronicles. Above: Alix standing on ARAKHAN who was her favourite Friesian to work with on Disney’s live-action film, Mulan Right: Alix and ASTEK ROBINA during the prizegiving at the Livamol FEI Dressage World Challenge- Solway Showgrounds. Photo - Libby Law Photography

Jo Baker, the horsehair and makeup artist, asked me to join her team. I learnt a huge amount from Jo; she taught me many different tricks and also how to run the horsehair and makeup department on set. Having the experience with Jo helped me hugely last year when I was asked to be one of the head horsehair and makeup artists alongside Natalie Torrens, and with the guidance of Vinne Ashton, on the Lord of the Rings television series. I am grateful to work with some amazing horse masters, including Adrian Stent, Lyle Edge and Greg Smith. They have made it a job I always love returning to. Even though filming hours can be very exhausting, it is always a joy to work with horses on set.”

While she currently spends most of her time behind the scenes, Alix has been putting in the training to spend more time in front of the camera and is now not only a riding stunt double but has also had her first taste of nonhorsey stunts.

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QUOTE

Above right - Alix riding ASTEK ROBINA at the Dressage & Kiwi

Arena Rakes Premier League Show - Wellington Dressage Group. Solway Showgrounds, Masterton. Photo - Libby Law Photography.

New Zealand television show The Gulf was Alix’s stunt debut in 2020. Thanks to stunt coordinator Steve McQuillan, she was the double for the lead actress. Aiming to carry on with both horse and non-horse stunts, Alix’s future in the film industry looks incredibly exciting. “In the future, I want to continue to grow AC Equestrian with both lessons and schoolers. I love helping people understand more about groundwork and how much it helps your ride. “The biggest thing I’ll be focusing on is my career and getting my stunt work up and going. I love the film industry and the people in it. It’s one of the few places that can bring all the disciplines of riders together to unite under a common goal. Even just on Lord of the Rings, we had western, dressage, show jumping, showing and eventing riders all working together. The only downside of the industry is that due to the huge time commitments involved, it does mean that I might have to sell my gorgeous Astek Robina, which will break my heart. However, money doesn’t grow on trees, and I feel it would be a huge waste for her to sit in the paddock and become a broodmare. She will be a fantastic schoolmaster to teach someone all the tricks, just like Master Legacy did for me!” C

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THE

BIGGEST

THING I’LL BE FOCUSING ON IS

CAREER A N D G E T T I N G M Y STUNT WORK U P A N D G O I N G . I LOVE T H E FILM INDUSTRY AND

THE PEOPLE I N I T.

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staying

RIDER spotlight

grounded WORDS & IMAGES - Caitlin Benzie When Abbey Thompson was 18, she was offered the opportunity of a lifetime; to travel to the UK to work for Tim and Jonelle Price. After four months overseas, Abbey came back inspired, having decided that a professional riding career was what she wanted, with the dream of eventually heading back overseas and competing in the big leagues herself.

bbey, now 23, grew up on a five-acre farmlet just outside the Pukekohe township. After her mum took on a rescue horse, it was here that she first found her love of horses. “Mum wasn’t a rider, but the whole family has a huge love of animals. When I was three, Mum took on a rescue horse, and I then spent the next few years continuously nagging for my own pony. I must have been pretty annoying because they eventually gave in,” laughs Abbey. “For my fifth birthday, I was given riding lessons, and Susie Beal taught me for the next couple of years. I eventually bought my first pony, Bliss, from Susie. Bliss was wonderful at home and great to handle, but when I started attending Pukekohe Pony Club, she would turn into the devil as soon as we arrived. I fell off every week, and when I tried to jump her, I would go flying over her head every time when she slammed on the brakes. At one of my first ribbon days, they gave me champion because when I fell off, I didn’t get mad at my pony! To be fair, I was just well used to falling off at that point; it was just a normal day!” When Abbey was eight, she moved from Bliss to a 12.2hh piebald called Patch, a fabulous pony who was a bit fiery but a fantastic jumper who set Abbey on the eventing path. Patch has since made the rounds with a few other kids, but three years ago, at

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the age of 18, Patch went back to the Thompsons, where she has been teaching Abbey’s niece, Emma, to ride. Abbey’s next ride was Paint By Numbers, who looked like the perfect allrounder on paper when she was purchased. This definitely was not the case, and they quickly found that she wasn’t particularly keen on jumping. “Tilly was an interesting character. I was ten when I got her, and she was the pony that tested whether I was going to keep riding or not. Once we figured out Tilly wasn’t keen on jumping, I started having dressage lessons with Jeanette Benzie. For the first three months, I turned up each week in a back protector – Jeanette must have wondered what the heck was going on,” she laughs. “After a lot of hard work from Jeanette and I, though, we found that Tilly actually quite liked dressage, and she tried to dump me a lot less often from that point. “In 2011, we went to Land Rover Horse of the Year and placed 4th overall in the Level One Dressage Pony of the Year. We also made it onto the Young Rider Talent ID Training Squad.” Abbey made the move to eventing with the purchase of Diego KSNZ from Fraser King when she was 15. Together, she and Diego went from Training level to Abbey’s first 3* (old 2*) in only a year. While they may not have had excessive amounts of ribbons

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Above right: Abbey and CADBURY KSNZ on their way to 3rd at the TWC Springbush Horse Trial in the PCL Group Ltd CCN 95-S B Middle right: DSE SOUTHERN STAR to show for it, for Abbey, the experience was indeed life-changing. “Diego was the horse that taught me how to ride a cross-country course properly. We didn’t win a lot, but I got my first big win at 2* (old 1*) on him and placed at some big events. He’s now retired but is as busy as ever keeping the foals in line!”

Now based at Waerenga in northern Waikato, the Thompsons

have set up a property that many a young equestrian can only dream of. The property has come together over the past five years, with a whole lot of hard work; blood, sweat and tears. Abbey works as a professional rider, taking on schoolers and sales-on-behalf and coaching at home and at the local pony clubs. “When we purchased the land in Waerenga, it was virtually all maize, so it has taken a while to get everything to where we want it. All of the big stuff like the stables and arena are done now, so we’re just working on making it all look prettier. Mum loves gardening and her flowers; unfortunately, so do the rabbits! “I come from a big family, with two brothers, Fraser and Connor, and a sister, Hayley, but I am the only one who rides. They have always been supportive, though, and will often come out and watch me compete. Mum (Fiona) and Dad (Kevin) have always had my back with the horses and are super-involved at all the shows. Dad is great with the studs, and Mum always volunteers with Murray Steele at the start or finish line on the cross-country, which is always a nice way to be sent off on the course. “I really enjoy coaching at the pony clubs; it’s great to be able to give the younger riders a hand as they start their journey. It feels like a full circle – I started my journey at Pukekohe Pony Club, and now I’m helping them begin theirs.” Abbey is currently in the process of rebuilding her team after the loss of one horse and the retirement from eventing of another. She now has a bit of a mixed bag with horses ranging from show jumpers to eventers, and from pre-training to 4* level. “As anyone with horses knows, it’s a tough sport, and there are

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often more lows than highs. Unfortunately, I’ve faced lows like losing an eight-year-old who had just stepped up to 1*. It’s heart-breaking to know that the amazing future ahead was cut short. And recently, I have had to retire my 3* horse from eventing at only 11 years old. However, I’m very grateful to have the rest of my team, and I’m excited about the future. “Rockin It is the top horse at the moment. He’s a 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding by Traditionally. He has competed up to 4* level, most recently taking home 6th at the National Three Day in Taupo in 2021. It was the most challenging and technical course I have ever ridden. Rocky absolutely nailed it and gave me an

I R E A L LY

ENJOY COACHING AT T H E P O N Y C L U B S ; I T ’ S G R E AT T O B E A B L E

TO GIVE THE YOUNGER RIDERS A

HAND AS THEY S TA R T T H E I R J O U R N E Y.

Abbey pictured here with CADBURY KSNZ

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Above: Abbey and DSE Lannister at the Northern Hawkes Bay Horse Trial in the Livamol CCN2*-S Far right: Abbey and ROCKIN IT enjoying fitness training in the paddock

incredible ride, and finishing only a few seconds over the time with no other faults was so exciting. “Next is DSE Southern Star, an 11-year-old Warmblood gelding by Landor S. Al can’t decide whether he wants to be an eventer, but has show jumped to 1.40m, and I’m excited to jump some Pro-Am’s on him this season. “The last of the main team is Cadbury KSNZ, another horse from King Sporthorses. Jack is a six-year-old Warmblood gelding by Campion KSNZ and will be competing at 1* this season. He’s the horse that I’m probably most excited about; I’m looking forward to the next few seasons with him. “I also have a few young off the track thoroughbreds and a few crossbreds, but I haven’t quite decided what to do with them yet.”

Abbey’s plans for the future are huge, but at the moment, she’s

happy with the position she’s in. The short-term goal is to continue building up her team with the purchase of a promising youngster. Alongside that, there are the finishing touches for the property, including a track and a cross-country training space. Long-term, with a great team behind her, who knows what the future will bring. “I have had some amazing coaches through the years. The likes of John Thompson, Jeanette Benzie and Kirsten Kelly were instrumental at the beginning of my eventing career while we were based in Pukekohe. I’m now training with Donna Edwards-Smith for my jumping and Penny Castle for my dressage, helping me continue to progress. I’m also incredibly grateful to have the support of Golden Horsefeeds, Southridge Equine and Oakridge Equestrian. Without them sticking by me in the very strange times we’ve had lately (thank you, COVID!) I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. For now, I’m just trying to follow my dream of competing at the likes of the World Games, Badminton and the Olympics, and fingers crossed, with a lot of hard work, I’ll make it!” C

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F O R N O W, I ’ M

JUST TRYING TO FOLLOW MY DREAM OF

COMPETING AT

THE LIKES OF THE WORLD GAMES, BADMINTON AND

THE OLYMPICS, AND FINGERS CROSSED, WITH A LOT OF

HARD WORK, I’LL MAKE IT!

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HIGH PERFORMANCE highlights

ESNZ HIGH PERFORMANCE

NORTH ISLAND JUMPING SQUAD CAMP

ew Zealand’s top squad show jumpers are thriving in a revamped High Performance Programme that ESNZ hopes will set up more riders to succeed in the future, both on- and offshore. The step-up for the programme is largely thanks to a substantial investment in the sport from Mitch and Kate Plaw, enabling a restructure that better fits the nation’s aspirational showjumpers, providing a pathway for riders who want to represent New Zealand at major championships.

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The first North Island Jumping Squad Camp was held at Takapoto Estate in the New Year and, by all accounts, was a huge success. The camp featured 19 riders from across the New Zealand-based squads – the High Performance Futures, High Performance Potential, Talent Development, and Talent Identification squads. Over the two days, the sessions included strength and conditioning training, psychology, flatwork and jumping training, and vet input. The riders also jumped the second-day course from the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games, choosing to do so at either 1.4m, 1.3m or 1.2m.

WORDS - Diana Dobson IMAGES - Christine Cornege Photography

A HOLISTIC APPROACH

Sophie Scott riding WAITANGI SKYNET

ESNZ High Performance manager Oliver Edgecombe was chuffed to see improvements across the board. “I certainly saw improvements from everyone,” he said. “The camp came out of the Individual Performance Programmes that we do with the High Performance squads. The riders themselves highlighted where they felt they needed help – they wanted flatwork for jumping horses, rideability, and to jump international-type courses on good surfaces with the right help and support from a trainer on hand. They were all interested in the fitness programme and sports psychology.”

Individual Performance Programmes (IPP) are undertaken with all squad riders. While they are reviewed six-monthly, they can be revisited throughout the season. “They are an essential document and critical to the planning around each rider,” says Oliver. “Not only do they show what the rider wants to work on, but also where they consider their strengths and weaknesses to be.” It is the first round of IPPs under the new programme for the nation’s top show jumpers. “This keeps everyone honest, and we will reference it often to

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The whole atmosphere of being in this environment with all the other riders, watching and learning from each other and the coaches, was excellent. Both the gym and sports psychology sessions were highly beneficial. I cannot wait for the next one! - Tyla Hackett

Tyla Hackett - EYE CANDY (owned by Jennie Pike and Marilyn Thompson) 2. Emelia Forsyth - WALLFLOWER

3. Greg Best during the day’s instruction session 4. Brooke Edgecombe - LT HOLST ANDREA 5. Melody Matheson - CORTAFLEX ENYA MH

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2 4 3 make sure riders are on track and achieving their goals.” The two-day camp covered it all. Oliver, along with ESNZ High Performance General Manager Jock Paget, coordinated trainers Sally Steiner, Rio Olympian Clarke Johnstone and Olympic double silver medallist Greg Best, as well as senior performance psychologist Jason Yuill Proctor, HPSNZ strength and conditioning specialist Andrew Keene and Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre vet, Dr Alec Jorgensen. “We really wanted to give our riders something they hadn’t had before. COVID has meant we couldn’t bring in overseas trainers, so doing the Normandy course was a good compromise.” Alec watched the horses working and made quiet suggestions to riders. “It is the first time we have done this, and we wanted it to be beneficial to riders,” said Oliver. “Often, a vet will only hear what the owners say, but this time he could observe what was going on, and riders could talk in confidence to Alec.” One of the bonuses for Oliver was seeing riders working together better as a group as the camp progressed. “They were starting to talk amongst themselves – it was good to see.”

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The fitness programme was a two-and-a-half-hour gym session with Andrew Keene, followed by testing at the end. “I say to riders – and they usually laugh – that if they want to train well, then train yourself how you train your horses,” says Andrew, who has been involved with New Zealand’s eventers for three-and-a-half years. His top goal is for the riders to establish off-horse training as a habit and priority. He equipped those at the camp with exercises that did not need a gym to be rolled out. “If you can make anywhere your gym, then you are more likely to do it. “The camp was about technical upskill with some testing for a bit of a benchmark. For off-horse training, the priority is to be healthy first – eat well, rest well and sleep well. The second thing is to move well.” Sport tends to make the body unbalanced in a very basic way, so Andrew says it’s important to make sure that the body moves well in everyday, normal activities.

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2 It is well documented that the more physically fit a rider is, the better they will perform on a horse. Psychologist Jason Yuill Proctor interviewed Greg Best and Brooke Edgecombe at the dinner. A group session with the riders was then followed by one-on-one sessions for the futures and potential squad members. He is also excited for the future of the new-look programme. “The riders all seem very energised and excited to be part of the new programme,” says Jason. “They haven’t had this level of support in the past, and it’s great to get that started and see them grow to understand how to use that support which will in turn impact on their performance. “With everyone so energised and open, it’s easier for us to do our jobs. I am looking forward to seeing where they go. By the end of the three-year programme, they should have building blocks to go out and deal with whatever challenges they face.” Establishing relationships was also crucial. “We can’t offer the same level of support all over, but we can give them the tools. If we build relationships, they will know who they can turn to to get support. If someone is struggling, they can reach out, and from there, we can find the right people near them to give that essential support.” While Jason has been involved with eventing for some time, pure showjumping is very new for him. “I am working to understand how the disciplines are different and what the psychological challenges are within the sport as a result of those differences,” he said. He feels there is now more of an appetite to understand performance’s mental, psychological side. “People are more aware of their wellbeing, and that is a good thing. You can’t have sustained performance if you aren’t OK – first and foremost is wellbeing.

6 7 1. Brooke Edgecombe’s LT HOLST ANDREA 2. Tegan Fitzsimon - WINDERMERE CAPPACHINO 3. Greg Best instructing Logan Massie riding BRAVADO EGO Z 4. Dylan Bibby - WENROSE VERTIGO 5. Samantha McIntosh - TAKAPOTO YIRRKALA SMOKEY 6. Sally Steiner - CARTOON NZPH 7. Greg Best sharing his words of wisdom with the squads during the course walk SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

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“Equestrian is different from a lot of other sports. There is no rush to success – some of our best athletes have had success later in life, where you couldn’t do that in other sports. This is a longer-term sport, so patience becomes really important. Riders need to keep doing what is working rather than getting lost in the hardship of defeat. People sometimes get lost in expectations of what they think the ideal journey is supposed to look like, and if they don’t measure up, they can lose confidence in their own capabilities. What they do now is about how to be successful later.” High Performance Potential squad member Emelia Forsyth says the camp was perfectly timed, and she got plenty out of it. “It came at a very influential time to get going, to sort things out that I have found out at the odd show I have managed to get to and work through those,” said Emelia. “I really enjoyed the structure of the programme that saw us doing a little flatwork, going on to jump a round, and then having that judged by Greg. We were able to work on things, and it was monumental for me.” She felt that she and her horse Wallflower had improved ‘10 fold’. “It was like a different horse and rider, and it was just about taking some suggestions in and making little improvements.” She loved the team camaraderie, enjoyed the fitness training and has always been interested in sports psychology. “It was interesting

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2 4

to hear different people’s perspectives, and Jason went through how everyone has different ways of dealing with pressure and nerves.” Emelia, who groomed for Bruce Goodin at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018, is excited about the future. “To have that experience (at Tryon) as a junior rider and to see how all those bits and pieces come into play to make the end goal work is amazing. The way New Zealand is going in stepping up and following the rest of the world is awesome.” Sophie Scott, a member of the Talent Development squad, said the highlight for her was jumping the WEG course, and it has left her charged up for the second half of the season. Oliver and Jock will be evaluating where to from here, but they’re sure there is more goodness to come. “We will talk to selectors and riders and then make a plan. We have already done a few down in the South Island for riders there, and I can only see more improvement coming from all angles.” C

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1. Melody Matheson - CORTAFLEX ENYA MH 2.Samantha McIntosh 3. Tegan Fitzsimon - WINDERMERE CAPPUCCINO 4. Logan Massie - BRAVADO EGO Z 5. Sam Carrington - DOUBLE J HURRICANE 6. Gym Session with Andrew Keene 7. Emelia Forsyth 8. Dr Alec Jorgensen BVSc, Cert EP, Dipl ABVP Eq from Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

TRAINING clinic

BUILDING CONNECTION WORDS - Lisa Potter IMAGES - Show Circuit

In this training clinic, we join Grand Prix dressage rider Christine Weal and her student Ashleigh Kendall as they work to develop connection, strength, confidence, and solid foundations in the young dressage horse.

OUR RIDER AND HORSE: Ashleigh Kendall, rides PSL Jahzara (Ruby), a seven-year-old Warmblood mare. Ashleigh, who has competed through to Prix St Georges, started Ruby under saddle. The pair currently compete at Medium level with hopes of continuing through to the FEI levels.

ABOUT THE TRAINER: Christine has represented New Zealand numerous times and twice been National Advanced level champion. She has either won or placed in the NZ Young Dressage Horse Championship whenever she has had a horse compete; has trained multiple Grand Prix level riders, national champions, international representatives; and has invested in her professional coaching and riding skills by spending ten New Zealand winters obtaining international experience and knowledge. Her philosophy is: “Performance focussed training that meets the rider’s goals for achievement. Enabling a harmonious and fun partnership for horse and rider that brings out all available talent from the horse.”

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1. WALK IT OUT:

Christine likes to begin and finish each ride with a short hack around the paddocks. It is important to her that the horses (and riders) start and finish each ride relaxed and happy. It is essential to give the horse enough time to walk at the beginning of each ride to warm up the muscles, ligaments and joints to prevent injury. Studies show at least 10 minutes in the walk is ideal; 20 minutes is even better. If you are short on time, resist the urge to cut down on this part of the warm-up. You are better off condensing the latter part of the ride than the beginning Once in the arena Christine values a structured warm-up allowing the horse some security and understanding of what is expected of them each day. Starting in the walk, Ashleigh guides Ruby through leg-yield, shoulder-in, travers and half pass, checking how she feels and identifying any tightness that might need further attention. It is also a great time for the rider to check her position in the different movements, making sure her legs are on, heels down, rein and leg aids are correct and she is sitting balanced and even in the saddle.

RIDE IT YOURSELF:

After your walk in the paddock and once in the arena give your horse a chance to stretch her neck and body in the free walk. A few laps in each direction to start with is perfect. Slowly pick up the reins and have a conversation with the horse. How does she feel? Is she responsive and alert, or does she feel a bit dull? This is a great time to get a general idea of how your horse feels before

beginning more challenging work. As you shorten the reins, think about pushing your horse sideways and moving her body around more. Come down the quarter-line and leg-yield to the track and then back to the quarter-line. Then you can repeat the exercise from the centreline and across the diagonal, depending on your horse’s stage of training. Try leg-yielding across to the track and then adding shoulder-in when you reach the track. Then you can move onto the travers and half-passes. Ask your horse questions in the walk to set yourself up for success later on. If there is any resistance, then take the time to work through that in the walk. This part of the warm-up is an excellent opportunity to set your horse up for a super training session. Take your time, and don’t rush!

2. GET OUT OF THE SADDLE:

As part of the warm-up, Christine encourages Ashleigh to stand in the stirrups. This not only gives Ruby a chance to warm up over the back without the weight of a rider, but it is also a beneficial exercise to stretch your heels and get your legs on, down and around the horse. It’s an excellent time of the ride to have some fun and get the horse motivated for what is to come.

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3. CONTACT AND CONNECTION

Let your horse move, resist restricting her with too strong a rein. You want her to feel she can move forwards and up to the bridle for maximum relaxation and connection.

HOW TO RIDE IT:

HANDS - In order to achieve the ideal connection, the hands

have to be completely independent. In addition, they need to: n Be supple so the horse wants to carry the bit rather than brace against it. n Be softly closed but ready to give, either forward or downward. n Be well trained, knowing when to release and when to hold the rein for an extra step.

As riders progress through the levels, they become increasingly aware of the importance of “the connection”—that physical link between horse and rider Often, riders get this wrong because they think of connection about being simply about the horse’s mouth. However, it is far more than just what goes on with the mouth, and you can’t fix a connection issue just by putting on a different bridle or changing the bit. It has to come from correct and consistent training of the whole horse, not just the front end. It is essential to pay close attention to the contact and the connection. If the horse isn’t connected over the body or is dropping in and out of the contact, then the rest of the work won’t be good either. As a horse progresses through the levels in dressage, the judges expect more consistency and a correct way of going. A horse lacking connection will hollow or drop the bit in transitions and throughout movements. When the connection and balance is correct, horses stay sound longer and avoid injuries because they use their bodies correctly, without developing compensation patterns to cope with the work. It is also essential to progress at a speed appropriate for your horse and not rush through the levels. It is also important to consider your horses conformation and work the horse accordingly to promote soundness and longevity. Choose exercises that will improve the horse’s strength and balance and work with their weaknesses without overloading them too soon.

What we want to see is activity from behind, the hind legs through to the back, the neck, the poll and then the mouth. A rider can feel with their fingers the activity of the hind legs, through the contact.”

LEGS - The leg aid can be the most difficult of all to refine. The

natural bounce of the horses’ gaits can make it difficult for many riders to achieve a quiet but functional leg. The refined leg has the ability to: n Squeeze with the calf without touching the horse with a spur n Control its positioning at all times n Be completely neutral n Apply an aid at different “volumes” and at different speeds. n The left leg must be able to be separate from the right leg, and the use of the leg must not disrupt the seat.

YOUR SEAT - The seat is the command centre, which gives

messages. The seat is between the horse’s energy-producing hind leg and the hand. It needs to have the ability to: n Follow the motion of the horse’s back. n Influence the way the horse’s energy reaches the hand. That is, it can hold the energy for a moment and create more suspension or it can allow the energy to reach and create bigger strides. n The seat can move quickly or slowly to help the horse understand the rhythm and tempo the rider wants.

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When a horse moves freely forward, it is much easier and more enjoyable.

4. STRAIGHTNESS

Connection and straightness go hand in hand. Without one, you do not have the other. Riders need to maintain an equal contact in both reins; one cannot be stronger or softer than the other. The horse needs to sit equally in both reins, even around corners and circles. You can use the reins independently from each other, for example, the outside rein is typically the half-halting rein, and the inside rein is the giving/patting rein but the feel and weight should always be equal. If one rein is stronger or softer than the other, you need to balance them by using flexion and half halts. The ideal connection will feel like the horse is working from behind, pushing up to the bridle, making a positive pull into the reins. If your arms are feeling strained or pulled, the connection to the bridle is likely too strong. Equally, if there are loops or slackening and tightening of the reins, the horse is also not working positively into the connection. The ideal connection should feel elastic and adjustable. The horse should be following the rein and the contact, you should be able to put the contact where you want and the horse meets it, always staying balanced in the outside rein. You can test your balance and connection by patting the horse with the inside rein, ensuring they are balanced, holding themselves and working up through the wither. The horse needs to bend around the inside leg and not fall onto the inside shoulder. Don’t fall into the trap of turning with the inside rein and forgetting about the outside. This creates an imbalance, and more often than not, the horse ends up falling out the outside shoulder.

In order for the horse to progress through the levels of dressage training, it is essential that she is ‘in front of the rider’s leg’ and working forwards into the bridle.”

5. KEEPING THEM FORWARD AND ACTIVE Forwardness and activity are other essential components of good connection. However, it’s not about speed but rather impulsion. The horse needs to be listening, eager and willing to work, creating a harmonious picture. An excellent way to test if your horse is forward is to ask yourself whether you have to push your horse every stride, or is she going forward willingly? It is also crucial that the horse stays on the hind leg as she moves forward and does not drop onto the forehand and run. The horse should remain balanced and step forward and up off the arena. Think of riding

your horse forward into the bridle rather than pulling the head down and kicking with the leg into a blocked contact. If your horse is curling up and falling on the forehand, she is closing up the space to bring the hind legs forward underneath. Make sure you encourage the horse to open up, so she has somewhere to go. Without true forwardness, it will be difficult to achieve in other areas of your work. If the horse lacks motivation and is dull to the leg, it will be difficult to ask her forward and sideways. All areas of the training will be compromised. It’s crucial that your horse respects your leg and learns to move away from it – if she isn’t listening to your leg aids, it becomes challenging to get her to do anything. However, forwardness shouldn’t be confused with hotness. It’s not just about your horse moving quickly in a forwards direction off your leg. It’s about her moving energetically off your leg in any direction from the hind legs. A rider will always find it easier to sit to a horse who’s forward – if the horse isn’t in front of your aids, everything you do with her will be compromised.

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6. DEALING WITH A HOT HORSE One common mistake riders make when their horse becomes hot is they take their legs off. This is one of the worst things you can do as you create insecurity with your horse. Then when you put your leg back on, you frighten the horse which shoots away from under you. Sit close to your horse and put your legs on down and around them.

A SIMPLE EXERCISE FOR SPICY HORSES Once you can put your leg on, it’s time to make sure your horse is in front of it. n Start a leg-yield or half pass on the diagonal from the corner. n Begin in normal working trot n Slowly build it to finish the line in medium trot. n Keep the rhythm and tempo as your first priorities. Your horse is

not to get quicker, merely bigger in his movement. Using the sideways movement helps regulate that tempo. Some horses go stir crazy from a lack of exercise.

Transitions within the lateral work, so a transition to walk, or within in the gait gets the horse engaging and listening more, in tune with the rider and not just running away from the leg.

7. BUILDING AN UPHILL CANTER Horses naturally carry 60 per cent of their weight on their forehand. It’s always easier to build an uphill way of going with a naturally more uphill horse like Ruby, but don’t fret if you don’t have this. There are ways to build strength and shift the balance to the hind legs making the horse more uphill.

Think of a wave. If you watch a wave form,there is energy pushing from behind, causing the water to come up and around. That is how a horse should move when she is coming over the back, the push from behind up over his back and down his neck.”

USE TRANSITIONS Riding transitions within the pace will help strengthen the hind end. Ruby is still young and a big horse, so she isn’t expected to spend much time in the super-collected canter. She works forward and back within the pace to create strength to carry herself, and over time, the number of strides spent in collected canter increases. Testing your horse in this way is also an effective way of testing adjustability and reactions. Remember when you ask the horse to come back that she stays quick behind. You don’t want her to slow down and take a smaller stride, but instead, keep the revs of the hind leg up and have her jumping through from behind. This will help as you progress through to the higher levels. When you ask for forward, the horse needs to power up and off the ground, not travel long and flat. Always aim for a jump in the canter to ensure the horse is nice and active.

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EXERCISE ONE: n Pick up the canter on a 20-metre circle. n Send the horse forward into a medium canter before

collecting for a few strides. Then reward with a pat on the neck to test the balance and then send on into medium again. n

Repeat and, over time, increase the number of strides in the collected canter as your horse is ready.

In the beginning, one or two collected strides is plenty. You are teaching the horse how to come back without stressing them physically or mentally. Make sure the horse is in front of the leg at that collected pace, you don’t want to be driving it every step they have to learn to go on their own with the same positive energy.

EXERCISE TWO: Canter towards the centre of the arena and

ride a 10-metre circle from the centre, spiralling outwards. Ride that circle in collected canter, evenly through the reins and not over-bending to the inside, before making it bigger by leg-yielding out to 20 metres and moving into a medium canter. This is an excellent opportunity to test the horse’s straightness, suppleness, balance and encourage the hind leg to step under the bridle. You can also try giving your rein forward for a couple of steps and testing the self-carriage.

EXERCISE THREE: Ride a 15-metre circle at the start of the

long side, medium canter straight before making another 10-metre circle in collected or working canter. This exercise is excellent as you can use the circles to bring the horse more onto the hind legs while maintaining your straightness and connection.

15m circle

10m circle

20m circle

10m circle

TOP TIP

Circles are an exceptionally useful training tool and are fundamental to your horse's progression. They allow the rider to assess the horse's responsiveness to the leg, seat, rein, and body positioning aids. They help to slow down an eager horse and control the tempo of the pace.

EXERCISE FIVE: Use counter-canter to shift the horse’s weight

to the hind-legs and build balance and strength. Begin by starting in true canter and riding a five-metre and then a 10-metre loop. Once you have mastered this, try making it more challenging. Make a 10 or 15-metre half-circle and ride back to the track, maintaining counter-canter for a few strides along the long side. Make a trot transition before the corner. You can then work on canter serpentines with no lead change, cantering around the short side. There are many ways to ride the counter-canter with fantastic benefits to your training. REMEMBER: Start easy and then build to keep the horses confidence, don’t make it too hard too soon. Don’t rush, go at their pace.

EXERCISE FOUR: Use travers on the circle or long side to improve balance, suppleness and connection. Bring the horse’s haunches in before straightening and riding forward and up to the bridle. To increase the difficulty, you can also add medium canter transitions forward and back in this exercise.

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8. LATERAL WORK TO IMPROVE QUALITY LEG-YIELD TO CREATES SUPPLENESS!

When training any movement, you don’t need to limit yourself to the questions asked in a test. Instead, use the movements thoughtfully to improve the quality of your training. Leg-yield is a movement where the horse moves forwards and sideways simultaneously while keeping straight throughout the body but slightly flexed away from the direction of travel. So, if the horse moves towards the right, she looks slightly to the left. It is an excellent suppling and engagement exercise that works the whole body. Being soft and supple through the body and neck allows your horse to bend without stiffness and work freely without excess tension through the back and muscles. She can then perform movements and transitions more smoothly and with better balance, leading to strength and muscle development. It will become easier for her to engage her hind end and lift through her shoulders. The movement is a novice lateral exercise ridden at either the walk, trot or canter, along the long side of the arena or across the diagonal. When changing the rein on the diagonal, leg-yielding helps get the horse onto the new outside rein and inside leg and keeps her thinking. It’s an excellent movement for every horse, especially during the warm-up at events, no matter the level. When you practice riding leg-yield, you must give yourself a definite start and finish point. If you don’t have a target point, you’ll end up moving over more quickly on the rein your horse finds easiest, and you won’t even realise anything has changed.

maintain the angle as your horse brings his forehand one step off the track. Keep sufficient contact on both reins to sustain this ‘inside position’, and use a bit of extra inside leg to ask your horse to step sideways along the track. After a few steps, straighten up and continue along the track. Repeat this circle - shoulder-in - straight exercise several times around the arena, then repeat it on the other rein. Ride this exercise in a walk to ensure your horse learns to flex and bend both ways before doing it in trot or canter.

SHOULDER-IN: Shoulder-in is another fantastic exercise that not only comes up in the tests but can be used in walk, trot and canter to improve your horse. It can help the horse collect and become more uphill and is a tool for straightening your horse. Shoulder-in promotes control of the horse’s inside hind-leg, which is critical to the correct execution of several upperlevel movements and is also useful for strengthening and keeping the hind leg stepping under and quick. The movement requires more than just bend, as the horse is required to stretch the inside hind leg a little further sideways than usual, which causes her to lower her inside hip. This movement is ridden on three tracks. The horse should be slightly bent around the rider’s inside leg and should be looking away from the direction of travel. Her inside foreleg passes and crosses in front of her outside leg, while her inside hind-leg is placed in front of her outside leg. The ideal angle of the bend is 30 degrees. The rider should position themselves in the same direction as the horse’s shoulders and look through the ears. So, if you are riding down the long side, look to the centreline.

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SOMETHING A LITTLE HARDER:

TRY IT FOR YOURSELF: Ride a 10-metre circle two or three times at the beginning of a long side in the arena, following the rules above for flexion and bend. Then start another circle, but as soon as your horse takes the first step of the circle, half-halt and

Travel on the three-quarter line in shoulder-in, straighten the horse for six strides, then transition back to shoulderin. Make sure the horse stays balanced throughout. They must remain straight between the shoulder in movements. The goal is to encourage the hindleg to come under the horse’s body, allowing him to lift through the forequarter. Using the three-quarter line is a great test to ensure that the horse is not relying on the side of the arena. The horse must be working off your aids and using himself.

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9. SITTING TROT Sitting trot comes at Elementary level dressage, so to make sure you can execute the tests at a competition well, you need to allow plenty of time in your training to prepare both you and your horse. Please don’t make the mistake of waiting until the day of the show to try it out.

EXERCISE: From rising trot, practice sitting for four or five strides, then go back to rising. By giving yourself the option to rise instead of sitting for the duration of your training, you’ll be more relaxed in sitting trot as you break it down into achievable steps. Aim to sit for longer each time you do it, so when you’re comfortable sitting to four or five strides, move on to sit for six or seven and so on. Build yourself up over time. You don’t have to be sitting the whole time in your first week of trying!

t ro

Sitting trot is an excellent example to understand what it means to go with the horse. Watch a horse trotting, and you

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will see it lift its body weight to change it’s diagonal pair of legs. It also propels its entire body weight forward. Balance is essential with this movement as you must keep your head

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i str e fiv

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sitti

TOP TIP

The key to developing a good sitting trot is learning to move your pelvis correctly. This will enable you to sit relaxed and in balance with a good independent seat. Practice developing your core strength on the ground, and keep mounted practice sessions short so as not to make your horse’s back sore.

over your centre of gravity and your feet to execute it well.

10. HACKING OUT TO FINISH! After a good training session, Ashleigh rewards Ruby with a hack out in the paddock. It’s also great to hack out once or twice a week without schooling to keep your horse fresh and motivated to work. Sometimes you might even have a short ride in the arena and then go out for a canter around the paddock. Keeping your dressage horse happy is vital by having lots of fun and easy work alongside the more demanding training.

BENEFITS OF HACKING: The first physical benefit that you might notice coming from hacking out is that it aids in your horse’s fitness and improves their stamina. This will even vary depending on the trail you choose for your ride, and it’s highly recommended that you do switch your routes around to ensure your horse doesn’t get bored (or even so familiar with the pace that they start to take liberties, such as napping). For instance, choosing to ride on a range of surfaces over the course of one hack can help to improve balance and coordination for you and your horse. Open spaces may also allow you to work on balance at faster gaits, while narrow tracks can improve leg to hand coordination from you as a rider and balance concentration for your horse.

GUIDE TO A GREAT PARTNERSHIP: 1. Take your time to get to know your horse and build a strong

partnership. A massive component of dressage is harmony. The better you understand and work with your horse, the more beautiful the picture becomes.

2. Dressage is about discipline. Make sure your aids are clear and the same each time to avoid confusing your horse. If bad habits arise, it is generally down to the rider letting things slip.

3. Keep the horse interested in you and listening. If the horse is

thinking forward, she will be looking forward and motivated to work.

4. Don’t overdo it. A few good training sessions per week, mixed

with fun days, are more effective than six mediocre schooling sessions. Make it count, and then do something different a couple of days a week. The worst thing you can do is overtrain and make your horse sore and bitter towards you and the work.

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Plan your week

Remember you cannot school every movement every schooling session, so break it up over the week. One day pick something to work on like the trot or lateral work, and then another day, focus more on the canter. This will ensure that the horse doesn’t become overburdened in muscle groups and that training areas are not lost. Here is what a typical week looks like for a horse like Ruby. You can make changes according to your horse. Remember to work with where the horse is at, the plan is tailored differently to each horse. Some days we only work the horse hard for 10 or 15 minutes, especially when it is hot.

TUESDAY

MONDAY

55 minutes

35 minutes

n Hack out in the paddock for 10- 15 minutes before beginning work in the arena. Remember the horses need to start and finish relaxed and happy. Once in the arena begin 10-15 minute walk, warming up with the lateral work and exercises your horse knows how to do. This is a great time to test where any areas of stiffness may be and have the opportunity to work through them before moving up a gear. If it isn’t right in the walk, going faster won’t get any better. Work through the trot and canter, stand up in the stirrups in canter, ride your horse forward and then bring her back to get her sharp, listening, and ready for the work. The warm up routine is the same every day. n 10 mins - depending on your horse’s level, move into some leg-yield, across the diagonal or from the quarter-line or centre line. Test the sideways movement and work through any tightness you might find. Work on improving the trot with transitions and lateral work. n 10 mins - cool off with a nice hack out.

Walking in the paddock and arena as per Monday. This is the same every day. n 10 mins- work through the trot and canter, stand up in the stirrups in canter, ride your horse forward and then bring her back to get her sharp, listening, and ready for the work. n 10 mins - focus on canter work, transitions forward and back on a circle. n 10 mins - add in some lateral exercises. You can ride a shoulder-in, renvers or travers on circle. Get creative! n 10 mins - cool off with a nice hack out. n

THURSDAY

WEDNESDAY

Dressage schooling or lunging with poles

Hack out for 40 minutes

n With a little imagination, hacking can be fun and a useful tool for preparing your horse to succeed on competition day. n Hacking can improve stamina and fitness, as well as providing great mental stimulation for your horse. Many riders don’t realise that, just like you would in the arena, you can tailor your hack out to your horse to target areas that need improvement.

n Same hack out as you did on Monday. Work through the trot and canter, stand up in the stirrups in canter, ride your horse forward and then bring her back to get her sharp, listening, and ready for the work. n 10 mins - work over some poles. Some days do a series of trot poles, and others set them up as canter poles.

10 mins, do some lateral work now that you have your horse hind-leg engaged. n 10 mins - cool off n

with a nice hack out.

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Remember Remember Remember--High Highdressage dressagescores scorescan canbe belost lostfrom fromriding ridingyour yourcircles, circles, serpentines serpentinesand anddiagonals diagonalsbadly. badly.ToToensure ensurethat thatyou youare are getting gettingas asmany manyofofthose thosemarks marksas aspossible possibleyou youshould shouldfocus focus on onriding ridingthe thegeometry geometryofofyour yourtest testcorrectly. correctly.

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the thesame sameevery everyday. day. nn

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IMPROVE IMPROVE YOUR YOUR DRESSAGE DRESSAGE SCORES SCORES WITH WITH THESE THESE 55 TIPS TIPS FROM FROM FEI. FEI.

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SUNDAY SUNDAY

Organise Organiseyour yourtack tackroom roomthen thencatch catchup upwith withfriends! friends! Having Havingaatidy tidyorganised organisedtack tackroom roomwill willsignificantly significantlylower loweryour your stress stresslevels. levels.When Whenyou youare areno nolonger longerspending spendingages agessearching searching boxes boxesand andon onshelves shelvesto tofind findwhat whatyou youneed, need,you youhave havelots lotsof of extra extratime timeto tospend spendwith withyour yourhorse. horse. ItItsaves savesmoney money––knowing knowingwhat whatyou youhave havegot gotand andwhere whereititisis stops stopsyou youfrom fromhaving havingto tobuy buyreplacements replacementsbecause becauseyou youcant cant find findwhat whatyou youare arelooking lookingfor, for,or orfinding findingititisisbroken brokenor orunusable unusable because becauseitithas hasnot notbeen beenstored storedproperly. properly.CC

SHO SHOW WCIRCUIT CIRCUITMAGAZINE MAGAZINE--109 109

Find you

ADVERTORIAL

WORDS - Rebecc IMAGES - Christine Corn

A clever idea to save tyres from into a premium equestrian su with riders around New Zea

hen you want an exceptional surface for your horse, and to feel good about the planet at the same time, Treadlite is the innovative new option for riders of any level. From high-performance through to grassroots riders at Pony Club, this surface is for everyone. Designed by riders for riders, Treadlite is making waves with some of the country’s top riders, who love the recycled rubber surface mix made right here in New Zealand. Elite dressage rider Vanessa Way is sold on the premium Treadlite product and is using it in her arena.

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“This product is the best, and most definitely my product of choice for the horses, and I to train on to perform at the top of our game. It provides an incredible, even surface for the horses to work on,” Vanessa says. “There are so many perks from using this product – reduced concussion on joints through better impact absorption; it maintains a more even spread than traditional sand surfaces; it can be mixed with your existing surface; reduced dust means less respiratory issues – and these are just a few of the benefits.” Treadlite sales manager Tracy Smith ought to know a thing or

ur footing

ca Greaves nege Photography

m landfill and turn them urface is gaining traction aland – and overseas.

two about surfaces - she’s ridden to Grand Prix level in dressage and coached many of the country’s top riders. She thought her arena, which had been in for 20 years, was done, but Treadlite breathed new life into the surface. “I was ready to pull it up, but Treadlite completely changed it – I would call it an absolute premium surface now.” The beauty of Treadlite is the fact that it’s made from a mix of three different elements of recycled rubber tyres – shred, crumb and fibre - and has been trialled by riders from day one to ensure it is perfectly tailored to meet top-level performance needs. Treadlite prides itself on taking care of the whole supply chain,

from picking up tyres to delivering them to their own plant in Cambridge, where they are turned into premium surface mix. They offer delivery and spreading options too. Service is a high priority, and Treadlite aims to make the whole process as simple as possible. The business is saving more than 1.2 million tyres from landfills every year. “It’s good for the environment and solving a problem, too. This is a really innovative business that’s fast-paced and dynamic,” Tracy explains. Such is the popularity of Treadlite that they have already commissioned a new plant and are on the cusp of launching into

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111

“

An arena is not cheap, but vet bills are more expensive and can be heartbreaking. It’s like

sleeping on a good bed; we should put our horses on

“

a good surface, where we do the most work.

CARE FOR THE PLANET: the Australian market, based on the level of enquiries and demand. But Treadlite is not just for arenas. They are now putting the surface into training tracks, race tracks, lunging round pens and walkers at rehabilitation centres, with great success.

Care for your horse and care for the planet at the same time - it’s a win:win. Studies by engineers and council environmental planning reports have also shown that a Treadlite surface does not have a detrimental impact on the environment.

WHAT IS TREADLITE?

The surface consists of between 5-8mm tyre shred, crumb and a third product produced from the fibre of tyres, which gives the surface more bounce. “The fact it’s not one straight chip gives a more dynamic feeling when the horses land on it.” Tyres are collected from multiple points throughout the North Island and brought to the plant in Cambridge. The plant is capable of processing 5,000 tyres a day. From there, the product is bagged and shipped. “We do most of our own shipping. We’re big on customer service and making it easy. We have a team of guys who do the spreading. We’ve streamlined the whole process; it’s basically click and collect.”

BENEFITS OF TREADLITE

Better impact absorption and less wear and tear on hooves: Everyone knows the saying, ‘no hoof, no horse’. The big benefit of Treadlite is easing joint concussion. “All four feet are important, and those feet should be on a premium product.” Those who care about their horses and prolonging their performance life know the importance of taking care of joints, and the surface we ride on is a huge factor in this. “An arena is not cheap, but vet bills are more expensive and can be heartbreaking. It’s like sleeping on a good bed; we should put our horses on a good surface, where we do the most work.”

REDUCES DUST, LESS RAIN AFFECTED AND NO NEED TO IRRIGATE:

Treadlite is the surface for all seasons. Dust reduction is a massive benefit. There is no need to irrigate Treadlite, and in winter, you get fewer puddles than other surfaces.

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Treadlite provides a cushioning that reduces injury The arena mix you will receive arrives in easy applied bags and is premium quality

GOOD FOR YOUR HORSE GOOD FOR THE PLANET! As used by Olympian Clarke Johnstone

Treadlite is excited to offer a new Premium Arena Mix made right here in New Zealand from recycled rubber. The recycling process takes used tyres which would otherwise be disposed of in landfill, stockpiled, illegally dumped or shipped offshore to be burnt. At our plant in Cambridge our triple treated refinery process uses a series of shredders and magnets to produce a consistent evenly sized material that is 99.9% metal free. Why use Treadlite arena mix: • Less wear and tear on horses’ hooves • Reduced concussion on joints through better impact absorption • Lively surface allows horses to get more air above the ground and better take off for jumping • Maintains a more even spread than traditional sand surface • Less affected by rain • Reduced dust means fewer respiratory issues • Can be used alone over base-coarse or spread on top and mixed with existing sand

No. of Bags Arena Length (M)

PREMIUM ARENA MIX

100

Arena Width (M)

Available in recycled Treadlite bags NI - $250 + gst ex Cambridge SI - $300 + gst ex Darfield BEFORE

Contact Tracy Smith on 021 928 231 or Chris Lovelady on 027 206 1737

For more information follow us on Facebook or visit www.treadlite.co.nz

AFTER

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

Seeing a st

TRAINING | JUMPING TRAINING clinic

ABOUT THE TRAINER: Anne-Marie Taylor

specialises in helping all riders prepare for equestrian preparation in dressage, cross-country and show jumping. She realises that confidence is key whatever level you ride at, and enjoys helping all abilities. Troubleshooting is Anne-Marie’s biggest passion: she has a proven record of being able to get to the bottom of an issue with horse and rider and help them through it. Anne-Marie Taylor’s credentials come from being a 25-year professional three day event rider, having ridden at the highest level – including Badminton, Burghley, European and World Championships; having taken her BHS Fellowship, becoming the first woman and first Brit to be awarded an Event Fellowship. She is a list 3A dressage judge and an FEI Grand Jurist, having judged at Badminton Horse Trials.and running various workshops.

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We’ve all seen the brilli

they put their horses on the perf ridiculously high fences with eas to be placing their horse at each “We tend to overcomplicate thi says Anne-Marie. “If you’re ridin horse to the very limits of his ab to pick a good stride if he’s goin cleanly, but for most riders choo necessary. “If you’ve ever seen a horse loo have noticed that the horse neve because horses have a strong sen to jump cleanly – and it’s only w interfering that it all starts to go rider can do is be a neutral influ for seeing a good stride will com

tride

iance of the top show jumpers as

fect stride, enabling them to clear se, but does your average rider need h jump? ings for ourselves and our horses,” ng at the top-level and pushing your bility, then you do need to be able g to have any chance of jumping osing the horse’s stride is simply not

ose schooled over jumps, you’ll er crashes through the fence. This is nse of self-preservation – they want when they have a rider on their back wrong. The best thing an amateur uence, and then over time, an eye me naturally.”

– DOES IT EVEN MATTER?

Before you begin jumping you need to make sure you’re balanced in the saddle

A HINDRANCE OR A HELP?

So what causes a rider to become a hindrance to their horse rather than a help? “Often, problems are caused by the rider taking the horse’s attention off the fence,” explains Anne-Marie. “In my experience, most riders fall into one of two categories, and they’re either hookers or pushers. They’re either pushing their horse out of his rhythm into the fence or holding him back and killing the forward momentum. This interference is generally what causes a horse to make a mistake, or even run out or stop because by being taken out of his natural balance and rhythm, he’s no longer focused on getting over the obstacle in front of him.” Anne-Marie uses a traffic light system to show riders whether they’re a positive, neutral or negative influence. “I would have to say that around 90% of riders are a negative (red) influence at some point when jumping,” Anne-Marie reveals. “Being a neutral (amber)

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When the rider pushes the horse out of his rhythm the canter flattens and the horse is liable to take off too far away from the fence influence is what most leisure riders aim for. Meanwhile, your top show jumpers and eventing riders, who can keep their horses in an even rhythm while placing them perfectly every time, become a positive (green) influence.”

When the rider pulls coming into the fence it encourages the horse to get in too deep

Several factors influence the rider’s ability to be a neutral, rather than negative, force. These are position, balance, aids, influence and confidence. “The first thing I look at when a rider comes to me for help is their balance and ability to influence the canter in both a

Develop the adjustability of your horse’s canter over poles on the ground

IMPROVING THE CANTER Your horse needs to be sufficiently schooled on the flat before you think about jumping. “There’s no point asking a horse to jump too big until he’s obedient to your aids, supple on both reins and has a balanced and adjustable canter,” says Anne-Marie. You can practice the adjustability of the canter over ground poles. Anne-Marie suggests practising over two poles 6m to 9m apart. “If you find you get six and-a-half strides in between the poles when you come through the first time, aim to make it a good, even six strides next time,” she says. “As you get comfortable with making these tiny adjustments to find the correct even stride pattern, you’ll find you’re actually

It’s easier to deal with problems over poles first and then take the corrections into your jumping

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two-point and three-point seat,” she says. “If the rider’s position is insecure when on the flat, they’re undoubtedly going to be a negative influence over jumps, and I would suggest that they work on improving this before progressing any further.

developing an eye for your horse’s stride without even realising it, and once you can adjust your horse’s stride over poles there’s no reason why you can’t do it over fences. Any problems you have approaching a jump will also show up over ground poles. It’s easier to deal with the problem over poles first and then take the corrections into your jumping.” Anne-Marie suggests playing with the striding as your horse becomes more capable. “See if you can get a shorter, bouncier canter and fit seven even strides in between the poles, then stretch it out and go for five. The key is to keep an even rhythm – you don’t want to be making all the adjustment in the final stride,” she says. “Just use your legs and upper body to make tiny alterations – if you’re using your hands you’re doing too much.”

BUILDING CONFIDENCE to me it’s not really that people can’t see the stride they want – they just don’t know what to do about it when they’re wrong. “At this stage, however, I’m not worried about how far away they’re able to spot their stride. I just use the exercise to demonstrate to the rider where their limitations are – and show them how capable their horse is of preserving himself. When the rider does get it wrong, the horse will invariably make a correction to avoid tripping over the pole in exactly the same way we would do when approaching an obstacle. “As well as building confidence this exercise brings out a lot of the rider’s habitual jumping patterns – it’s at this stage that I’ll usually get the first insight into whether a rider is a hooker or pusher,” says Anne-Marie.

“It always amazes me how many people say they have zero ability to judge distances,” says Anne-Marie. “I ask them whether they find themselves frequently tripping over curbs or falling up steps – which, of course, they don’t. I point out that the reason they’re able to negotiate such obstacles is because they can see their stride and make adjustments accordingly. It’s really no different when you’re sitting on a horse. “One of the first exercises I get people to do is count down their horse’s stride when riding over a pole on the ground. I ask them to start by counting down the final stride out loud. Then they come again and count down from two, then three, etc, until they get it wrong,” explains Anne-Marie. “I find riders usually do a lot better than they think they will beforehand. This just proves

Counting strides over a pole builds confidence in your ability – and your horse’s.

KNOW YOUR HORSE’S CANTER When you take your horse out to compete, the distances will usually be set to accommodate a 3.6m canter stride. To get a feel for the canter, your horse needs to cope with riding competition distances; Anne-Marie suggests practising over ground poles.

“Set out five or more poles 3.6m apart,” says Anne-Marie. “Ride over the poles, staying in rhythm and balance, several times until you have a feel for the canter. You can then take out every other pole and practise keeping the same even rhythm coming into, between and riding

away from the poles. “The idea is to adjust the stride pattern of the canter so your horse can clear the poles out of the same rhythmic beat,” explains Anne-Marie. “Once you’re able to do this confidently, you can raise the poles off the ground.”

Practise riding the distances you’ll meet when you go out to compete

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TRAINING | JUMPING

TAKING A FENCE IN YOUR STRIDE Your horse will only ever be a maximum of half a stride away from his ideal take-off point

3.6m HOW WRONG IS WRONG?

When we talk about a horse being on a wrong stride, many riders think of this as being a disaster, but the reality is the horse will instinctively make the adjustment needed, so long as the rider allows him to do so. “What it comes back to is having the confidence to keep cantering in a medium length stride at the fence in a positive rhythm and allowing the horse to do the thinking,”

Ride in a good rhythm, trust your horse, and you’ll achieve the perfect jump

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3.6m says Anne-Marie. “The horse wants to clear the fence – the trick is to be positive, inspire confidence, interfere as little as possible, and let him get on with it. “If you can keep the canter energised, bouncy and moving in a balanced and forward rhythm, you’ll have the perfect base from which to approach any fence. All you have to do is make sure you keep

1.8m

that pace going into, over and beyond the jump and then, whether you meet the fence precisely right or not, and it won’t matter. After all, you can only ever be half a stride out – no more – and a horse can easily make up that distance in the air. When you break it down and think about it logically, it’s not that big an adjustment for the horse to make,” she says.

CONSISTENCY

“Riders come to me wanting to learn to see a stride, but they all go away realising that it’s the canter that’s most important,” says Anne Marie. “As you get more confident – by simply riding positively into a fence and not trying to correct – you will, in time, begin to sense from further back whether you’re going to be right or wrong at the fence. Once you can regularly judge from about four or five strides out that you’re going to be wrong, you’re then – and only then – ready to think about correcting your horse’s stride. “Above all else, however, it’s consistency that counts. If one minute you’re placing your horse at a fence, then the next time you try but get it wrong, and then the next time you decide to leave it to the horse, you’ll severely knock his confidence. “It is possible to develop your ability to see a stride, but you have to have the basics in place first. In the meantime, don’t get hung up on it - if you can’t see a stride, don’t try. “Ride positively, in a good balance and rhythm to fences, and learn to trust your horse,” says Anne-Marie. “Even as you learn how to make a correction, keep it simple – your horse is smarter than you think!” C

INSURANCE YOUR HORSE WOULD ENDORSE.

If your horse could choose an insurer, we’re sure they’d pick FMG. After all, we’re the country’s leading rural insurer, specialising in covering against risks specific to life on the land—like horses, fences and liability. But we also provide great cover for your personal needs like home, contents (including your horse accessories) and vehicles (which includes horse floats). So get in touch with the insurer your horse would give the nod to. Call us on 0800 366 466 or visit fmg.co.nz

We’re here for the good of the country.

New!

The RIF Crystal Helmet has been designed with a wide visor for added sun protection. High impact painting surface with black detailing and a glitter panel gives it a sleek look. The Cavallo Insignis moisture-wicking memory foam lining is removable and Long boots with reinforced washable. Front, top and rear ventilation slots offer airflow outer shell suitable for dressage to keep you cooler. Adjustable size dial to get the or showing. The cuff shown is perfect fit. Approved VG1 Standard. Sizes: S (52-54), snake wave. Other options are M (55-57), L (58-60). Colour: Black. $169.99. available. RRP $1265.00. Saddlery Warehouse store or shop online. www.classicequestrian.co.nz www.saddlerywarehouse.co.nz

Jump Bats from Woof Wear Available in 60, 65 and Junior 50cm length.Featuring TPR Rubber Grip and shock absorbing padded strike area. Woof Wear bats are British Show Jumping compliant. RRP $57.90 and Junior RRP $47.90. From your local Zilco stockist. www.zilco.co.nz

insider’s sho Antarès Lead Rope Antarès lead rope blue and white, with brown leather finishes. $75.00. Available from www.maddoxequestrian.co.nz

Lami-Cell Pro Cooling Therapy Boots These boots keep your horse’s legs cool for up to 40 minutes. Sold as a pair. RRP $159.90. From your local Zilco stockist. www.zilco.co.nz

Prest

comfo blocks $6590 w

Collegiate ComFiTec Sheepskin Bridle Made from European leather with an anatomically shaped headpiece that evenly distributes pressure across the poll for comfort and a U shaped crystal browband. Features shaped padding around the horse’s ear and double padding over the poll area to minimise pressure. The ergonomically designed noseband with sheepskin is shaped to alleviate pressure of the upper jaw and molar teeth. Available in black or brown in cob and full. RRP $239.99. www.collegiatesaddlery.co.nz

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Leovet Po Insect Re

Power Phase even if your of active ing and long-last effect associa pronounced all good reta

l a i t n e ss e WeatherBeeta Cotton Show Sheet II Standard Neck Stylish and durable 100% cotton drill show rug, naturally soft and breathable. Features single buckle front closure, Boa fleece wither protection for comfort, D ring for hood attachment, touch tape tail bag attachment and a tail cord.Available in dark blue/grey/ white in 2’9 to 5’6 RRP $69.99. Also available: Hood RRP $49.99 and Tail Bag $19.99. www.weatherbeeta.co.nz

opping guide

New!

tige Michel Robert

with CPS is the ultimate in ort jumping with deeper supportive seat, larger thigh and the Coccyc Protection System for extra soft seat. with IMB Flock panel. e: info@prestigeequestrian.co.nz or call 0274929226

ower Phaser epellent

er gives seven hours of protection, r horse sweats. An optimised blend gredients guarantees a stay-off effect ting effectiveness. The repellent-loss ated with perspiration is much less d. Size: 550ML. RRP $70.00. From ailers. www.arionefv.co.nz

comfort

Dublin Dakota Boots A casual barn boot with a high-quality Nubuck leather upper and an HBR waterproof and breathable membrane. Features an RCS memory footbed system for rider comfort, Positive traction grip rubber outsole and a Phylon lightweight comfort midsole. Available in brown in ladies 6 to 10. RRP $219.99. www.dublinclothing.co.nz

HYGAIN® SMOOCHIES® Low-sugar heart shaped horse treats to give some extra love to your equine partner. Love at first bite: SUPER TASTY. Deliciously all-natural gourmet flavour: FENUGREEK. Carefully selected wholesome product: NUTRITIOUS. www.hygain.com.au

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HEALTH feature

BACK PAIN WORDS - Cheyenne Nicholson

Back pain is a widespread and performance-limiting problem in horses. The good news is, our awareness of back pain and the issues it can create has increased and with it, our ability to manage it more quickly and effectively. “I definitely see a lot more horses presented to our clinic now for back pain than I used to, but I don’t think that’s because there is an increased incidence of it. It’s probably because we are actively looking for it and more aware of how important back health is for optimal performance,” says Dr Kylie Huxford. Strength and muscle tone are very important for back health, especially core strength related to the deep stabilising epaxial spinal muscles (multifidus) and abdominal muscles. Many horses can perform very well despite having back pathology. “ I have seen four-star event horses that have significant kissing spines (impingement of the dorsal spinous processes) out there doing their job well. Issues can arise when these horses change owners, and the rider style, saddle fit, training style and strengthening regimes change. This is why interpreting the significance and risks of back pathology on pre-purchase examinations becomes very complicated.”

ANATOMY The three primary functions of the vertebral column are to protect the spinal cord and associated nerve roots, provide support for weightbearing and soft tissue attachments, and maintain movement for flexibility and locomotion. Individual vertebrae are connected by a complex system of ligaments and musculotendinous structures that provide stability and support the vertebral column’s movement. Each vertebra consists of a vertebral body, vertebral arch, and vertebral processes that vary according to each region’s structural and functional demands. Fibrocartilaginous intervertebral disks connect adjacent vertebral bodies together. These aid in shock absorption and maintaining vertebral flexibility.

OUR EXPERT: Kylie Huxford BVSc, MANZCVS, MVetStud, MVetClinStud, Dipl.ACVSMR Kylie graduated from Massey University in 2008 and completed a 12-month internship at Agnes Banks Equine Clinic in Sydney, followed by four years as a stud vet in the Hunter Valley. She then completed a three year residency at Sydney University with a focus on lameness and diagnostic imaging. Kylie is an American Boarded registered specialist in Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation at Cambridge Equine Hospital.

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I definitely see a lot more back pain now than I used to, but I don’t think that’s because there is an increased incidence of it. It’s probably because we are actively looking for it because we are more aware of how important back health is,” says Dr Kylie Huxford.

4. 1. Cervical vertebrae: There are seven cervical vertebrae that start behind the poll and run through the middle of the neck to the shoulder region. They are supported from above by the strong nuchal ligament. 2. Thoracic vertebrae: There are usually 18 thoracic vertebrae that start at the withers and connect to the ribcage. You can feel the bony projections (dorsal spinous processes) at the top of the horse’s back. The thoracic vertebrae’s greatest flexion and extension (dorsoventral motion) occurs in the most caudal vertebrae. The supraspinous ligament runs along the top of the thoracolumbar dorsal spinous processes, and the individual interspinous ligaments are located between, connecting adjacent dorsal spinous processes and stabilising the spine. 3.Lumbar vertebrae: There are usually six lumbar vertebrae that run on from the thoracic vertebrae. This region has limited rotation, and the main movements are flexionextension. The lumbar vertebrae have elongated, horizontally flattened transverse processes that provide attachment sites for large paraspinal muscles and the ventral psoas muscle group. The lumbar region is common for back pain and muscle spasms, especially secondary to an underlying hindlimb lameness.

4. Sacrum: The sacrum is made up of five fused vertebrae. The dorsal spinous processes in the lumbar vertebrae face forwards towards the head, but the sacrum faces the tail. This creates a V shape where they meet, known as the lumbosacral junction. The largest dorsoventral (flexion-extension) motion in the equine thoracolumbar vertebrae occurs at this junction. Pathology in this region can lead to altered function and performance. The bilateral sacroiliac joints are where the sacrum articulates with the ilium of the pelvis. It’s a complex area and is supported by the strong sacroiliac ligaments. The dorsal and lateral sacroiliac ligaments are located on top of the pelvis and connect the tuber sacrale to the sacrum. The interosseous sacroiliac ligaments are the most robust and are located deeper, spanning the space between the ventral wing of the ilium and dorsal wing of the sacrum. They function as a sling to support the entire mass of the hind trunk. The sacroiliac joints and ligaments aid in locomotion via the transfer of hind limb propulsive forces to the vertebral column, and problems can often stem from this region. 5. Caudal (tail) vertebrae:

Between 15 and 21 caudal vertebrae run to the end of the dock. The spinal cord stops after the sacrum, but muscle and ligament continue to the end of the dock. This means the tail can reveal problems with a horse’s back. For example, a horse clamping the tail down or holding it to the side may have back issues.

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SYMPTOMS OF BACK PAIN A bit like with humans, back pain in horses can make itself known in a variety of ways. Some horses can be stoic and will continue to perform well despite being in pain. On the flip side, a horse with minor back issues can exhibit a lot of pain and horses can also behave and perform poorly without underlying back problems. Getting to know your horses’ ‘normal’ is important. So spend time grooming them and running your hands over them to get used to their normal reactions to spot when some things are off. Some horses have thin, sensitive skin, so they react differently to a horse who doesn’t. Remember, it’s also normal for a horse to dip

CAUSES OF BACK PAIN There are many opinions between veterinarians, physiotherapists, chiropractors, horse owners, and trainers as to what causes back pain in horses, which often complicates its diagnosis. Opinions also often vary as to whether a horse is genuinely suffering from pain or just behaving poorly. Causes of back pain can be broken down into primary and secondary causes. In addition, lack of ability, bad temperament, lack of fitness, incorrect tack fit and dental problems can also contribute.

Saddle fit: Poor saddle fit or excessive pressure is a common cause of back pain in horses, from minor bruising and pain to marked muscle atrophy. The use of additional saddle pads is often a sign of a poorly fitting saddle. Often, these pads can cause a step defect and concentrate forces at the edge of the pad, causing pain. “In New Zealand, I’d say that a poorly fitted saddle accounts for a lot of back issues, and it’s always the first place I start when assessing horses.” Kissing spines (overriding or impinged dorsal spinous processes): In a horse with kissing spines, the dorsal spinous processes of the vertebrae are too close together and impinge or override on each other. The most common site is between T13 to T18 of the thoracic vertebrae. Horses can have kissing spines with no apparent clinical signs or associated pain, complicating its diagnosis and significance. Osteoarthritis of the articular facet joints: Most commonly located at the thoracolumbar junction and causes loss of joint motion and changes in the joint structure. It is a common primary source of back pain in horses. Strained muscles and ligaments: Muscles and ligaments may be strained if a horse stumbles or from sudden movement. They may also become sore and inflamed due to the horse not using itself properly or moving differently, secondary to pathology or injury elsewhere. The longissimus muscle that runs along the top of the back on each side of the thoracolumbar spine is a common site of pain. Sprain and, in particular, desmitis of the sacroiliac ligaments commonly occurs in conjunction with hindlimb lameness due to hock pain. Vertebral fractures: Dorsal spinous process fractures of the withers are usually caused by falling over backwards. Vertebral stress fractures are incomplete fractures that may progress to complete and can occur in athletic horses undergoing strenuous and repetitive exercise, such as racehorses.

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down when you run your hands over its back. Horses with severe back pain are often quite stiff and guarded and have reduced movement through the back.

Signs of back pain: n Reduced performance n Pain on palpation of the back and stiffness n Not using themselves properly from behind n Behaviour issues like bucking or rearing n Dislike being tacked up n Stiffness n Reluctance to canter on one lead or switching leads n Rigid tail or tendency to hold it to one side

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT In terms of diagnosing back pain, this part can be tricky. Because horses are so large and there are many potential sites of interest with back pain, it can often be challenging to pinpoint the exact cause. “For the most part, we can identify underlying pathology like kissing spine and arthritic changes through x-ray, ultrasound and more advanced imaging such as nuclear scintigraphy. However, we are limited in our diagnostic tools due to the large size of horses and lack of advanced imaging like MRI and CT, which means there is a lot about a horse’s back that we simply don’t know.” When presented with a horse with signs of back pain, Kylie first addresses the issue of saddle fit. A physical assessment of the back, checking for areas of pain or muscle tension, degree of flexion and extension, and a lameness assessment to check for underlying predisposing factors is next, along with ruling out back pathology. Then it’s a matter of breaking the pain cycle and increasing strength, function and stability.

Breaking the pain cycle After making a diagnosis, it’s important to treat the pain regions. Chronic pain in horses creates a wind-up in the nerves, causing them to become hypersensitive, creating a vicious pain cycle. “One of the core treatments for back pain is controlling pain and muscle spasms. We have to do this to get the horse moving normally again and then work on increasing core strength to provide stability to the spine and help reduce future pain. Medicating the area locally with corticosteroids or systemic oral anti-inflammatories like bute can be used. Medication of the individual regions of impinging dorsal spinous processes or articular facet joints can be done under ultrasound guidance. Recently the competition withhold times on these medications has increased dramatically, which does complicate things.” Shockwave therapy can help relieve pain in the thoracolumbar epaxial muscles (those running along either side of the spine), gluteal muscles, dorsal spinous process or sacroiliac region. Acupuncture and high-intensity laser therapy are other good options. “Contrary to what some believe, in horses, chiropractic adjustment does not actually correct misalignments of the spine but can be a useful conjunctive treatment if done correctly. “Ongoing physiotherapy is really important, and I recommend clients form a relationship with an experienced physiotherapist in their region.

Increasing strength, function and stability. Once your horse’s pain is under control, the next step in the treatment process is strengthening the core stabilising muscles of the spine. “A strong core stabilises the spine, which can help control pain even with underlying pathology like kissing spine or arthritis of the facet joints. “When horses are in pain, our immediate go-to is to rest them, but in some cases, that’s not the best course to take. Where it’s acute severe pain, then yes, definitely. But sometimes turning them out and doing nothing with them is going to have the opposite effect.”

Carrot stretches enhance the vertebral joint range of motion, build core strength and improve flexibility. Using a carrot, the horse is lured through three different motions including rounding (flexion), hollowing (extension) and side to side (lateral) bending. Dynamic mobilisation: Core strengthening exercises like carrot stretches, sternal lift, and lumbosacral tucks help to strengthen a horse’s core and the important spinal stabilising muscle (multifidus). They also help stretch and mobilise specific regions of the spine. Gymnastics: Exercises such as raised trotting poles, backing, and circling can further enhance your horse’s strengthening programme. Performing these exercises a minimum of three times a week for two months in conjunction with dynamic mobilisation exercises is required before we can expect to see increases in core strength and muscle size. You can also add things like elastic resistance bands and Pessoa lunging aids to help further. Trotting poles are a great way to build muscle on the top-line to assist with back pain.

Aqua therapy: Water treadmills can be useful with back injuries, helping to increase muscle strength, improve proprioception and reduce concussive forces on the joints, but be careful of water levels. If water levels are too high, it can exacerbate pain as it increases the movement too much, and they overuse themselves.

People often think swimming is a great option for horses with back pain, but it can actually do more harm for a horse with thoracolumbar pain because it puts the horse’s spine in an abnormal position, which actually places more strain on it,” Kylie cautions. Surgery: For kissing spines, surgery is an option and has a good success rate in many cases. A new method for this surgery (interspinous ligament desmotomy) is less invasive and involves cutting the ligament and nerve between the impinged dorsal spinous rather than actually fully resecting them.

PREVENTION IS KEY As with all animal health concerns, prevention is best. While it’s not always possible, there are a few things owners can tick off to minimise the risk. Correctly fitted saddle: Saddle fit is important for so many parts of a horse’s life (and their rider as saddle fit can impact rider back pain as well). Getting a qualified saddle fitter out at regular intervals is important for your horse’s comfort. “Horses can change shape a lot over the year depending on their workload, weight and other reasons. Often people use saddle pads to correct a poorly fitted saddle, but this can have negative impacts by putting focal pressure on points of the back. Rider balance plays a role here too. An unbalanced or heavy rider can exacerbate an ill-fitting saddle.” Keeping horses out in a paddock, moving around and limiting their time confined to a stable can really help with both acute and chronic back pain. A horse just having its head down, grazing, or eating its hard feed from the ground naturally stretches the spine and associated soft tissue structures.

A good warm-up: This starts on the ground. Give your horse a decent groom and rub down to get to know their ‘normal’ and increase the blood flow to their muscles. A good warm-up will look different for each horse but should include some stretching on a long rein before and after a ride to help loosen muscles and allow ample time to warm up before jumping into rigorous work. Bodywork: Treating your horse to regular bodywork sessions with a qualified physiotherapist, massage therapist, or other professional can help keep on top of small niggles and complaints a horse might get during their work. Focus on core work and proprioceptive exercises:

From carrot stretches to pole work, increasing a horse’s core strength and encouraging them to work their bodies correctly decreases the chances of pain developing. “Back pain is such a huge, diverse topic, and there is still so much we don’t know about the back. Taking notice of the small changes in your horse and working closely with a saddle fitter, vet and physiotherapist will help keep your horses back in tip-top shape.” C

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HEALTH feature WORDS - Cheyenne Nicholson

The stifle is a complicated joint, and swelling and lameness can be subtle and difficult to diagnose. Pinpointing the particular part of the stifle that’s affected is critical for implementing the correct therapy and maximising recovery.

OUR EXPERT: Kylie Huxford BVSc, MANZCVS, MVetStud, MVetClinStud, Dipl.ACVSMR Kylie graduated from Massey University in 2008 and completed a 12-month internship at Agnes Banks Equine Clinic in Sydney, followed by four years as a stud vet in the Hunter Valley. She then completed a three-year residency at Sydney University, focusing on lameness and diagnostic imaging. Kylie is an American Board registered specialist in Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation at Cambridge Equine Hospital.

Unusual gaits and an unwillingness to canter can be a sign of stifle injury

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Health articles this issue: Femur

Patella Lateral patellar ligament

Medial patellar ligament Middle patellar ligament

Lateral condyle of femur The stifle is a complex hinge joint in the upper hind limb of the horse and the largest joint in the horse’s body. Equivalent to the human knee, the stifle joint is the key to smooth locomotion, transferring energy seamlessly from the large hind-end muscles to the long, lower-limb bones. The stifle helps propel horses across the turf, over obstacles and around tight corners. So, not surprisingly, with such huge forces centred on the area, injury to the stifle can profoundly affect performance and quality of life.

Medial condyle of femur

Lateral collateral ligament

Medial collateral ligament Fibula Tibial tuberosity

Position of the stifle joint

Tibia

to the tibia and, along with the collateral ligaments, are responsible for stabilising the joint. Damage to any of the bone or soft tissue structures within the stifle can result in lameness to varying degrees, all with differing prognostic outcomes depending on the severity and location of the injury.

STIFLE PROBLEMS ANATOMY Three main bones and a complex arrangement of soft tissue structures comprise three separate compartments that make up the stifle joints. The bones include the femur, tibia and patella. The patella runs in a groove on the femur to give an accurate linear pull from the quadriceps muscle. The three patella ligaments attach the distal patella to the tibia. These structures all comprise the femoropatellar joint on the front of the stifle. The femur and tibia are separated by lateral and medial menisci, which are made up of fibrocartilage and act as shock absorbers. These structures are located within the medial and lateral femorotibial joints. In most horses, the medial femorotibial joint communicates with the femoropatellar joint, whereas the lateral femerotibial joint usually remains separate from the other two joints. The cranial and caudal cruciate ligaments attach the femur

“The most common stifle issue I see is osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), a developmental disorder that affects the joints, including the stifle. Then you have soft tissue injuries usually caused from a traumatic incident putting abnormal forces on the joint, such as slipping or turning sharply. Lastly, you have traumatic direct impact injuries such as catching the stifle on a solid jump or being kicked.” says Dr Kylie Huxford. When we think of traumatic stifle injuries, we often jump to the worst-case scenario; fractures. Femur and tibia fractures are relatively uncommon, whereas fractures of the patella are more likely due to the size and location of the bone. One of the most common injuries of the soft tissue structures is to the medial menisci. Although less common, injury to the joint’s cruciate and collateral ligaments also occurs. Often multiple soft tissue structures can be injured at the same time during a single traumatic event. Degenerative stifle issues are often due to osteoarthritis, which can become a secondary problem on the back of OCD or traumatic stifle injuries. For example, if you have an injury to the cranial cruciate ligament, this causes significant instability and inflammation of the joint, which leads to arthritic changes.

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Lateral (left) and caudal oblique (right) x-rays of a stifle showing a large OCD lesion (white arrows) in the lateral trochlear ridge of the femur and severe effusion of the femoropatella joint (red arrow head).

OSTEOCHONDRITIS DISSECANS (OCD) OCD is a common developmental disease of young horses affecting the cartilage and underlying bone of horses’ joints. It is caused by a defect in cartilage development and a failure of the bone underlying the smooth articular cartilage inside the joints (subchondral bone) to form properly. The weakness results in cracking and fissure formation in the articular cartilage when the young horse (weanling or yearling) takes weight on its joints during exercise. Flaps and fragments of cartilage and subchondral bone cysts can develop. These lesions most frequently appear in the medial femoral condyle (subchondral bone cyst) and lateral trochlear ridge (cartilage flaps) but can occur in other sites.

These loose cartilage flaps or subchondral bone cysts cause inflammation within the joint and, over time left untreated, may lead to the development of arthritis. “The main indicator for OCD tends to be effusion (swelling) of the joint in young horses. The condition may or may not be accompanied by lameness, depending on the severity or location of the lesion. The condition is often bilateral. “Like many diseases, there seem to be multiple factors at play when it comes to predisposing factors of OCD. It is thought that it has a genetic component, and we certainly see it more in fast-growing big yearlings. Other factors include high energy diets, trauma and excessive exercise.”

Caudocranial x-ray of a stifle showing a large subchondral bone cyst (dashed lines) in the medial condyle of the femur communicating with the medial femorotibial joint

SIGNS OF STIFLE INJURY n Effusion (swelling) of joint n Hindlimb lameness n Positive upper limb flexion n Muscular atrophy, gluteal or quadriceps n Short anterior phase of the stride n Low foot carriage/toe drag n Resistant to canter or maintain the

correct lead

n Reduced performance

Note: majority do not localise to stifle.

LOCKING PATELLA (UPWARD FIXATION OF THE PATELLA) The patella is a small bone that is the anatomic equal of the human kneecap—sitting just above the stifle joint where the horse’s femur and tibia meet. The medial patellar ligament has the important function of hooking over the notch at the end of the femur when the horse is standing still. This stabilises the stifle and allows the standing or snoozing horse to bear weight on the hind legs without muscular effort – pretty handy! Normally, the ligament slides out of the notch when the horse swings its leg forward as it begins to walk. If the ligament gets hung up and doesn’t slip into an unlocked position, the hind leg can’t be flexed forward, and the horse has to drag the stiffened limb forward for a few steps before the ligament releases. This is called a locking patella. Think of it as trying to drive a car with the handbrake on. If the ligament doesn’t release by itself, stepping the horse backwards for a few steps can often help. “A locking patella isn’t an injury and doesn’t tend to cause lameness either, but it is something to be aware of when thinking about the stifle region. It’s not limited to one breed or type of horse, but we do see it more in horses that have very upright conformation in the hindlimbs with overly straight angles of the

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True swelling of the stifle area can be associated with a variety of underlying problems, from traumatic injury to OCD to infection. hock and stifle joints.” Very mild cases may not always show signs of classic locking and may be as subtle as the horse having trouble picking up or maintaining a correct canter lead. It is often seen in young, weak horses when they are first brought back into work, and a conditioning programme that includes hill work can help improve the condition. “Building up the quadriceps muscles is important because the patella ligaments in the front of the stifle are linked to these muscles. Corrective shoeing, blistering or surgically splitting the medial patella ligament can all help”.

Radiography of the stifle requires more than one vet to perform and is an important step in the diagnostic workup of equine stifle problems.

DIAGNOSIS

significant swelling, it can often be difficult to isolate whether a hind limb lameness is due to pain in the foot, fetlock, hock or stifle regions. They can all look quite similar; hence nerve blocks are often used during the diagnostic process. Once localised, to pinpoint the exact cause, nature and severity of the injury, x-rays, ultrasounds and arthroscopic surgery are the go-to for vets. “For horses we suspect as having OCD, an X-ray is the best way to confirm. We can generally get a good picture of the joints and see the lesions easily.” Diagnosing soft tissue injuries isn’t quite as straightforward due to the bulky muscles surrounding the horse’s stifle, the size of the joint and the close complex anatomy. While a large portion of the meniscus can be seen via ultrasound, it’s difficult to image all the soft tissue structures, especially the cruciate ligaments located central to the joint. “Often to get a definite diagnosis when it comes to soft tissue injuries, the best diagnostic tool we have is arthroscopic surgery, which involves anaesthetising the horse and popping a camera inside the joint, and actually taking a look. This also allows for treatment, as we can tidy up

Initial assessment of a horse usually includes a thorough lameness exam, including history, palpation and flexion tests. Diagnostic anaesthesia (i.e. nerve blocks or injecting a local anaesthetic into the joint to confirm the suspected source of lameness) is also part of the diagnostic toolbox. Unless there are significant localising signs such as any tears and fragments by debriding while we are in there.”

TREATMENT OPTIONS Like the causes of stifle issues, the treatment options are many. What options to go with depends on the type and severity of the issue and will often revolve around getting on top of inflammation and pain. The best starting point for any treatment journey is complete rest until a full diagnosis is achieved to avoid further aggravation.

OCD TREATMENT There are two main approaches to treating OCD. Firstly, through conservative management, including a course of injections to help reduce inflammation in the joint accompanied by box rest and adjustment of the diet. “The other option is the surgical route, e.g. going in and debriding and removing the loose cartilage fragments within the joint. This option generally has a good prognosis for OCD lesions on the trochlear ridges of the femur, depending on the size of the lesion. For subchondral bone cysts located in the medial femoral condyle of the femur, a transcondylar screw placed can promote bone formation and healing of the cyst. “Injecting or packing the cyst with bone marrow aspirate or injecting corticosteroids can also assist in healing. In general, subchondral bone cysts have a poorer prognosis because they are much more unpredictable in terms of response to treatment and healing. Often, they can cause ongoing lameness.

1. Proven anti-inflammatory therapies such as Triamcinolone, a short acting corticosteroid (that may be used with Hyaluronic Acid) or Arthramid. 2. Local infiltration of biologics such as IRAP (interleukin reception antagonist protein) or stem cells that aid in ligament repair. Complementary therapies: Physiotherapy has an important role to play. Underwater treadmills can be useful for maintaining limb function whilst reducing concussive impact. However, the water level is important and used incorrectly can exacerbate the issue. Therapeutic shoeing is also an option. “With underwater treadmills, you have to be really careful about the water height as too much water can put the limb at an even worse angle and exacerbate the issue, but done correctly, it can be a great therapy.”

TREATING OTHER STIFLE INJURIES

RISK FACTORS AND PROGNOSIS

Management and treatment will depend on the exact nature of the injury. For example, femur and tibia fractures are frequently fatal, whereas a fractured patella may be repaired. “Because of a horse’s size, we are a bit limited in what we can do surgically. For example, when a dog injures their cruciate ligament, you can surgically treat that with a good success rate. Horse’s aren’t as easy, so often we are limited to systemic treatments and other local therapies.” Systemic treatments: are limited to NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Maintenance drugs include Pentosan, intravenous hyaluronic acid or oral joint supplements such as Epiitalis 4-cyte. Accompanied by a conservative rehabilitation programme, this can be an attractive option for horses with low injury severity.

Stifle injuries are among the most undesired because the joint is large and often has limited treatment options. Many horses with stifle injuries and developmental disorders have difficulty returning to performance life and may develop long-term side effects, including osteoarthritis. “Stifle injuries are often just a case of bad luck. While it could be argued that certain disciplines and types of horses could be more prone to injury, such as cutting or reining horses whose job involves lots of stops and quick turns. “Being careful about wet, slippery conditions is just common sense, as is avoiding arenas with soft, deep surfaces. The main take-home message is that diagnosing stifle issues can be complicated, and if your horse is feeling off, the best place to start is calling your vet and getting them looked over. C

Intra-articular joint treatment: These are along two main paths;

TOP TIP

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HEALTH mindset

BOUNCING BACK from setbacks

Research has shown that responding positively to setbacks, obstacles, and failures is part of the journey for any successful athlete. Not a single accomplished person in any field hasn’t had to overcome adversity and push forward through it at some point in their life and career. It’s especially tough in our current world to train and prepare, not knowing if shows will go ahead when we are dealing with the uncertainty of show cancellations as the pandemic rages on. Of course, adversity doesn’t feel good and bouncing back requires grit, determination, and resolve. So, how do we embrace the highs and lows and use them to our advantage? Read on for some tips on how to bounce forward through adversity and supercharge your mindset.

OUR EXPERT

Ashleigh Kendall mentors riders through her business, Empowered Mind. As a mental skills coach, qualified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner and an advanced dressage rider, she offers a multifaceted approach to guide riders towards reaching their goals.

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1. SETBACKS ARE A PART OF LEARNING

As any athlete who has pushed on through to the pinnacles of sport will tell you, adversity and failure provide critical opportunities for learning and growth. While it doesn’t feel nice to go through, some of our biggest lessons come from our worst days. Simply put, you don’t have the same learning experiences if you are always on top and winning. Winning always tends to make us more susceptible to poor resilience when it finally doesn’t go our way. Athletes who have never had to push through are more prone to giving up before their time as they have never learnt how valuable these learning opportunities are. We are also more likely to learn when we have made mistakes, and they push us to better ourselves and work through any weaknesses. We learn to step into our growth zone, and as a result, we become better for it. No matter the outcome or result on competition day, we learn that we will be okay, and we develop confidence from that. When the day does go our way, we are better equipped to seize the opportunity to win. People with lower resilience are more inhibited and more afraid to push themselves. They fear failure rather than embracing the opportunities that come through continuously evolving and growing in the process. Athletes who can embrace the day, however it happens, tend to do better, not only because they have an incredible bounce-back ability but also because they are less likely to rest on their laurels when they have been successful. They are the ones that are back in the arena on Monday after a show, win or lose, and pushing forward to the next.

“

Failure is merely a stepping stone to success - Arianna Huffington

2. VISUALISATION

It is widely accepted among psychologists and sports coaches that usually, the mind lets us down or quits before our bodies do. That is why visualisation is so important, especially in tough times. Developing strong visualisation skills is a tremendous asset to your mental tool kit. Not only will you be able to set yourself up for success before even setting foot in a stirrup, but also you will be able to coach yourself positively when things go pear-shaped. Being able to perform a mental rehearsal before performance offers enormous advantages, helping you stay in the present moment rather than spiralling into worst-case scenarios, clouding your judgment,

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Find somewhere quiet where you can sit uninterrupted for five or 10 minutes. n Close your eyes and visualise riding through a dressage test or jumping a show jumping round in your mind. n Think about how it feels, how you are riding, and how your horse is going. Visualise your best-ever round, riding each stride and noticing how great it all comes together in your mind. What adjustments are you making to guide your horse as you go through it? How is your horse responding? Let yourself be fully immersed in the experience. n Open your eyes and give yourself a moment to readjust before continuing with your day. Hold onto the feelings of confidence of your mental rehearsal as you take that forward into your riding. Remember, this is a skill to develop. It isn’t easy right away but stick with the exercise and work on it daily to reap the rewards.

3. POSITIVE SELF TALK

The power of positive thinking influences our performance and quality of life more than most people realise. Not to be mistaken for toxic positivity, positive thinking and self-talk are the ability to coach yourself through uncomfortable situations without letting yourself get down. When things go wrong, do you tend to spin into a negative narrative in your mind, or do you talk yourself through it in a positive way? Do you become self-defeatist, or do you pick yourself up, brush yourself off and get back to it? Think of some powerful affirmations that resonate with you and hold onto them when you feel yourself spinning negative narratives. Remember, the skills you learn through your visualisation can also help you with this.

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4. NEVER GIVE UP

There are the rare few in the world that try something new and are naturally talented and amazing right off. These people exist, but talent exists far beyond what most consider. It isn’t limited to having an incredible natural feel or the ability to sit on any horse but also extends to your grit, work ethic and commitment to show up and allow yourself to grow. Many people think Olympic athletes are there because they are talented, but in many instances, they are there because they are the people who refused to give up no matter how many times they failed on the way. It is a fairytale to think that those at the top are solely there on talent. Talent is just a tiny component of the greater picture. It is determination and resilience that separates the best from the rest. These people are dedicated and consistent in their approach whether winning or losing. They live with courage, constantly pushing themselves into their growth zone and are passionate about what they do. They know that they will reach their goals with the proper training, time, and commitment, so they continue to show up no matter what. They don’t rely on motivation. They count on discipline that they have nurtured throughout their journey.

5. BUILD A SUPPORT NETWORK

While equestrian sports can be very individual, building a team of supportive people around you is crucial to longevity in the sport and to bounce back from setbacks. These people need to be understanding as well as positive. Try to avoid negative and highly critical people, as they will only bring you down when you are going through tough times. Instead, pick people who can help you see the good in even the worst situations and will listen to your struggles as well as your victories. Communicate with others, share your thoughts and process. Receive feedback and listen to their stories. There is a lot to learn from others, and a problem shared is a problem halved. Often when we hear ourselves talk, we are able to understand and process our thoughts better; we find it easier to cope, and we become more efficient problem solvers. When you build your network, don’t be afraid to be selective. Find a trainer who is honest and pushes you to do better without bringing you down and being punitive all the time. If your trainer erodes your confidence, it is time to find someone new. Surround yourself with people who will listen to your dreams and aspirations and work with you to find a way to make them happen. That way, when the inevitable happens and adversity strikes, you will find it much easier to lean on your support network and take it in your stride. Your bounce-back is much easier with good people around you. These people are your biggest ch

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It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up – Babe Ruth.

6. LEARN TO REFLECT

After a training session or show, take time to sit down and reflect on what went well. What were your goals, and how did you meet them? If you didn’t meet them, what other areas were good, or what did you learn? Remember to focus on this with your positive attitude and not punitive selftalk. Once you have reflected on the good parts of the performance, then take a moment to focus on what you are going to work on going forward. Again, this is positive and works to foster growth and learning, so keep your self-talk positive. Even on the worst days, you have always learned something good. Identify that and hold onto it. Use it to motivate you forward. Resist dwelling on the negative. You have to learn how to forgive yourself and move on.

7. CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Extend your mindset practice into your whole life. A positive mindset and good mental health don’t have to start and stop in the arena. Challenge yourself to take this approach to everything that happens in life. The more you can embody this way of thinking, the more authentic it becomes until it is second nature to bounce back as challenges arise. Having a robust strategy in your mental tool kit is essential to empower yourself to strive even through the very worst of times.t on discipline that they have nurtured throughout their journey.

8. TAKEAWAY NOTES

You can maintain your confidence by controlling what you can control: You can control your effort. You can learn from your past. You can look to improve your technique. You can let go of the past. You can focus on what is in front of you. You can focus on your strengths, talents and successes. You can choose a positive attitude.

Whatever the results you get, grow from it and move on to the next one – Dabo Swinney.

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The Wintec saddles you know and love...

JUST GOT BETTER! comfort d e v o r p m i d new saddleurs traunsted favourites! on yo

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Wintec 500 All Purpose

Combining hard-wearing materials with best-in-class technology, the new range of Wintec saddles has something for every discipline, conformation and budget. Try a saddle today and put Wintec to the test… The saddle is pictured with the Wintec Changeable Stirrup Keeper in Blue for illustrative purposes only, available to purchase separately.

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