Show Circuit Magazine - August/September 2018 by Show Circuit Magazine

A VISIT DOWN UNDER FROM BENNET CONN | RIDER FITNESS WITH NICOLA SMITH

SHOWCIRCUIT

NEW ZEALAND’S ULTIMATE EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE

LISA CUBITT

Style in the Fast Lane

BUILDING THE

DREAM

Christine

ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO RETAIL SHOPPING

WEAL BEND & FLEX

P HORSE

HEALTH

Top Riding TIPS

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Spring WFORorHORSE kout& RIDER s STUDS & STALLIONS ISSUE ONE 2018

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JUMPING EXERCISES WITH LUCY OLPHERT

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WELCOME FROM MY DESK

Recently I stumbled on this quote (below) and thought about how well it related to this current issue.

‘Dreams and dedication are a powerful combination.’ William Longwood

Over the cold and wet winter months, my writers and photographers have covered a lot of territory and have met some fabulous equestrians along the way. Some of them you will read about in this issue, and others we will save for the future, but we have certainly all been busy planning for the season coming up and refreshing Show Circuit. We will continue to roll out some changes in the new season, including enhancing our editorial content and refining our social media presence. I don't know if it was our enthusiasm that took over in this issue or the amazing inspiration that we get from our equestrians, but the selection of whom we could fit into the allotted editorial pages was very difficult! We are spoilt for choice with so many talented and inspiring riders in our equestrian community. Let’s start with Lisa Cubitt, whom I consider as one of New Zealand’s best-kept secrets. On the international platform for New Zealand in Rome she made us proud, and showed us just how much talent and bravery she had when she was called up at the last minute to ride as part of the New Zealand show jumping team – it was a thrill to watch. We hope you enjoy our interview with her on page 14. Equally, Bridget Berry (aka Birdy, née Hansen) has been doing a great job in Australia. We caught up with Birdy recently and found out all about her wedding and her plans for the next season, brought to you on page 20. We have been extremely lucky to have the acclaimed international rider and trainer Ben Conn return to Aotearoa this winter. Ben maintains strong links with this country (and a passionate pool of pupils) from the time he spent here in the past. His travels since then and his vision for the future are over on page 50. Over the winter months, most of us have less time to ride and spend with our equine partners on top of everyday life that pulls us in a million directions – our careers, travel (hopefully somewhere warm!) and our families. But inevitably we always find our way back to what we love most, our horses. I think winter is the season for invigorating ourselves and for re-imagining what is possible. I love this time of the year, nothing like getting organised!

Sheryll Davies, Publisher

COVER IMAGE Christine Weal & SCHLINDERS LISZT

Photo Show Circuit Magazine

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EDITOR

Pip Hume pip@showcircuit.co.nz

SENIOR WRITER Rebecca Harper

WRITERS Diana Dobson Laura Hunt Nicola Smith Pip Hume Rachael Sutton

SUB EDITING

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DESIGN

Sheryll Davies

PHOTOGRAPHERS Cheleken Photography Cornege Photography Dark Horse Photography EquusPix Photography Eye Witness Photography Kampic.com OZShots Photography

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ABOUT SHOWCIRCUIT

Our magazine is published bi-monthly. 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. © SHOWCIRCUIT Magazine 2018 All rights reserved.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

IN THIS ISSUE AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2018

OUR PEOPLE

14 20 26 30 34 38 42 46 50 54 56 60 64

TRAINING 74 84 90

Lucy Olphert | Show Jumping Christine Weal | Bend & Flex Tips from Top Trainers

IN EACH ISSUE

12 68 92 109 110

Top Shot Insider's Shopping Guide New Products Subscribe Boots & Belts

HEALTH 94 98 102 104 108

Mānuka Honey Arthritis | Know How Care of the Older Horse Rider Fitness Recipe

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TOP SHOTS Jonelle Price - FAERIE DIANIMO, 2018 Luhmühlen CCI4* winners. Let’s hear it for the girls! PHOTOS Massimo Argenziano

INTERVIEW

Lisa Cubitt

BUILDING THE D R E A M

Lisa Cubitt has ridden many of the highs and lows of show jumping, but her career highlight came recently after a last-minute call-up to ride on New Zealand’s Nations Cup team in Rome. The whole experience was a dream come true for Lisa and has stoked the fire in her belly to pursue all avenues for future success – not just for herself, but for other Kiwi riders who dream of following in her footsteps, footing it with the best in the world. Diana Dobson caught up with Lisa after Rome.

Lisa & ENCORE competing at Piazza di Siena, where they placed an impressive 10th in the 1.45m accumulator

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PHOTOS EquusPix Photography

Lisa & RLE LEGOLAND competing at Piazza di Siena

how jumper Lisa Cubitt is a trainer, a rider and a mum. She is known for always having a smile on her face – win, lose or draw – and a kind word for other people. These days Lisa, along with her Irish husband Sean and their son Finn, is based in the UK, but she’s adamant that her roots remain firmly in New Zealand. It was their overseas location that saw her called into the New Zealand Nations Cup team for the CSIO5* in Rome in May, ticking off a bucket list goal for Lisa and affirming her resolve to one day wear the silver fern at the highest possible level. “I would absolutely love to ride at a World Championships or Olympic Games, and we will continue trying to create opportunities to one day get there,” she says. Becoming a mum has added another layer to her busy life, but it’s the one she rates as her most significant achievement. “Parenthood changes everything,” Lisa admits. “Finn is getting closer to school age now, so we need to seriously think about where the best place is for us to be. We absolutely love New Zealand and living anywhere else for me is always temporary, but we also need to go wherever the opportunity for business takes us.”

NZ has talent, needs direction This brings another issue to the table. “The sport horse industry in New Zealand is still difficult to run a successful sustainable business from,” Lisa says. “I hope that when we come home from these experiences overseas, we can use our knowledge to help with future development, not just of horses, but especially of riders in New Zealand. Sean and I are both passionate about the sport and training. I believe this is a direction we will end up going in, as I would love to be involved with rider development.” Lisa sees a “massive hole” in New Zealand show jumping

“I WOULD

ABSOLUTELY LOVE

TO RIDE AT A WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIPS OR OLYMPIC GAMES, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TRYING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES

TO ONE DAY GET THERE.” and believes that can often riders get lost, with little to no guidance on how to progress with a future in the sport. “I believe there is a place for a mentoring system for identified talent – and not just in riding lessons or training. Something needs to be done, or else soon there won’t be any New Zealand riders left in Europe or the USA,” she points out. “The same people have been here for 20-odd years, and we desperately need more opportunities for riders coming through.” She is hugely thankful for the opportunities she got when finding her own way, and particularly for the time she spent with her Nations Cup teammate Samantha McIntosh. Lisa took a gap year after she finished school and headed to Germany, where she spent several months as a working pupil for Sam.

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“JUMPING IN THE PIAZZA DI SIENA WAS SURREAL AND I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THE EXPERIENCE.” “It was one of the most formative experiences of my life. Sam is incredible, and I learnt so much from her,” Lisa recalls. “It was my first proper taste of what life in Europe with horses is like – the good, the bad and the ugly.” She is very keen to establish a solid team back in New Zealand but knows they can’t do it alone. “It needs to be a collaborative effort between us, owners and breeders, all aiming to produce good horses for the future,” she says. “We are constantly proving ourselves but we need backing, and it would be nice not to have to go away all the time.”

First foray into riding Lisa has never had to look far for inspiration. Her parents Robyn and Andy Coupe have always been there for her – mum Robyn competes at Prix St Georges level in dressage, and dad Andy, while completely non-horsey, is Lisa’s number one supporter. “I have been so incredibly fortunate with the support I get from my amazing parents. I have dragged them through the highs and lows alongside me, and I could never repay them for their unwavering belief in me, whatever the situation.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Robyn who introduced Lisa to horses. “Planet was my first proper pony off the lead rein – I would have been five, and he was about a million years old, very white and furry,” she recalls. “He was just the best! Mum would set up bending races and games, and we had such fun. He was the ultimate first pony, and I learnt to walk, trot, canter, how to tack him up and groom him…I can remember standing in the paddock amongst a sea of white fur when he was moulting!” Planet originally came from Ana and Tors Rattray via the Bramley family, and he went on to Lucy Olphert after Lisa. Lisa still remembers winning her first ribbons on him, although she suspects that they were just consolation ribbons because she was so little and Planet was so cute!

Seriously competitive Lisa’s younger years were certainly filled with plenty of action, loads of fun and some success. “Those were seriously competitive years,” she says. At just 13, she jumped in her first Young Rider class aboard the Thoroughbred mare Leinster, who came from Des Lowe and Craig Sullivan. It was at the World Cup show at Ti Papa, and she finished second in what was just their second show together. “It was a huge thrill! I went on with her to jump more Young Riders and Grand Prix classes, and had my first start in Lady Rider of the Year when I was 14.”

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Another of her horses from that era was a $400 racetrack reject called Final Ice, who she bought as a three-year-old. He went on to be successful in Young Rider classes and was the overall winner of the FEI World Challenge in 2001. Through that, Lisa was invited to compete in Hagen, Germany, at the PSI World Challenge Final, gaining her first taste of European competition. When she was 15, Lisa bought Jemima Puddleduck, who carried her all the way to Grand Prix and World Cup level, and on whom she made her first senior New Zealand team. “I learnt so much from her. She was tricky and sensitive, but with a huge heart and an amazing jump. I do wonder what might have been if I’d had her later on in my career,” she admits. Bush Magic was another star and the epitome of a great Gisborne-bred horse. Lisa bought him as a four-year-old from Bruce and Michelle Wakeling, but he had come originally from Billy Maaka. Together, Bush Magic and Lisa won just about everything up to 1.50m. “I rode a lot of good horses in that time and built up a great team of Grand Prix horses,” she says, recalling other successful horses such as Damarusa, Kiwi Cash and Forest II. Lisa, Katie Laurie (nee McVean), Anna Trent and Jamie Beatson had some fantastic rivalry over those years, and she says they shaped each other into who they are today.

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Lisa & RLE CAMORRA DES NONAINS Z competing at Azelhof, Lier, Belgium

Through tough times After that came the first of several rebuilding phases. “I had some bad luck, losing a few lovely young horses through injury,” Lisa recalls. “I sold Bush Magic and bought a couple of two-yearolds, Amaretto MVNZ and Amarula MVNZ.” She sold Amarula as a four-year-old, and he went on to be very successful with Juliet Scott, before winning the Young Rider of the Year with Keean Cooper. Lisa kept Amaretto for 11 years and enjoyed plenty of success with him, including one of her two Lady Rider of the Year crowns. Over the years she has produced and ridden more than 15 horses at Grand Prix level in New Zealand and has won many a top class and championship. But there has been plenty of drama along the way – like the year she was leading the World Cup Series until the final when her hackamore broke mid-round; or the time that Forest II ran straight past the last jump in the Lady Rider of the Year jump-off. “He was actually on track to clock up the first win of his career at that stage – at 15 years old!” Growing up, as much as she loved her horses, Lisa knew she needed a backup plan. On returning from her stint with Samantha McIntosh, she hit the books and completed a Bachelor of Business Studies through Massey University. She also made it most of the way through a post-grad Diploma in Sports Management but hasn’t quite ticked that one off yet.

A dream come true No stranger to international competition, Lisa has ridden in many Young Rider teams over the years and competed six times at senior level in Tri-Nations and Trans-Tasman competitions. “Receiving those phone calls is always exciting, but the call-up for Rome was a bit different,” she recalls. “I had only been in England and riding the horse for a few weeks. Jumping a Nations Cup at a 5* in Rome is something you always dream about but usually, in your dream, you have been campaigning to get there, you know your horse, and you are (hopefully) prepared, ready and waiting for the call! The New Zealand team were a

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combination down due to injury, so I got the call up. It was a bit of a risk for everyone involved as the horse was unproven at that level, although he was jumping well and feeling very brave.” There were a good few days of discussion in the Cubitt camp before it was decided that RLE Legoland would make the trip to Rome. Lisa also took Encore – a nine-year-old mare she had never even ridden – along for the ride.

“I KNOW LAURENCE WILL BE

KEEPING AN EYE ON ME FROM ABOVE – HIS PASSING

WAS SUCH A LOSS

THE EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY.” “Being at the show and jumping in the Piazza di Siena was surreal, and I will be forever grateful for the experience,” says Lisa. Her 10th place in the 1.45m accumulator with Encore was a real highlight of the trip. “It was a great feeling to know I can hold my own against the best in the world in that situation – something you never really know until you have the opportunity to prove it.”

Solid as a rock It also proved to Lisa that she had arrived in the sport of show jumping. “So much of this sport and industry is a mental challenge, and that is something I have really battled over the years,” she admits. “It has taken a long time to find a place in the sport where I am comfortable and confident.” She credits much of that to Sean. “He is incredible. It if wasn’t for him, I don’t know what I would be doing. In all honesty, I may have given up by now or pursued something different. It is an extremely difficult time in your riding career once those Young

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Lisa & Encore winning the 3*** 1.35m at Knokke Hippique in Belgium.

INCREDIBLE. IF IT WASN’T FOR HIM, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD BE DOING. IN ALL HONESTY, I MAY HAVE GIVEN UP.” “SEAN IS

Rider years are done, and the support is gone, but Sean’s brain never stops. He is always working to find the next opportunity, and his belief in me is unsurpassed.” Together, they have created Team Cubitt Sporthorses Ltd. When they are in New Zealand, they focus on coaching riders, training and schooling horses, horse sales and competing. “Sean is the chief trainer, sales, operations and logistics manager, number one supporter, personal psychologist, a wonderful dad to Finn and my best friend. We have big goals, and sometimes the path to them may seem a little blurry, but we are definitely finding that if you keep on grafting, you make your own luck.”

The Simple Life Lisa has ten horses in work at their new base with River Lodge Equestrian in East Sussex, England, while Natalie Rowles keeps everything ticking over for them at their Cambridge property in New Zealand. Lisa’s long-term plan remains simple. “I just want to live a happy, balanced, fulfilled life with good friends, family, food, and wine…and become successful enough to be able to afford to do so!” Her success has seen her gather a

strong team of sponsors around her, including Renaissance Saddles, through Prestige Italia/Prestige Equestrian Ltd (NZ). “Laurence O’Toole brought me onto his team of sponsored riders in New Zealand last season and chose me, along with Clarke Johnstone, to ride in the new Renaissance saddle. We had just come back from Europe, and I had zero horsepower at the time, but he believed in me, and I will always appreciate him and Steph for that. I know Laurence will be keeping an eye on me from above – his passing was such a loss to the equestrian community.” She is also sponsored by Dynavyte NZ, who are integral in supporting their horses’ management, health and well-being, and Tucci boots have been on-board for the past three years. Sean and Lisa also give plenty back to the sport themselves, sponsoring riders in New Zealand and working with them offshore. They currently have young Kiwi show jumpers Greta van den Brink and Elmo Jackson based with them at River Lodge. “I like to check up on all the kids overseas to make sure they are going okay,” Lisa says. “It can be a lonely place when you are so far from home.” C

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INTERVIEW

Bridget Berry Flying H igh

Bridget Berry, universally known as Birdy, didn’t have the wildly horsey childhood one might imagine for the daughter of Warwick and Juliet Hansen, owners of the very successful New Zealand Performance Horses. However, once she caught the horsey bug, there was no holding her back. The soft-spoken yet determined newly-wed now runs her own successful show jumping stable in Australia. 20

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PHOTO LEFT OZ Shot Photography

WORDS Diana Dobson WEDDING PHOTOS Eva Bradley Photography

I started riding without telling Mum and Dad as I thought they would say no. Dad came down to find me riding and pretended to be horrified, but secretly he was stoked.

irdy Berry may come from blue-blooded show jumping lines, but her first foray into equestrian sport happened in secret. She barely rode as a child, despite her father Warwick Hansen being a top competitive Grand Prix show jumper, and her mother Juliet also being very accomplished in the saddle. Birdy’s journey only began when a new stock manager arrived at the family’s Haupouri Station in Hawke’s Bay with his horse-mad step-daughter. She quickly became Birdy’s best mate, and it didn’t take long for the determined 12-year-old to figure out that she needed to start riding. “I convinced Fiona (Gillies) to help get my pony in and give me some lessons on the lunge line,” remembers Birdy. “I did all this without telling Mum and Dad as I thought they would say no. Dad came down to find me riding and pretended to be horrified…but secretly he was stoked.”

No stopping her now

That inauspicious start seems a far cry from where Birdy is today. The 25-year-old is now a professional rider, based in Australia with her husband Jono, and competes regularly at World Cup level. “Dad is quite ambitious, so once he took over the job as my head coach, things happened pretty quickly. I could barely rise to the trot but we started jumping, and then I discovered hunting. Next thing we were out jumping spars and full wire fences!” Birdy’s parents are co-owners of New Zealand Performance Horses, one of the nation’s most established and respected sport horse breeding operations. NZPH produces world class jumpers on their stunning coastal farm in Hawke’s Bay, importing the best international semen for the broodmare herd that they’ve carefully nurtured and built up over the past 25 years. The track record is impressive, with 13 NZPH-bred horses winning World Birdy Berry BOSSANOVA NZPH Cup qualifiers, and have also been during the Bronze represented at the World Final. Tour First Qualifier These days Birdy is getting more and at Aquis Champions more involved with the business, Tour in Australia and her success in Australia is fed by the New Zealand operation.

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PHOTO OZ Shot Photography

I went from living at home with my parents and going to an all-girls private school to a different country where I didn’t know anyone and had to fend for myself.

Super special World Cup win

It was a thrilling victory for Birdy when she won the New Zealand FEI World Cup Series opener in Hawke’s Bay aboard Turn it Blue NZPH. “My grandmother Gargar was there watching, which was really special for me,” says Birdy. “She is someone I am really close to but she doesn’t often get to see me jump, so I was thrilled to have her there. It was nice to win that class for Mum and Dad too, as they have put so much into the sport, especially in Hawke’s Bay.” Birdy left school in 2010 and headed to Australia to ride. Aussie show jumper Billy Raymont had been over here riding for NZPH, and when he went home at the end of the New Zealand season with Nicalette NZPH and Levitation NZPH in tow, Birdy went too. “I knew I had so much to learn and was prepared to work hard, so I somehow convinced Dad to let me go with three horses.” But it wasn’t quite the dream experience that she had hoped for. “It was tough and certainly well out of my comfort zone. I went from living at home with my parents and going to an allgirls private school to living in a different country where I didn’t know anyone and had to fend for myself.” But the charismatic Billy helped to make sure that it turned into a positive experience. “He was awesome, and it turned into the best six months of my life,” Birdy says. “I learnt so much – not only about riding and competing, but about life too. It wasn’t as

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Birdy Berry TURN IT BLUE NZPH during the Silver Tour Final at Aquis Champions Tour in Australia

glamorous as it sounds – we travelled the country going from show to show, living out of the truck – but if you want to learn the fundamentals of our sport, you can’t beat working with one of the best operators around.” Homesickness was an issue and there were many days where Birdy contemplated heading back to the comforts of home, but she stuck it out and is now well-established across the Tasman.

Developing the dream team

Birdy and her Australian husband Jono Berry are based on a 60acre property in Castlereagh, 45 minutes west of Sydney. The farm belongs to Deirdre Hartog, a long-time supporter of Jono and his horses, and the current owner of two of his rides, Blue Steele NZPH and Billionaire NZPH. “It’s really well set up here,” says Birdy. “We have a barn with eight stables, cross-ties with hot and cold washes, a sand jumping arena which we use for everyday schooling, a trotting track, and a grass arena which is Jono’s pride and joy.” The grass arena has a full set of show jumps and is used mostly for show preparation, although Birdy admits to sneaking in for a little flat work when she figures her own horses need a change of scenery. With just 14 horses on the property, it’s quieter than

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It was just what we wanted – at home, on the farm, which is one of the most beautiful places on earth. what Birdy is used to, but she’s not complaining. Toulon NZPH is currently the top horse in Birdy’s team. “I don’t know if I will ever find another horse like him – while he’s not the most conventional jumper, he has scope to burn and always gives 110%. I trust him completely and he makes me feel like anything is possible.” She also has Turn it Blue NZPH, Bossanova NZPH and newcomer Dakota NZPH. She’s picking Bossanova to be the one to watch for the future. “He’s a big 17.2hh seven-year-old by Jokus Latour, and he’s scopey, athletic and really genuine. I’m excited for what the future holds with him.” Her favourite of all time has to be Nicalette – or Big Bessie, as she was known to her mates. “She achieved so much throughout her career, winning so many classes and always exceeding expectations. She was my first World Cup horse, but also the pony I never had. She had a heart of gold, was a fierce competitor and took such good care of me. She also gave me Shakespeare NZPH, who is a saint. I can’t thank her enough.”

For the love of horses

Birdy has always been extremely determined – it seems to be a family trait. “I am driven to always be better. When I look back at when I started riding, I struggled for years, but never contemplated giving up. If anything, it just made me want to be better. I’m a strong believer that hard work can often outweigh natural ability.” While she is more involved in the competition side of NZPH, she does chat with breeding manager Adele White when she can and says it has been a natural progression for her to become more involved with the business. “I’m lucky that Jono shares my love of our horses and our beautiful Hawke’s Bay farm, so you never know – maybe one day we will be back there, giving it a go!” It was at Haupouri Station that Jono and Birdy got married in

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January. “It was just what we wanted – at home, on the farm, which is one of the most beautiful places on earth. We wanted something small and intimate, and it was exactly that.” While Jono is a very competitive rider, he also holds down a fulltime job as a project manager for a civil construction company. That means much of the day-to-day horse care falls to Birdy, as well as organising the truck and getting them to events. It makes for a pressure cooker environment that needs to be carefully balanced. “I think it is really important to take time out when you can and just do normal things, even if it is as simple as going out for breakfast on your day off,” she says.

Inspired by the best

Birdy’s greatest inspiration comes from her mum, Juliet. “She is someone I have looked up to my whole life, and continues to inspire me every day. She is so strong and resilient, and has an amazing work ethic. If I can be half the wife, mother and woman she is, then I’ll be happy.” On the professional front, Birdy looks to Samantha McIntosh for inspiration. “She is one of the best female riders in the world. She works very hard, is extremely professional and always so humble. New Zealand is lucky to have her.” C

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KATE TOBIN

INTERVIEW

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“

I think it’s important to have something apart from horses – another string to your bow...

“

A move over the hill from Wellington to Wairarapa has given dressage rider Catherine “Kate” Tobin space to grow her equestrian operation and continue the development of her exciting dressage team.

hile by car it’s little more than an hour from the dormitory suburbs of the Hutt Valley to the rural service town of Masterton, the two centres are poles apart. Previously based on her parents’ six-acre lifestyle block in Upper Hutt, Kate Tobin’s relocation to the Wairarapa means dressage competitions on the all-weather surface at the historic Solway Showgrounds are just five minutes away, so she no longer has to travel her horses over the challenging Remutaka Hill Road. “I really enjoy heading back to Wellington to teach and catch up with family and friends, but living just outside of Masterton is so much more convenient for access to equestrian services,” Kate says. “The equine vet and farrier I’ve used for years are Wairarapa-based and used to travel to me; now I’m literally just up the road for them. There are just a couple of my young horses still at Mum and Dad’s now.” The property Kate leases is well set up for her business, with a 60x40m arena, a breaking yard, a 900-metre track, eight modern loose boxes and grazing fenced for horses.

It’s a full-on lifestyle, and with schoolers and breakers coming and going, the horses on the property can change almost from day-to-day. “All of my own competition horses are boxed, so in the mornings I start with them, then I ride my clients’ horses – at the moment I’ve got one schooler and one breaker – and in the afternoons and often on weekends I teach, which I really enjoy. My clients range from eventers to dressage riders. Helping people to train their horses to reach their potential is one of my favourite aspects.” Kate’s philosophy around training and riding is summed up in her desire to produce horses that are happy in their way of going and know their job, so that anyone can get on and ride them. She sees the fads and tools that are popular from time to time, but she says that at the end of the day you only have your legs and your hands. “It’s a big thing to be able to train all the way to Grand Prix in a way that doesn’t use any tool that you can’t use in the competition arena, because if you rely on anything else you set yourself up for failure. I don’t take shortcuts in my training.”

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“We are breeding better and better horses in New Zealand, and riding better and better. We’re on the right track here to produce horses that will do well internationally.”

An equestrian career

As a child, Kate always wanted a pony. She began riding lessons at seven years old, and her parents promised that if she was still keen when she was ten, she could have a pony – a promise they then had to follow through on. As a child, Kate did the ‘normal’ Pony Club activities, including low-level eventing, although she was never very keen on jumping. “I never had any desire to be a jumping rider,” she admits. “My jumping is only passable, and I won’t be representing New Zealand in that any time soon! It’s not my talent, although I do like to pop the dressage horses over a jump sometimes.” Even as a youngster, Kate’s main interest was dressage, and this passion was ignited when she purchased Ricard, an ArabWarmblood cross, while on holiday with her family in Australia. “I saw Ricard in Horse Deals magazine when we were in Australia on holiday. He was about an hour from where we were, and I had to borrow some breeches and boots when we went to see him. He was built totally upside down, but I fell in love with him and we brought him back to New Zealand. He was a true schoolmaster, and taught me a lot,” she says. “I did Pony Club Dressage Champs on him, and also my first CDIY.” At the end of Kate’s secondary schooling, she decided to take a gap year and headed across the ditch to Benn Conn’s yard in Australia as a working pupil. “The plan was to come home after a year and study Law and Science at Victoria University, but somehow that time frame got extended and I ended up staying for a bit longer. In the end, instead of studying law, I did a Bachelor of Agri-Science (Equine) degree through Massey. “I think it’s important to have something apart from horses – another string to your bow. Studying has also been good discipline

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and my degree has given me an understanding of business and budgeting – aspects that equestrians sometimes tend to overlook!” When Kate went over to Benn Conn’s, she was able to take her horse Rivendell Romeo (Ben) with her. In the first year, everything went well and Kate was able to compete, including at several CDIYs and the Queensland State Championships. Then Ben was injured on the truck and was out of action for three months. Without her own horse to compete, Kate decided that it was time to return to New Zealand. Back home, Ben made a good recovery and was able to get back into the competition arena, helping Kate to the Young Rider of the Year title in 2013, as well as the Level 7 National Championship. Those big wins gave her the impetus to continue with her riding career.

Kate’s horses

While in Australia, Kate had purchased the young Hanoverian stallion I Like It (Ikey). Kate explains, “When I was with Benn I learnt a lot about handling horses and stallions in particular, but I found travelling and competing a stallion in New Zealand to be hard work, especially when I was travelling him away to collect. You don’t realise how easy geldings are (and I don’t mind mares either) until you have a stallion! “It was such a relief when he was gelded, and it took the pressure right off. I wouldn’t say I will never have another competition stallion, but I would have to have a team with staff to consider it!” Now competing at Grand Prix level, Kate says Ikey has struggled a little with the collected work, but as he becomes more established, he’s improving all the time.

She is also currently competing Bradgate Riot Act (Riley) and Bradgate DeRegent (Diego). “Benn saw both Riley and Diego at Bradgate Stud in New South Wales. He particularly liked Diego, and since the pair had been together from weaning, I decided to buy them both. “They are so completely different! They are almost opposites to ride. Diego is by De Niro, and he’s adorable, but he’s hot and spicy. He’s got a few quirks and an amazing canter! I’ve taken my time with him; he will probably compete at Level 5 over the coming season. “Riley (by Rotspon) has gone up the grades quite quickly and will compete at Level 8. He has a real talent for the piaffe/passage and finds everything easy.” In the young horse paddock, Kate has a five-year-old gelding by Hilkens Denali out of a Thoroughbred mare who she says is really nice. He will be competing in the coming season. She also has two exciting youngsters, a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old, who are both by I Like It out of an imported Australian-bred mare by the same sire as Magnus Spero.

The future

Kate intends to continue breeding a few horses to either keep for herself or sell on, and she’s grateful to have been able to develop a high class team. “Part of the reason I’ve established a line of horses for myself is

because I’ve seen others take a good horse through to Grand Prix and then lose it for one reason or another. It’s quite an undertaking to keep a horse sound all the way to Grand Prix. It’s a team effort with the professionals, and there’s quite a bit of luck involved too.” Kate trains with John Thompson, who also trained with Benn Conn, so the horses are produced under a good solid system that gives them sound basics. “We probably have a bit more of a focus on looking at the whole horse, and on lateral work than most,” she comments. Her parents are a great support, with her mother Helen travelling to a lot of shows to help, and Kate is also sponsored by EquiSmart horse clippers, Canterbury Equestrian and Sam Matthews Equestrian Sport Massage who travels down from the Waikato to keep the team feeling good. With her feet firmly planted on New Zealand soil, Kate has no particular desire to be based anywhere else. “If an opportunity came up, I would definitely consider it, but we have such a nice lifestyle here. I want to produce more horses to Grand Prix and I would love to represent New Zealand overseas. I wouldn’t say I will never live off-shore again, but I prefer to live here,” she says. “We are breeding better and better horses in New Zealand, and riding better and better. We’re on the right track here to produce horses that will do well internationally.” C

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME

Nicola Urquhart

When Nicola first spied Cahoncho, he had a reputation as a bit of a hothead, but she knew he had the potential to win a Horse of the Year title. This year, the horse rewarded her faith when he was awarded Park Hack of the Year.

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ictory was sweet for Nicola Urquhart, who was thrilled to finally win her first major open title at HOY with the strong Thoroughbred, after coming agonisingly close so many times. The 30-year-old full-time mother and rider hails from Weedons, near Christchurch, and has enjoyed plenty of success in the show ring. She has won a number of HOY titles, including Rising Star and Paced & Mannered crowns and has taken runner-up several times – but the big one had always eluded her, until now. Nicola won the title as Nicola Lancaster, but was married to husband Daniel in January and is now Nicola Urquhart. “All my qualifications were as Lancaster and I felt it was just easier, with all the paperwork, to keep my name as Lancaster for HOY," she explains. Until recently she was working as a full-time rider, but her two young children have changed things somewhat. James turned four in July and Isaac is two. “Even before having my second child, I had 10 horses in work, including schoolers," she says. "Now I’m busier with teaching lessons, as it allows more flexibility with the kids. I’m a mum first and a rider second. “Horses are my time out. It’s just me and the horse and every other problem in life is forgotten. I get into tune with the horse and we go off into our own world.”

“She lived just down the road and she snapped me up. I rode lots of good ponies for her growing up and rode for her right up until I was 18. They were show ponies and that’s how I got into the showing, but I did games and Springston Trophy on my own ponies that were jumpers.” Although she rode a lot of show ponies for Kathryn, Nicola also loved jumping and even up until after having Isaac still had a 1* eventer. As well as Cahoncho, known as Buddy at home, she has purposebred several of her own show horses. She has a promising rising two-year old filly by Duncan Norrie’s stallion Caithness Emperor, who will go out in-hand next season and be started under saddle as a four-year-old. She also currently has a mare in foal to the same stallion, due in October.

Growing up with horses

Nicola’s father was a Standardbred racehorse trainer and bought her a pony at the age of two. “Growing up in a racing stable meant that before I even started school, daily life was with horses and out with Dad." Although he has now passed away, her father instilled her love of horses and was always one of her biggest supporters. As a child, she spent a lot of time hacking around the roads on her own, where she was spotted by Kathryn Kirk of Willowspring Stud.

“HORSES ARE MY TIME OUT IT’S JUST ME AND THE HORSE AND EVERY OTHER PROBLEM IN LIFE IS FORGOTTEN. I GET INTO TUNE WITH THE HORSE AND WE GO OFF INTO OUR OWN WORLD.”

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Nicola Urquhart - CAHONCHO Park Hack of the Year at HOY 2018

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“I’M VERY GRATEFUL TO CHLOE AND HER FAMILY BECAUSE I KNOW THEY MISS HIM DEARLY. BUT THEY KNOW HE'S IN GOOD HANDS AND THEY LOVE TO WATCH HIM GO.”

Getting the ride on Cahoncho

It was through her teaching that Nicola first crossed paths with 'Buddy', a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding by King's Best. Her husband Daniel is a farrier and does a run over to the West Coast to shoe horses. Nicola often goes too, and teaches lessons at the same time. “Buddy is owned by Chloe Singer, who lives at Franz Josef," she explains. "Chloe had a lesson with me and I thought he was such a nice horse. But he was quite hot and could be a bit of an airhead; sometimes they couldn’t even get him in the ring for his classes. “They did ask me then if I would show him for the season, but I was too busy.” However, in a twist of fate, Nicola’s own show hack Kingston, who had won several champions in the show ring, did a suspensory tendon a week out from the Canterbury A&P Show. “So I rang Chloe and literally a few days later Buddy was in my paddock. I entered him in the South Island Premier Show as our first show and he won the Paced & Mannered title. People said to me 'That horse is difficult and hot', but I just got on with him really well and managed to qualify him for HOY.” Nicola picked up the ride on Buddy in November 2016, and last year's HOY was their first attempt at the Park Hack title. They finished third, but Nicola knew there was so much they could still improve on. “He’s flashy, he can move and he’s nicely put together. I thought if I could tame him and get him under control, we'd be away. He was naughty, but that didn’t bother me. He actually likes the security of someone bossing him around! “After HOY 2017, I knew we could be so much better. It was just about figuring out how to harness the hotness and getting him to perform on the day. We were improving all the time, so I asked the owners if I could have him for the next season too.” The Singers agreed, and Nicola worked relentlessly all winter, training hard with Janelle Sangster-Ward and Rebecca Rowlands to improve Buddy’s schooling, as well as his muscle and tone. The lessons and outings paid off, and settled Buddy’s brain. The pair had a cracker season, culminating with runner-up in the Park Hack Paced & Mannered title before taking out the long-coveted Park Hack of the Year. “Buddy's owners were really excited and could see how much he had improved in the short time I’d had him. They were over the moon. I felt my hard work over winter had paid off. We were all thrilled – it was very emotional. “I have been so close so many times before, so I was thrilled to win it. The only thing that was gutting was to not have the presentation because it was dark. The only time I win and it has to be dark! But I was so excited to be the winner and no one can take that away from me.”

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Nicola Urquhart - CAHONCHO after taking out the Park Hack of the Year title at HOY.

When looking at the schedule, the riders had joked among themselves that they would end up riding in the dark. “I didn’t get photos with the judges or trophy," Nicola says. "It’s your moment and you work so hard. We travelled a long way and to actually ride and finish in the pitch black was quite upsetting. “I think if they'd had a meeting and consulted the competitors, we could have come up with a solution. It was definitely very frustrating and I did feel it took away from my win a bit.” Nevertheless, Nicola now has that elusive HOY title to her name, and is excited to have secured the lease of Buddy for another season. “I’m very grateful to Chloe and her family because I know they miss him dearly. But they know he's in good hands and they love to watch him go.”

The hard yards

Nicola has grafted hard to fund her riding and is appreciative of the family and friends who have supported her dreams, especially her husband. “My father was a big factor, and Kathryn is the one who got me into showing horses. I’m self-funded and my husband is my biggest supporter. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to ride with two young children. It is a juggling act to ride and teach and he looks after the kids when I go to shows. Fortunately, Daniel is massively supportive as it’s obviously not a cheap sport. “I have had to work really hard for all of my successes. We don’t have the best of anything. Kathryn bred beautiful ponies and horses, but I did all the schooling and work. I give a lot of lessons to fund my own training. We don’t have stables or an arena and, with a young family, it’s certainly been a big effort to get to where I have with the horses, but it's definitely worth it.” C

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When she was just 19, Bundy Philpott packed her bags and took two horses across the world to base herself in England. Now back home in Cambridge, she is a full-time eventer and show jumper with a quality string of young horses including the exciting 4* prospect Tresca NZPH.

t was an inauspicious start to riding for Bundy, who says she was unfortunately “quite crap” to start with, particularly in the show jumping arena. This may sound hard to believe, coming someone who won the Lady Rider of the Year class at Horse of the Year when she was just 16, but Bundy says show jumping was her Achilles heel and something she had to work hard at. Bundy was tall for her age, measuring 5’9” by the age of fourteen, when she moved off ponies. She bought a young horse from Bryce Newman, who has had a significant influence on her career over the following years. “We still talk a lot now…He’s been a staple in what I look for in a horse and what I try to achieve. “We were really lucky in Hawke’s Bay to have great show jumping coaches like Sue Neaves and Greg Best. Those two, along with Bryce, were hugely successful in their own right,” she says. “I have been all around the world and never had better advice than what I’ve had from them.”

Two special horses

Knowing that show jumping was Bundy’s weakness, they went out and bought a pure show jumper to teach her the ropes. That horse was the incredible grey, Little Milt. Together they won the Lady Rider title, were on the senior show jumping team to compete against Australia, and placed second in the Olympic Cup. “That horse went further than I ever imagined. He was a little superstar and I was very fortunate,” Bundy remembers. “Still to this day, when I try a horse I rely on the feel that he gave me. Little Milt was 14 when I got him and unfortunately, he developed arthritis in his back fetlock. He got a little sore and didn’t jump with as much enthusiasm, so I retired him.” She kept him for good and he passed away a few years ago at the grand old age of 31.

“After he retired I didn’t have a top level show jumper, but I did have good eventers in the paddock. Due to the circumstances and the horses I had at the time, I switched to an eventing focus.” Little Milt was an extraordinary horse, but he’s not the only one to hold a special place in Bundy’s heart. Fig Jam, who she purchased as a six-year-old, was the horse she took to the other side of the world, and back again, and to the very top level in eventing, jumping clear around Badminton and Boekelo. “He did for me, in eventing, what Little Milt did for me in show jumping. If you could have combined them you would have had an incredible machine!

“They were a breath of fresh air and are still great friends now. Jonelle, what she has endured and achieved, is withouT question, my hero.” “They set the bar for everything I look for now in a horse. I have never had any other horses who put their best foot forward every day the way those two did. They’re probably the reason I’m still riding.” At 18, Bundy rode on a Trans-Tasman team at Taupo as an individual, then completed her first CIC4* at Adelaide. The following year an opportunity arose to be based in the UK with Pippa Funnell, who had just won the Eventing Triple Crown (still one of only two riders ever to do so). Bundy packed her bags and took Fig Jam, who was about to start at 3*, and a young novice horse to the UK. “The plan was to run the horses for the next season and sell the novice horse to fund Fig Jam staying, which is what I did.” She stayed for six years, in the end, but admits leaving home was tough. “I have a solo dad, it’s just been me and him for a huge amount of time, and I was still living at home before I left. To not have someone who is 100% on your side all the time was a shock to the system. I was very naïve, and I did get homesick. “But at the same time, it seemed like the world was at my feet. Every event had a castle in the background and the likes of William Fox-Pitt or Andrew Nicholson could be parked in the lorry next door.” After a year with Pippa, Bundy moved around a few different livery yards, eventually ending up with Tim and Jonelle Price. “They were a breath of fresh air and are still great friends now. Jonelle, given what she has endured and achieved, is without question my hero.”

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“I got back on my feet and found some nice young horses. NZPH was instrumental, and Warwick Hansen was certainly part of my getting back into competing, by supplying some beautiful horses.” Coming home

Sadly, with horses, there are often lows along with the highs. “Fig Jam was the horse I had pinned all my hopes on, and he got kicked in the head in the paddock, damaging the nerves in his face. He became a chronic head shaker and the nerves would intermittently bleed when he galloped. “All the vets said the more natural his environment was, the easier he would find it to live with his condition. I felt I owed it to him to bring him home and give him the most comfortable life I could. Just because he was injured wasn’t an excuse for me to walk away from the horse that had given me so much.” And so she came home, bringing Fig Jam with her. “It was an expensive exercise, but I didn’t have any other horses that were showing signs of going up the grades. It was the catalyst that made me rethink my career and finances. I needed to look for a more sustainable way to keep doing horses,” Bundy explains. Her dad, Bryan, scouted around and found a suitable property in Cambridge. Bundy took a couple of years off and did a few different jobs, including riding track work and working at a bar. “I didn’t find a magic formula, but the house I live in is my own and the horses are in my paddocks. I own those paddocks, and that’s a nice feeling. “I got back on my feet and found some nice young horses. NZPH was instrumental, and Warwick Hansen was certainly part of getting me back into competing by supplying some beautiful horses.” There is something about horses that has made it impossible for her to walk away from them. “They can be more torturous than they are rewarding, but they all have their little personalities and I like knowing that the ones in my paddock are warm and dry and looked after. I’m much more an animal person than a human person!” She still enjoys competing, always trying to better herself, and going to shows. “I like the personal battle that comes with competing,” she admits.

The future is bright

Bundy’s main horse now is Tresca NZPH, who is currently competing at 3* level. At some point in the next year, she hopes he will be the horse to take her back to 4* – providing that he is sound and happy. “Tresca NZPH is 11 now, and we got him from

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the stud when he was four. He’s probably the most natural eventer I’ve had. He finds the galloping and jumping very easy, and is reliable in the show jumping on the last day. We suit each other down to the ground.” She also has four or five nice young horses at novice level. “They’re Thoroughbreds predominantly and a couple of NZPH horses. I’m excited to have some off the track TBs back in the mix, but you can’t go past a good New Zealand bred sport horse. “I’m definitely really excited about them – they’re probably the nicest bunch of horses I’ve ever had. But some will make it and some won’t. It’s a waitand-see game, but as a rider if you get the right coaching and put in the hard yards, you are giving them the best opportunity to get there.”

The right saddle

It was Bryce who got Bundy into a Bates saddle, all those years ago when she purchased a horse off him. “He said I needed a jumping saddle, so I bought a Bates and I’ve never sat in a different jumping saddle since. “The saddle I originally got was a Bates Caprilli Close Contact. I’m quite tall and I felt it allowed me the freedom to find my own balance and move with the horse better. I never felt there was any reason to change – I was incredibly comfortable with what I had.” Although she has been a fan of their saddles for years, Bundy is new to the Bates Saddles team. She recently started riding in the new Bates Advanta saddle and loves its adjustability. “One of the great things about it is how you can make a lot of adjustments to the saddle, to get the perfect fit for the horse and rider. On the Bates Advanta I can adjust the stirrup bar and knee blocks for myself, and the EASY-CHANGE Fit Solution enables the tree width and panel shape to be customised easily to the horse. That’s the brilliant thing that sets Bates Saddles apart, how adjustable their saddles are. “I felt that the Bates Advanta put me in a very good position, particularly for cross country, and allowed me to be more effective with my upper body.”

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CENTRED ON HORSES

THOMPSON

INTERVIEW

For almost 20 years, Thompsons Horse Centre in Upper Hutt has provided children with their first riding experiences, and a safe venue for those with their own horses to graze, ride and train. We talked with Jacqui Thompson about the evolution of the Centre and her own riding career.

ocated about five minutes from the Upper Hutt city centre, Thompsons Riding Centre sits in a quiet rural valley. Originally, the property was a large trotting facility and Standardbred breeding establishment (Cardigan Bay spent some time there), so it was very well set up for horses, with all the supporting infrastructure. However, the property had been sold and had become quite run-down before the Thompson family bought it. “My late husband Richard’s family purchased the property in a very run-down state, and they worked like slaves to bring it up to scratch,” Jacqui explains. “Initially, the Centre was operated in partnership with Richard’s parents, but these days it’s just my

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WORDS Pip Hume PHOTOS Dark Horse Photography mother-in-law, who lives in the other house on the property, and me.” In the early years, the property was mainly used for client grazing and liveries but over time, as the riding school developed, it switched away from being a grazing yard. The riding school began with one nice old pony that Richard purchased for Jacqui after her youngest son was born. She gave lessons after school, and as the demand increased, so did the number of ponies! The first arena put in was a 60x75m jumping arena with an allweather surface which is still used by the riding school, casual riders and for occasional jumping clinics. Then, in 2005, the 20x40m indoor school was built.

“Unusually, the indoor arena is built of wood,” Jacqui comments. “Richard designed and built it; he loved wood and wouldn’t consider steel framing! Prior to building the indoor, it was hard for us to employ staff who needed to be paid even if the lessons were rained off, but having a roof overhead made that possible.” These days the riding school has thirteen horses and ponies and two staff – one who has been with the Centre for eleven years, and the other for ten years. It is open six days a week, with Mondays off. A recent initiative by the New Zealand Pony Club Association has allowed children without their own ponies to participate in Pony Club through riding schools. Known as ‘Centre Membership’, this allows these children to sit Pony Club certificates and badges using riding school ponies. This initiative has proven to be very popular at the Centre, which now has 42 Pony Club centre members. As part of this programme, Thompsons Riding Centre runs theory and horsemastership nights once a month. Jacqui explains that since these children can ride only once a week, their riding time is very limited, and they don’t want to forego it to study theory! There’s also an annual three-day camp in January so that children can experience a full range of Pony Club activities. As well as providing an all-weather area for the riding school, the indoor arena is used by casual riders and visiting trainers. Dressage coaches Vanessa Way and Andrea Raves hold regular clinics there, and Manu McLean visits from time to time. Also located on the property is a farriery workshop with eight forges set up, which is used twice a year by the New Zealand

“I WAS ‘THAT GIRL’, A HORSE NUT. I JUST LOVED THEM SO MUCH.” Farriery Association for farriery block courses and exams. “Richard was a farrier,” Jacqui explains. “He rode as a child, and many years ago trained with John Cottle before going to England to work. He later did his farriery qualifications through the Farriers’ Association. Holding the courses here works well because the trainees can practice on the riding school ponies.” Jacqui has now stepped back from day-today teaching, taking care of the administration – bookings, paperwork and organisation, with just a small amount of individual dressage coaching on top.

The horse nut “I was ‘that girl’, a horse nut,” laughs Jacqui. “I just loved them so much. My parents were totally non-horsey – my Dad was a fisherman, and I think Mum had to push him into the horses. She has always been very supportive and often travels to shows with me. “I started out riding with Margaret Harris at Ferndale when I was eight. I had lessons and did the holiday programmes, and eventually, we got ponies at home. We were based in the hills of Lower Hutt and rode around like idiots. We rode to Pony Club and had a lot of fun.”

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“WHEN I’M FACED WITH A DISAPPOINTMENT, I MAKE IT A POINT NEVER TO MOAN AND NEVER TO CRY. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE RESILIENT AND RESOLVE TO DO BETTER NEXT TIME!”

Jacqui’s sister Sharon Dixon is also a keen dressage rider. “Sharon lives in Otaki and got back into riding about eight years ago. She had quite a big break from it when her daughters rode, but she’s doing really well. There are no shortcuts! She sometimes comes over for clinics which is nice, as we have a close bond.”

In the dressage arena Jacqui has produced both of her competition horses herself, with the help of both Vanessa Way and Andrea Raves. She trains regularly with both coaches. “I have learned a huge amount from Andrea, and her support is unfailing, especially as a warm-up coach at shows. And I couldn’t have got to where I am now without Vanessa! She has an amazing amount of energy, and I’m inspired by her riding as well as her teaching.” Jacqui’s older and more advanced horse is Georgio (George), by Kinnordy Gym Bello. George was purchased from Allie Harper as a newly broken-in three-year-old. He’s now 12 years old, and Jacqui was hoping to step up to Grand Prix with him before a severe colic requiring surgery meant he had to spend the winter recuperating. Jacqui says that because of this, he will probably do another season at Level 8 before stepping up.

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“I had only competed to Inter I before George, so I’m not too worried about doing another season at Level 8,” she adds philosophically. “At this stage, it’s about me learning to ride those tests; getting the preparation right and the horse set up for the movements and the straightness.” George wasn’t always the easiest horse, and could be very sharp and reactive, she says. “As a five-year-old, he was very naughty! Often in the warm-up area, he would be very horse-shy, and if anybody cantered up behind him, he would be off. I never fell off him, but he was tricky! “He’s quite talented in the piaffe/passage – he’s got a good trot but not a great canter. He struggled with tempi changes to start with until he spent some time at Vanessa’s yard and she was able to get him more established.” Jacqui’s second horse is Galileo, also by Kinnordy Gym Bello and out of an Anamour mare, who she bought from Debbie Smith. “I was going to breed a Gym Bello before Mum bought Leo for me. He’s a beautiful- looking horse who gets admired everywhere – he’s big without being heavy, and he never went through any of the ‘ugly’ phases that young horses often do. “He’s had a couple of broken seasons along the way, both times when he was injured through being stomped on in the

truck. Now I try not to have other horses right next to him when we’re travelling.” Leo is now nine years old and is ready to step up to Prix St Georges. Jacqui says that he can be a little cold-backed, but he’s very genuine and is starting to become more forward. He never says ‘no’. Jacqui is characteristically low-key about her personal goals and aspirations. “Obviously I’d hope to get both of my horses to Grand Prix level, but I don’t have any aspirations to ride at the Olympics or WEG. I would love to be competitive on a national level – if I could win a title at Horse of the Year or Nationals that would be fantastic! If one of my horses did super well, I might consider going to Australia, but it’s not really on my horizon. “My most significant win to date would have to be the Prestige saddle I won with George in the Young Dressage Horse when he was a seven-year-old. Last season George also won the Level 8 Super 5 and was second in the Zilco Musical Freestyle series. So I’m chipping away at it! “One of my bigger disappointments came quite early in George’s career when we just missed out on the Level 1 title at Horse of the Year. When I’m faced with a disappointment like that, I make it a point never to moan and never to cry. You just have to be resilient and resolve to do better next time!” C

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INTERVIEW

PENNY BORTHWICK

Goals and Dreams WORDS Rebecca Harper

PHOTO Michelle Clarke

When Penny Borthwick’s pony, Ashbury Robin Hood, suffered a bizarre injury while yarded before a show, it was touch and go whether the pony would recover, let alone make it to Horse of the Year Show. In a fairy tale ending, the pony not only competed, but took out the Category B Pony Show Hunter of the Year title.

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sewing needle embedded in the frog nearly spelled disaster for Lucky, as Ashbury Robin Hood (pictured left) is known at home, and for Penny’s season – but in a remarkable turn of events the pony gave Penny her first HOY title, despite a distinct lack of competition mileage prior to HOY. Pony-mad Penny, 12, lives on her family’s sheep and beef farm, Te Whanga, at Gladstone in the Wairarapa. This means plenty of farm hacking and big hills to get the ponies fit, as well as a stunning view when you ride to the skyline. Her two older siblings are non-horsey but it is probably not surprising that Penny got the ‘horsey bug’ – her mum Sarah rode when she was younger and Sarah’s mother bred show ponies. “I begged Mum and a friend gave us a pony when I was about three,” Penny says. Sarah explains how it happened. “A friend of mine who I rode with, Tania

“OUR FIRST PRIORITY WAS TO SAVE THE PONY, AS IT HAD DONE SO MUCH DAMAGE. IT WAS AN

EMOTIONAL

ROLLERCOASTER - WE WOULD THINK HE WAS GETTING BETTER, THEN HE WOULD

PHOTO Dark Horse Photography

DOWNHILL AGAIN.”

Scott, rang me and said ‘Meet me for a coffee in Greytown and bring a float, I have a gorgeous pony for your children to have until she retires’. That was how we got Cookie.” Penny learned to ride around the garden at home until Cookie unfortunately died of old age three years later. “I left it six months, but Penny kept begging me, so I gave in and bought a little pony called Lakewood Falcon, otherwise known as Brookie.” Brookie is where Penny’s journey really started and she began competing at the local horse sports. “He was quite a green, spooky pony – I fell off him a lot!” she admits. Once she was off the lead-rein, Penny and Brookie had a go at almost everything – games, show jumping, and Show Hunter – and were Category A Pony division winners at NZPCA Show Hunter Champs at Manawatu in 2015, when Penny was nine. “I felt Show Hunter was a good discipline for kids to get their confidence and get going. Penny wasn’t interested in showing, she just wanted to jump,” Sarah says. Brookie turned out to be a very successful little pony and did well in Show Hunter at HOY. They were then given a lovely show pony by Sarah’s mum, Pinewood Jitterbug, from her own Pinewood Stud. However, the pony, Polly, was young and Sarah felt that Penny needed a more experienced pony as well, so that she could pursue her love of jumping. It was at this point the family purchased Ashbury Robin Hood (Lucky) from the South Island. “Penny did compete Polly in show jumping and Show Hunter. Much to her grandma’s disgust, she never made it into the show ring!” Sarah laughs. “Polly taught Penny a lot, and it was the making of her riding. She was a sensitive pony, and you had to be soft. It gave Penny a good grounding, having two entirely different ponies to ride. Polly has now been sold to a wonderful home. “Lucky had done lots of hunting, jumping and working hunter and I knew Penny would have good fun on him. He could jump from any spot and would jump anything, though he was a very cheeky monkey,” Sarah says. Penny agrees. “He was straightforward to ride, not complicated. I just needed to say go, and he did.” The successful combination went hunting, evented, show jumped and competed in Working Hunter, which was Lucky’s forte, winning numerous champion sashes.

A curveball While Penny knew that Lucky had the ability to win the Category B Show Hunter Pony of the Year title, his eventual success was rather unexpected, due to a severely disrupted season. “We went to Pukahu at the beginning of the season and he won everything – all his Show Hunter classes and Champion Working Hunter,

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“I FELT SHOW

HUNTER WAS A GOOD DISCIPLINE FOR KIDS TO GET THEIR

CONFIDENCE AND PHOTO Dark Horse Photography

REALLY GET GOING. PENNY

INTERESTED IN SHOWING, SHE JUST WANTED TO JUMP.”

WASN’T

Penny and Rain (Galaxy Goldrush) are looking forward to the season ahead. then the same again the following weekend at Foxton.” They went to Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in October, where Penny gave Lucky a quick ride, then tucked him up in his yard for the night. But the next morning, something was wrong. “We picked up his foot and there was a sewing needle right through his frog.” They didn’t realise at the time quite how serious it was, but the pony would be out for almost the entire season. Luckily, he had already qualified for HOY from the first two shows. “Our first priority was to save the pony, as the needle had done so much damage. It was an emotional rollercoaster – we would think that he was getting better, then he would go downhill again.” Local vet and family friend, Mandy Illston from EquivetsNZ, took Lucky on as a special case – all but moving the pony into her living room to provide round-the-clock care. “She took care of him like he was her own,” Sarah recalls. “Mandy was amazing, and she’s a great vet.” Lucky lived up to his name and pulled through, and was ready to begin intensive rehabilitation by the middle of January. “A good friend, Sonya Glennie, took him and worked him on the beach for two weeks, in the sea, in the hope that he would be able to go to HOY.” Sonya is special to the family and often helps Penny warm up at shows. “She’s easy to understand and just makes sense,” Penny says. “I’d love to have more lessons with her, but she lives so far away!” They managed to get Lucky to two shows just before HOY, but arrived at the big event feeling the pony lacked in competition miles. Fortunately, this turned out to not matter. “He was very fresh, but he knew his job. It was a fairy tale ending really [to win] and a massive achievement just to get to HOY.” Penny was in first place heading into the call-back in the title class. “I was nervous, and he did a good round, but you never know.” The combination also won their Working Hunter height class

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at HOY and Penny says the Category B title class was her most significant win to date. To make it bittersweet, it was also her last competition with Lucky, who has since been sold.

Every cloud has a silver lining Lucky’s injury put a dampener on Penny’s season, but there was a silver lining – having Lucky sidelined meant that she had time to focus on her young pony, Galaxy Goldrush (Rain). Rain is a young, green fullsized pony and they didn’t plan to bring her out last season. “Penny decided to start jumping her last season since Lucky was lame. She started doing some show jumping and Show Hunter and ended up finishing the season with double clears at 1.10m at Series Finals.” At HOY, Penny and Rain won the hotly contested ESNZ 13 Years & Under Rider of the Year show jumping class. “That was so exciting! There were a huge number of kids in the class. We had to jump a course at 1m and then do flat work, and it was a huge surprise to win.” Penny and Rain also competed in Category C Show Hunter, where they finished sixth in the title class. “We had no intention of bringing Rain out last season, so something good did come out of something bad,” Sarah says. Penny’s real love is jumping, and she plans to focus on show jumping now. “One day I would like to jump Rain at Pony Grand Prix level,” she says. Just before HOY, they purchased another green pony, Joulie, a rising eight-year-old who will be a project for Penny next season. Again, Penny hopes the pony has the potential to go to Grand Prix. Although she plans to focus on show jumping now, Penny says Show Hunter has taught her a lot. “I have always done Show Hunter and Equitation. You learn to do rollbacks, keep a good rhythm and it makes you ride accurately to every fence.” C

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FEED TO SUCCEED

Leader Emily Pack Fraser

of the

INTERVIEW

PALMERSTON NORTH RIDER EMILY FRASER’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE SHOW JUMPING ARENA ARE WELL-DOCUMENTED, AND INCLUDE A GOLD MEDAL AT THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES BUT THE 21-YEAR-OLD WILL BE TAKING ON AN EXCITING NEW CHALLENGE WHEN SHE BECOMES THE HUNTSMAN FOR THE MANAWATU HUNT NEXT SEASON.

rowing up on a large farm at Takapau, Emily has always had an affinity with animals – which is just as well, as she will soon have the care of an

entire pack of hounds. Alongside her work as the Huntsman,

she plans to continue show jumping in summer and keep studying part-time toward a Bachelor of Agricultural Science through Massey University.

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WORDS Rebecca Harper PHOTOS kampic.com Emily started riding almost as soon as she could walk, and got her first pony at the age of two. “Mum was into Western and show jumping, and loved breaking in horses for people. Both my sister, Hannah, and I take after Mum in that department.” Emily started hunting when she was just five years old, and came up through the Pony Club ranks, competing in mounted games and attending both national Show Jumping and Eventing Champs.

Then, at the tender age of ten, Emily met the pony that would have a significant influence on her riding career.

Finding her focus

“Maurice Beatson and Sally Clark had the famous Tony the Pony and he needed a rider. I went for a ride, and they thought I was a bit young, but Mum pushed for it and promised I would have lots of lessons. I dropped everything else and went show jumping.”

“I LOVE TAKING THEM FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE TOP. THAT’S MY GOAL, TO HAVE HORSES FROM THE START AND TAKE THEM ALL THE WAY. I WILL WORK WITH BREAKERS AND BE HUNTSMAN FOR AS FAR AHEAD AS I CAN SEE.”

The Frasers purchased a half-share in Tony, and Emily started having regular lessons with Maurice and Sally. “They are pretty much the whole reason that I am who I am today,” Emily states. “They have probably had the biggest influence on me [as a rider].” In the beginning, Tony was a challenging pony. “He was only five or six and was quite a spritely pony. He could erupt a bit!” she recalls. But the pair soon became a formidable team and went on to win the National Pony Grand Prix series twice. “We had no idea how good he would be or how far he would go, but each year he got better and better, and our partnership got stronger.” Emily loves everything about show jumping and says it is a great leveller. “You never know where you will end up. It takes hard work to get to the top, and you need an excellent partnership with your horse.” The highlight of her riding career to date was undoubtedly winning the individual gold medal for show jumping at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China when she was 18. “I went there with the win in mind, but you have no idea what horse you will get. The first day I rode the horse I thought I was screwed! It was a nightmare and pretty much bolted around. But on the second day we had a change of brakes, and each day got better and better. “Words can’t exactly describe how it felt [to win]. It was like a wonderful dream.” After Emily finished on ponies, Maurice gave her his good horse to ride, Kiwi Relic. “That was going to make or break me as a rider, and he definitely kept me on my toes. One day I would be winning, the next I would be face first in a fence! It made me a stronger rider for sure.” Currently, she has two show jumpers in her team – the feisty mare Voila, who she rode to second place overall in the University Series last season, and Kiwi Sunray, who is for sale. “Kiwi Sunray (Ray) came from the Fernhill Stud, and I got Voila (DD) from Bernard Denton. They are completely different horses. DD’s a tank and a big horse, while Ray is a little pocket rocket who gives 100% in every class. He’s the best horse I’ve ever had, jumping-wise.” When she got Ray as a Emily Fraser - KIWI SUNRAY in the Pro Am Final, relatively green seven-year-old, Horse of the Year 2018 the plan was to ride him and flick him on.

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“But he got better and better. He has a huge heart and tries very hard for me. He’s only a little horse, and I didn’t expect that he would go up the grades as he has.” Selling horses is part and parcel of funding each season, and Emily feels that the time has come for Ray to find a new rider. “I’m out of Young Riders now, and he has to work very hard at Grand Prix level, so I would love to see him out doing Young Riders again, as that’s his forte,” she explains. “DD will stay with me forever. I can breed from her, she’s got some of the best bloodlines in New Zealand, plus she’s a little on the difficult side on the ground and to ride. We have clicked well, so I think it’s best she stays with me. She may even come hunting, who knows?” One of Emily’s big goals is to win the National University Series, and she will aim DD at it again next season.

“I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ANIMALS – WHETHER IT’S SHEEP, COWS, DOGS OR HORSES. HOPEFULLY HOUNDS ARE ANOTHER ANIMAL THAT WILL WORK WELL WITH ME AND FOR ME.”

The hunting bug Although show jumping is her competitive discipline, Emily has hunted every winter since she was five. “I had a fantastic pony called Little Buff, and he would only hunt up by the master. I just sat on top, and he did all the work. He was the best pony I could have had. I used to be terrified of jumping, but I soon got over that – with him, I didn’t have a choice! I got a real thrill from hunting.” When the family moved to Palmerston North, the Manawatu hunt master, Mark

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Goodwin, rang Emily’s father to ask if she, or her sister Hannah, would like a job. After her last year of school, Emily started riding Mark’s hunters. “He also had a few racehorses and a couple of colts that needed breaking in, which I did for him. Then he kept breeding more so I did all the breaking and pre-training of his racehorses, along with Hannah, as well as doing the hunters in winter.” Emily began her university studies as a full-time student, but when her father died

at the end of last year, she went back to studying part-time while working. “The loss was hard to handle, and I enjoy working, so it was a good stress relief.” Initially, Emily’s goal was to be a whip. “Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be up the front and do all the crazy jumping. I first got the idea [about being huntsman] when Cody Singer went to Wairarapa. Having Desiree Foxley as huntsman at Hawke’s Bay had shown me that a woman could do it too. I asked Mark whether he thought I could, and he said yes.” With Manawatu’s huntsman, Nigel Horton, hanging up his boots at the end of this season after 15 years of service, it was perfect timing for Emily. “I went to my mum, and she liked the idea. She’s always the first person I go to, and she was all for it. Mark was probably the second person I trusted for his word on whether I could do it.” So she put a CV together, had an interview and was selected. “I was over the moon. I had high hopes I would get it, but also some doubts. It was a huge relief to be selected, and knowing that I can be the future of Manawatu is pretty awesome.” Emily loves hunting with Manawatu and says she couldn’t imagine being huntsman for any other Hunt. Although she is a woman, Emily thinks of herself as the Huntsman, rather than Huntswoman. “I just call myself a huntsman,” she shrugs. “That’s

12 - Balanced - ShowCircuit.pdf 1 09-Nov-17 11:25:27 AM

what I’ve been used to, and it just rolls off the tongue.”

A new challenge

Nigel Horton is a well-respected and experienced huntsman, and Emily knows she has big shoes to fill, but she’s excited about the challenge ahead. “I have always been good with animals – whether it’s sheep, cows, dogs or horses. Hopefully hounds are another animal that will work well with me and for me. “I’m a bit nervous because it’s a whole new thing and I don’t know what to expect, but I’m pretty confident it will work.” She has thought about strategy and talked to Nigel about how she can best click with the hounds. “I will work with small groups, learn all their names and get them coming to me. I won’t be working them in a pack until they know me and come to me. They’ll have to learn who their new boss is – they’ve had Nigel for a long time! “It will be a challenge but I will take it as it comes. Nigel will be a huge person to lean on. I aspire to be as great a huntsman as Nigel or Murray Thompson, who I have hunted behind as well. They are great with the hounds, very patient, and are good riders. I hope to continue their legacy by learning from Nigel, who learned from Murray.”

Combining two codes

Emily still plans to show jump this coming season, although once the hounds come into work in January, they will be her top priority.

She will show jump her hunters to see if they have the ability to make it as a huntsman’s horse. “I think the hunters have to be as good at jumping, if not better, than the show jumpers. They have to jump uphill, downhill, ugly fences…I’ll use show jumping as a training method for hunting.” Emily sees her new job as a long-term career move. “I have loved hunting my whole life. It is non-competitive, which I like. There’s a real adrenaline rush, and I’m looking forward to working with the hounds, as well as upholding all the hunting traditions.” While her dad wasn’t ‘horsey’ as such, he also enjoyed hunting, and she hopes he would approve of her new career. “He had a fantastic hunter. He was just a passenger, really, but he hunted up the front with us kids and was always keen. I think my new job would be right up his alley. He would always want to have his two cents worth – he’d probably almost be living at the kennels! “Ultimately my riding has taken a different turn now. With show jumping, I always wanted to go to WEG and the Olympics; those are still fantastic ideas, but realistically for me, I think working with young horses and breaking them in is what I love most. “I love taking them from the beginning to the top. That’s my goal, to have horses from the start and take them all the way. I will work with breakers and be huntsman for as far ahead as I can see.” C C

CMY

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

DRESSAGE RIDER WITH A

FOCUS ON TRAINING

It’s fair to say that Bennet Conn is no one-trick pony. The Australian rider and trainer is currently based in Europe, and sources horses for the world’s top riders, along with training some pretty big names in the sport and continuing to have ambitions for his own riding career. WORDS Rachael Sutton PHOTOS Show Circuit

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

still remember a lesson I had with Ben Conn as a young rider. He told me that when he was 15, he was interested to know more about the action of the curb rein on a double bridle, how it worked, and the effect it had on the horse. He promptly tied my snaffle rein in a knot, and sent me out onto a circle, telling me to use my seat and my leg to control the horse, and only allowing me to use the most subtle aid to gently adjust my horse’s posture. It’s safe to say, my balance and core strength were properly tested that day! This is just one example of the depth of thinking and the analytical approach Ben brings, not only to his own riding but also to his coaching. Over the past ten years, I have sat in on his clinics, trained with him, and more recently, watched him work at his European base in Germany. Talking to the riders who train with him, the one consistent message that comes through is the focus and energy he brings when he works with a horse or a rider, with the horse’s happiness always paramount. South African Grand Prix rider Gretha Fereirra once wrote: “A true coach and trainer finds joy in the success of his students, and Ben does exactly that.”

Ben’s backstory Born into a horsey family, Ben’s mum Mary played a pivotal role in kick-starting his dressage career. “I grew up riding and was actually eventing when Mum bought me a really nice pony. We didn’t realise initially, but that pony could do most of the Grand Prix movements, and that’s how it all started.” Working his way up through the young rider ranks in Australia, Ben began to produce his own horses, and also sold a number of quality young horses to professional riders that went on to Grand Prix, including Amoucheur who went to the World Championships for Australia with Kelly Lane, and National Grand Prix Champions HP Frolich and HP Finnagin. At 15, Ben took a year off school to venture to Europe for the first time, learning from riders such as Peter Weston, Sarah Whitmore, and working in Germany at PSI. Throughout school and university, he continued to do short training stints with the likes of Isabell Werth, Heiner Schiergen, and Hubertus Schmidt. At 19, Ben met Leonie Brammal, whom he considers the most influential person in his riding career, and he continues to train with her over twenty years later.

“Dressage is about two beings; about understanding the psychology and biomechanics of both, and also how they interrelate, which is what I love about it.” The Kiwi connection Putting aside traditional trans-Tasman rivalries, the Australian has played a vital part in the careers of some of New Zealand’s top combinations and was based in South Auckland for a number of years. “I’m very proud to have helped a few good riders and horses to Grand Prix, including Penny Castle, Julie Brougham and Tracy Smith.” Astute, now owned and ridden at Grand Prix by Toni Louisson, also started off his career with Ben. Kiwi rider Sarah Wilkinson works as Ben’s head rider at his stable in Germany, and he is immensely proud of her. Sarah recently won the six-year-old class at the Pavo Cup pre-selections and qualified for the World Young Horse semi-finals in Ermelo.

Going international In 2013, while in Europe looking for horses for a client, the search led him to Andreas Helgstrand’s world-renowned stable in Denmark. The pair clicked, and Andreas offered the Australian a riding position. Feeling that the position wasn’t quite aligned with where he was heading with his business, Ben ended up in another role at the stable. “At that point in my life I wanted something a bit bigger, so we talked some more, and I said, ‘If I could find you the horses – that’s something I really love to do’, and Andreas agreed.” Leaving his Queensland base, Ben, along with two of his up-and-coming

horses, made the move to Denmark. He still considers that move his greatest accomplishment to date. After sourcing horses and riding for Helgstrand Dressage for two years, he decided it was time to go out on his own, and shifted over to Germany, which he describes as the ‘central hub’ of the European Dressage scene. “That’s been a big challenge, especially in the beginning. I had a five-year business plan, but now it’s starting to come together – the stable is full which is always a good sign!” BC Dressage now has between 20 and 25 horses, along with a staff of five, who help the operation run smoothly. While leaving family and close friends was tough, Ben says the biggest challenge of setting up in Europe is being accepted. He believes he has been lucky to have already had a pool of international clients, but he’s had to work at building a reputation with the local market. “Domestically in Germany it’s a huge market, so I’ve had to get known within that market. That’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s starting to pan out now.”

Only the best “I’ve always loved sourcing horses – it’s something I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid.” Over the past twenty years, Ben has proved that he has an eye for picking a good horse, and now sources horses for some of the best in the business, including Canadian Olympian Ashley Holzer, Australian team member Mary Hanna, and World and Olympic Champion Charlotte Dujardin. Developing an eye for talent came through selecting and watching countless horses and following how they progressed through their careers. “You see enough horses, and you pick enough horses, then you see where they all eventuate – even the ones you didn’t pick. After watching that process enough times, there comes a point where you start to see the biomechanics from an early age.” Ben has also learnt to recognise horses with the right mentality. “They’ve got to have the right mentality to be a good gymnast. Dressage has a correlation with ballet; not everyone has the mental stamina to be a ballet dancer – it’s the same with horses.” He says there are certain physical and mental characteristics he looks for when selecting horses that have the potential to go all the way to the top. “They have to be hyper-sensitive and elastic. Then I look a little bit at how they function through their body. Obviously, you want a horse that’s moving and working through its body well.”

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Ben believes that the horses don’t necessarily have to be conformationally perfect, as long as they have the sensitivity and the right attitude. “If they have a good brain, along with being hyper-sensitive, you can normally work them through any physical challenges they have to get them using their body correctly.” His love of training is not limited to just the horses, and he remains a passionate coach to a number of top riders, including Finnish team member Stella Hagelstam, and South African rider Gretha Fereirra, who has just qualified for the World Equestrian Games. “I love seeing the end product through coaching. The process is slow and can be painful, but when you get the results at the end, it’s overwhelming. Then it’s worth it.” Through his time spent coaching, he’s also developed an eye for riders who are capable of getting to the top of the sport. “A great rider has very good timing, excellent core strength, and a real awareness of the biomechanics of the horse.” He says it’s also about feel. “Riders that not only learn the skill but feel it, that comes through as expression.” While natural feeling is a real advantage, he says you can never write off those committed to learning. Riders at the top of the sport are producing good horses through being very disciplined in their approach.

“I love seeing the end product through coaching. The process is slow, and can be painful, but when you get the results at the end, it’s overwhelming. Then it’s worth it.”

Gymnastics for horses Ben describes the way he trains as a mix of a few training systems, and he explains it to people as “gymnastics for horses”, with a focus on suppleness and symmetry. “It’s an understanding of how parts of the body flex, and also understanding the extent to which they can flex, and then understanding how that all connects.” He views riding as physiotherapy for the horse. “I want the horses to be symmetric, especially supple laterally through the rib and the jaw. When they’re supple through the rib and the jaw, the upper line is much better.” Initially studying to be a lawyer, and even working in law for a short time, Ben’s analytical brain and logical processing skills are reflected in his training approach. He says the complexity of dressage is what he finds so enjoyable, and keeps him wanting to learn more. “Dressage is about two beings; about understanding the psychology and biomechanics of both, and also how they interrelate, which is what I love about it.”

Thinking big Ben has been a rare sight on the competition circuit over the last ten years. At the beginning of his riding career, he says his focus was more on competing and admits that it was bordering on obsession. “One of my sponsors said to me, ‘Stop – you have to get obsessed by riding, and by training’, and I took that a bit literally because I haven’t competed a lot since.” His last show was while working for Team Helgstrand, where he won the Grand Prix at a national show in Denmark, but he is now at a point where he would like to get out and compete again. He has a couple of horses that are in the preparation stages for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including a talented gelding by Lord Lancer who accompanied Ben when he moved from Australia to Europe. “For me, the Olympics is not necessarily a measure of the highest level of riding, as timing has a lot to do with getting there.” He feels that the psychological preparation to get back into the competition arena will be one of the biggest challenges of his career. “It’s just going to be a case of getting out there and doing it, making the leap.”

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His focus is still very much on finding and producing high-level horses and also helping his students achieve top accolades in the sport. “I’ve had students compete at World Championships; it would be great to see some of them at the Olympics.” While his business in Germany continues to grow, Ben’s ultimate aim is to find more of a balance between Europe and his home with family and friends down under. One of his driving forces is the satisfaction he gets from being a part of a horse and rider’s journey, and if you sit in on any of his lessons, you can’t help but see his passion for the sport. He says he gets enjoyment out of watching horses develop both physically and mentally, particularly those that may have been challenging in the beginning. “Those horses are fun. It’s great to watch them grow into themselves, to get in the show arena, and to get them to a point where they’re so supple and physically capable that they also become emotionally able. That really motivates me.” C

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INTERVIEW

- T A L EN T TO B UR N WORDS Rebecca Harper

IMAGE kampic.com

Talented young rider Emily Hayward has been one to watch in the show jumping arena in recent years, capping off a consistent season with victory in the Young Rider of the Year at the 2018 Horse of the Year Show, as well as taking out the Young Rider Series on Yandoo Lady Gold.

inning the Young Rider of the Year title at HOY influential for me.” was the main goal for the 2018 season for Blondie was very different to anything Emily had ridden before Te Awamutu’s Emily Hayward with her lovely but now, five seasons later, they have formed a close bond. chestnut mare Yandoo Lady Gold. It’s a goal “She wasn’t Gisborne-bred or a bush pony, had quite a bit of that she can now cross off the list, with her blood and is a very strong mare, so it took quite a bit to get used name now etched on the Big Red trophy. to,” Emily admits. “She moves amazingly and now we’ve really Emily’s family imported Yandoo Lady Gold, a 13-year-old clicked, and I love her to bits.” Warmblood cross by Warlord, from Emily rates the victory in the Young Australia in 2013. But she was an Rider at HOY as the highlight of her unexpected acquisition, as at the riding career to date. “This year was “BECAUSE OF MY SHOW HUNTER time they were actually looking for my fourth Young Rider of the Year, BACKGROUND I’M QUITE BIG ON a pony, not a horse. and I was hoping and thinking ‘surely “Sam McIntosh was over there it must be my time.’ it was my biggest STRAIGHTNESS AND DO A doing a few World Cups, and we goal for Blondie this year.” LOT OF STRAIGHTNESS EXERCISES asked her to keep an eye out for a Not only did they snare the title, pony. She rang and said she’d found but they also took out the overall AND GRIDS TO BUILD UP MUSCLE, the perfect horse, and that ‘you need ESPECIALLY WITH THE YOUNG ONES.” Young Rider Series, which Emily to come over and try her because has now won three years running. she will sell fast’,” Emily recalls. “It’s quite cool to have won it on a They planned to go to Australia to try Blondie, as she’s known at few different horses. Blondie and I really bonded this year and it’s home, but Emily discovered that her passport had expired. “So we the first year I have been really competitive on her in the bigger just trusted Sam and her knowledge of how I rode. She had helped heights. She’s so consistent, winning about 15 classes for me this me all the way up until she went to Europe and has been pretty season. She was not often out of the placings.”

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Starting out in Show Hunter

IMAGE Cornege Photography

Emily’s mum was keen on horses, so she began riding at a very young age, starting out on young and green ponies, and working her way up. Show Hunter was the first main discipline Emily competed in, with great success, picking up HOY titles in the Category B Pony on Steffi Whittaker’s Bexley Lodge Tinkabella and the Junior class on her hack, Telex. “I really like Show Hunter because of the etiquette and how you present the horses and how they have to go. I started on quite naughty ponies but they got better in the end. It’s pretty rewarding.” Despite enjoying Show Hunter, Emily had always planned to move into show jumping. “I really love the thrill of the bigger jumps and jump-offs. I really like Show Hunter, don’t get me wrong, but show jumping is definitely my thing.” Telex was her first hack and took her round some Junior Rider show jumping tracks, but Blondie helped Emily to make the step up. “She’s pretty special. She’s taken me all the way.”

IMAGE Cheleken Photography

Stepping up to World Cup

In 2014 Emily partnered up with the infamous A P Ninja, and in the last two seasons the pair have made regular appearances at World Cup level, taking third place overall in the series this season. Ninja is an 11-year-old Thoroughbred by A P Ruler, out of the Secretariat mare Office Affair. “I’d had Blondie for a season and was looking for another horse to add to my team. He popped up. He’s a crazy, little scungy brown thing, not your typical horse to buy as a young rider, but I loved riding him. He’s so energetic, loves his job and loves to jump – he’s never stopped.” Emily got Ninja at the end of his seven-year-old season and he was her Young Rider horse for several seasons. “Then we realised he was a little bit better than that and he’s been really good for my confidence stepping up to World Cup heights.” The combination had their first World Cup start at Dannevirke in 2017, where they placed. “He’s not your typical World Cup horse, but he’s been amazing for me. He’ll keep going until he’s 21 probably, knowing him!”

Future focused

Emily enjoys bringing on young horses and plans to do more of that in the future. “I’ll probably have to sell one of my good horses after this season to be able to buy a couple of nice young ones. I would like to do the odd riding trip overseas, but I want to base myself in New Zealand for a while yet.” She is currently on the ESNZ jumping squad and her goal is to work her way up the ranks and, in a few years, have nice string of horses with the talent to go all the way to Word Cup and overseas. “Obviously I hope to make a bit of money out of selling the young ones.” Next season she hopes to have Ninja jumping World Cups and for Belischi to step up to that level too. “I got Belischi as a six-year-old and he hadn’t done much. I bought

“I REALLY LOVE THE THRILL OF THE BIGGER JUMPS AND JUMPOFFS. I REALLY LIKE SHOW HUNTER, DON’T GET ME WRONG, BUT SHOW JUMPING IS DEFINITELY MY THING.” him off Michelle Lang in Australia. This was his second proper season. He’s pretty talented, he’s big and gangly but super scopey. He’s just learning where to put his legs at the moment but he’s pretty exciting.” Since Sam departed for Europe, Emily hasn’t trained specifically with anyone, but does get advice from Duncan McFarlane and his wife Helen McNaught, as well as Ross Smith. “Because of my Show Hunter background, I’m quite big on straightness and do a lot of straightness exercises and grids to build up muscle, especially with the young ones. I like to think of myself as quite a soft rider so I like to let them do their own thing. They are all different and have their own way of going, so I don’t try to change them too much, just keep them happy.” Emily is now 18 and has finished school. She’s currently working on her dad’s dairy farm while most of the horses are enjoying a break, and hopes to do the odd trip overseas to ride over winter. “I’m also bringing my little mare, Delicious, back into work. She had a hip injury just before the first show of the season and has had a lot of time off. Time will tell if she can get back to where she was. The vets have said it’s looking quite good but I’ll have to take it slowly. Fingers crossed.” Emily is sponsored by McMillan Equine Feeds, Oakridge Equestrian, Vetpro and Equissage. C

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

t t o n y M FF O S m Y A a P S K R O W HARD tton achael Su phy WORDS R s Photogra s e n it w e y E PHOTOS

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10 - Showtorque - ShowCircuit.pdf 1 29-Aug-16 1:38:00 PM

Since returning to New Zealand from the UK eighteen months ago, Sam Mynott has put in the hard yards to build a successful team of horses, and she capped off her season by taking out the CCI1* at Taupo Three-Day Event. We caught up with Sam following her first full season back on home soil.

oasting an impressive eventing resume that includes riding on the world stage at both Burghley and Badminton Horse Trials, Sam is currently recovering at home after wrist surgery, the result of a fall from a young horse a year ago. She rode through the pain for most of last season, but a return to the doctor in January revealed a break in her scaphoid bone. “It was initially diagnosed as a sprain, but it was broken. Because I kept riding and working with it, it was pretty bad by the time they re-x-rayed.” Surgery was the only answer, but Sam asked if it could wait until after Taupo. The pain turned out to be worth it, as she came away with the CCI1* title on Chris Sorrell’s CHS Ripleys Dream. The win felt like it had been a long time coming. “The horse had performed all season, making progress at every show, so it was great to have a good win. Since coming back from England, it’s been a long haul getting back up to that level.”

“SINCE

Making opportunities

LEVEL.”

At the beginning of 2016, Sam got an exciting opportunity when Jesse Campbell offered her a position as a working pupil in his UK yard. “It was the middle of our season, but I knew I couldn’t say no.” A quick shuffle of horses saw Sam on a plane in less than a month, and it was all go from the moment she landed. “I landed at 7pm, and started work at 7am the next morning. I’m so glad I went – you learn so much, and getting to compete at Badminton and Burghley was just an out-of-this-world experience – and that’s all thanks to Jesse.” Sam says one of the biggest things she took away from the experience was the attention to detail that’s needed at the top. “You have to tick every box. You can’t take any shortcuts when it comes

COMING

BACK FROM

ENGLAND, IT’S BEEN A LONG HAUL GETTING BACK UP TO THAT

CMY

to your training. Everyone over there is so good, and they’re all doing the same thing, mostly on quality horses. At the end of the day, it comes down to doing it properly from the beginning. If you miss something when a horse is four, it will show as a ten-year-old.” The young rider has put a lot of time and energy into building her skill set. Before her stint overseas, Sam worked for dressage rider, Tracy Smith, and after returning home from England at the end of 2016, she spent nine months based with show jumping trainer Jeff McVean. Before her time with Jeff, Sam had always considered show jumping to be her weakest phase. “I came back from England, and I felt

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“YOU HAVE TO TICK EVERY BOX, AND YOU

CAN’T TAKE ANY SHORTCUTS

WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR TRAINING.”

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like I needed to knuckle down in that phase. I’d been based with Tracy, and then with Jesse, so it was time to focus on the show jumping.” Jeff played a huge role in improving her skills. “I learnt so much – he has so much knowledge, and he’s a great horseman as well.” Being based with the McVeans also saw Sam dip her toe into the world of racing, riding the pre-trainers alongside the jumpers. Since going out on her own, she rides track in the morning and coaches in the afternoon, in order to fund her riding career.

Building the team

While in England, Sam bought her rising star, Cornucopia, or ‘Shiny’ as she is known at home. Sam says she never expected to end up with an unbroken six-year-old chestnut mare. “It was the only thing the budget would run to! She’s still green, but she is talented.” The combination was at a small competition in the UK when disaster struck – a kick resulting in the mare breaking her leg. Lucky for Sam and

Shiny, the break wasn’t career-ending. “It was awful, but thankfully she made a full recovery. It just put an end to our season in England.” Her belief in the mare meant Shiny came back with Sam when she returned to New Zealand. “This last season was her first full season, and she’s pretty special. She needs time, but she’ll get there.” Sam is looking forward to consolidating the mare at 1* next season and has the One-Day Event Championships in her sights. The Waikato-based rider also has some nice young horses that will come up through the ranks over the next few years, including a couple of Thoroughbreds off the track that had their first lower level starts last season, and a recently backed gelding by Heartbreaker that Sam co-owns with Tracy Smith from Royston Equine. “He’s green but is pretty flash, so that’s exciting. I should have a good team of youngsters once they’re all up and running.” C

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INTERVIEW

ONE TO REMEMBER

KH ARVAN Now 20 years old, KH Arvan is enjoying a relaxed lifestyle. His three riders, Vanessa Way, Molly Lumb and Pip Gibbons pay tribute to the part he has played in their development as riders.

“Arvan was the third horse I took through to Grand Prix and my first international horse. He took me to Australia three times, then to England and France. He took my career to a whole new level.” So says Vanessa Way, who purchased Arvan from his breeders back in 2000 as a two-year-old. “At the time, they had a number of young horses for sale – and he wasn’t my pick,” she remembers. “But the one I preferred was sold to someone else, and I wound up with Arvan. He wasn’t a particularly attractive young horse, so he was quite cheap!” But right from the start, Vanessa found Arvan to have an exceptional nature. “Some horses are just very easy, and he’s one of those. He has always been steady, reliable and incredibly generous. He always tried his heart out and never let me down. “His one fault is that he is clingy and hates being by himself. He used to neigh in the arena all the time. It was so annoying!” Progressing through the grades, the pair achieved many honours at regional and national level. In 2011, in their second season at Grand Prix level, they won the Grand Prix Horse of the Year title (ahead of Louisa Hill with Bates Antonello). This paved the way for their first of three trips to the Sydney CDI, where they performed credibly, with a best score of 65.725% in the Musical Freestyle seeing them finish in seventh place. A second trip to the Sydney CDI in October 2011 demonstrated the partnership’s improvement at that level, with solid performances gaining two fourth placings. Notably, they achieved a score of 70.5% in the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, repeating that good performance in November with a score of 68.8%. For Vanessa, the possibility of competing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London became real, and she headed overseas to train at Carl Hester's yard in the UK. “I had met Carl some years before, when Arvan was young and I had a horse called Winter’s Realm. He was brought over here by Dressage New Zealand for a masterclass at Manfield, where I was a demonstration rider. Afterwards, he offered me a job as a working pupil, but an accident to Winter’s Realm put paid to that idea. But the offer still stood, and several years later I was finally able to base myself and Arvan with Carl and work for him.” Vanessa says that her time at Carl’s was a huge break-through. “It was the best experience. I had to retrain, and I learnt to ride so much better. I got to ride Carl’s

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PHOTO LEFT Libby Law Photography

WORDS Pip Hume

horses; then had to go back and fix the mistakes I had made in training mine!” “Carl was a huge fan of Arvan. He always thought he was divine and used to ride him and make him look amazing! It’s always good when your trainer can ride your horse better than you can. As a party trick we would do a Grand Prix test bareback and in a halter – Carl loved it and thought it was brilliant. He couldn’t do that with Valegro!” Arvan was exceptionally clingy when he got to Carl’s. “He was stabled next to Valegro, and he was really annoying! Luckily Valegro wasn’t nearly so attached.” However, while Vanessa made the most of the opportunity to train in the UK, her Olympic campaign struck one hurdle after another. “It was actually a horrible year,” she recalls. “A couple of months after the trip from New Zealand to England, Arvan got very ill. We'd had a stop-over in Singapore, where it was terribly hot, and then when we landed in England, the January winter weather was disgusting, so he stayed in the stable a lot. He felt so amazing that we went straight into the work, but with hindsight, he could have had more time in the paddock, and going at a different time of year would have made it easier for him to acclimatise. “After that, we then had a farriery problem when a farrier decided to change the balance of his feet, and he did a suspensory ligament. “He recovered well, and the training was going really well when he went lame

“I cried when my parents told me I had the ride on him” Molly Lumb

during training – he had done a deep digital flexor tendon inside his foot. The prognosis was very poor that he could ever come back to Grand Prix from that.“ It was time to come home to New Zealand, where Arvan quickly returned to his usual self. His quiet nature made him very easy to rehab, and against the odds, the partnership was back competing by 2013, winning the Grand Prix Horse of the Year once more. In 2014 they won the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Kur at Nationals, and the Dressage Horse of the Year Reserve title. With nothing left to prove and Arvan struggling with an ongoing wind problem, Vanessa felt that it was time for him to step down from the pressure of top-level competition, and the decision was made hand the reins to young rider Molly Lumb.

A dream come true

Arvan paired up with Molly Lumb in October 2014, and they went on to success in the major Young Rider competitions of 2015 and 2016. Getting Arvan was a dream come true for Molly. As a long-term pupil of Vanessa’s she had always admired him and had enjoyed the occasional sit on him. “I cried when my parents told me I had the ride on him,” she reports. “It was the best surprise I’ve ever had. Riding him was entering into a whole new, exciting world. “His temperament really is quite incredible. My mum, who hasn’t really ever ridden, could take him out hacking

ROLL OF HONOUR WITH VANESSA WAY 2004 NZ Dressage Nationals – Level 2 Champion 2006 North Island Dressage Championships – Level 5 Champion NZ Dressage National Championships – Level 5 Reserve Champion Horse of the Year – Level 5 Champion North Island Zilco Leaderboard – 1st Level 5 World Dressage Challenge – 1st Advanced 2007 North Island Dressage Championships – Level 5 Champion NZ Dressage National Championships – Level 5 Champion Horse of the Year – Level 5 Champion North Island Zilco Leaderboard – Level 5 winner 2010 North Island Dressage Championships – Grand Prix Champion NZ Dressage Championships – Grand Prix Reserve Champion Horse of the Year – Grand Prix Reserve Champion 2011 North Island Dressage Championships – Grand Prix Champion NZ Dressage Championships – Grand Prix Reserve Champion – Grand Prix Kur Champion Horse of the Year – Grand Prix Champion 2011 Sydney CDI3* – 4th Grand Prix Freestyle to Music 2012 France Campaigne – 8th Grand Prix Consolation 2013 Horse of the Year – Grand Prix Champion North Island Dressage Championships – Grand Prix Champion 2014 North Island Dressage Championships – Grand Prix Champion

PHOTO LEFT Dark Horse Photography

Horse of the Year – Grand Prix Reserve Champion NZ Dressage Nationals – Grand Prix & Grand Prix Kur winner

WITH MOLLY LUMB 2015 NZ Dressage Championships – Young Rider Reserve Champion Horse of the Year – Young Rider of the Year 2016 NZ Dressage Championships – Young Rider Champion Horse of the Year – Reserve Young Rider of the Year

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“Riding a horse of his calibre is humbling, but regardless of what he has done (and almost did!) he’s just an incredibly generous horse. He has become part of the family now.”

PHOTO Dark Horse Photography

Pip Gibbons

with me on a young horse, and when he goes into the arena, he knows his job. He's so well-trained and is always in sync with his rider. He taught me how the movements should feel. “I was very lucky to ride him with Vanessa’s eye on us every day. He’s easy on the ground and to handle as well; he never puts a foot wrong. He doesn’t like being by himself though, he’s got to be the centre of attention, but we allowed him that! “I think he will always be my favourite and I still miss him a lot. He deserves the retirement he has now.”

A new job

Wellington rider Pip Gibbons has been training with Vanessa since she started teaching in the region, and had been looking for an upper-level schoolmaster for quite some time when Vanessa suggested Arvan to her. “Arvan had finished his competition career and needed a new job, and I was looking for a teacher,” she says. “He’s had a huge impact on my riding. Every day when I get on him, he reminds me of how I should and shouldn’t do things – if I ask the wrong way he ignores me! He has taught me so much about positioning, and I’ve ridden some of the upper-level movements for the first time – I recently got one-time changes! It’s so much easier to get the feel of

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

the movements from a schoolmaster, rather than trying to teach a horse and learn it myself at the same time. “Riding a horse of his calibre is humbling, but regardless of what he has done (and almost did!) he’s just an incredibly generous horse. He has become part of the family now.” As an older horse who has had a full and busy competition life, Arvan is carefully maintained by Pip. “We brought him back into work quite slowly and carefully. He gets bodywork every few weeks, and we’ve got a great farrier. We make sure he gets what he needs as an individual, and we keep his work very varied. As well as arena time, he does a little bit of jumping and heaps of hacking. He loves going over the hills and to the beach. He enjoys having a job to do, and we do everything we can to allow him to do it. "He also likes to be close to the stables and all the action, and if clinics are being held or anyone is in the arena he likes to give advice over the fence! "His mini companion Morrie (who is reputed to be a HOY champion in his own right!), keeps him happy. The funniest thing is when they play chase in the paddock because Morrie can get under the electric tape! They have very similar characters and are the best of buddies.” C

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INTERVIEW

ABBEY THOMPSON Onwards & Upwards

WORDS Pip Hume PHOTOS Dark Horse Photography

A successful completion in the 2* competition at the National Three Day Event Championships has taken young rider Abbey Thompson another step closer to her long-term goal of international competition. We spoke with Abbey about her journey so far and her aspirations for the future.

hen Abbey Thompson’s mum Fiona took on a rescue horse, she likely had no idea how far it would lead.“Although we had a lifestyle block, my mother wasn’t a rider,” Abbey explains. “We got a rescue horse when I was about three years old, and it all went from there. I nagged and nagged, and eventually, I got riding lessons for my fifth birthday.” She rode with Susie Beal at Tuakau for a couple of years; then her parents bought a pony that was at the stables, and she attended Pukekohe Pony Club. However, those early years weren’t exactly indicative of how Abbey’s riding career would shape up. “My first pony, Bliss, was lovely to handle, and always perfect at home, but she was really naughty at Pony Club, and I fell off every single week! Whenever I tried

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PHOTO kampic.com

to jump her, I would go straight over her head,” she recalls. When Abbey was eight, she went onto a 12.2hh pony called Patch, who, although quite hot and not very good at flat work, would jump anything. “She was very cute and easy to do everything with. I could jump on her bareback in the paddock with just a bridle – lots of fun! I did all the little kids’ Pony Club stuff with her. That was the start of wanting to event. I didn’t win anything amazing with her, I just did all the fun stuff, and she taught me to enjoy it! “Patch is about 18 years old now, and we’ve just bought her back for my niece to ride, so that’s quite cool,” she adds. Getting tall very quickly meant that Abbey soon needed something bigger than little Patch. That next pony was a 14.1hh mare named Tilly, who was quite young at the time and hadn’t done much. “I think the girl we got her from was a bit scared of her, and

it’s easy to see why because she was naughty and quite awful. She would buck and carry on; I was terrified and nearly gave up riding. “But after a year of struggling, we figured out she didn’t want to jump. She would do well in the dressage and show jumping but would stop in the cross-country. I started having dressage lessons with Jeanette Benzie, which helped our confidence a lot, but I think she was surprised when for about the first month turned up to every lesson wearing a back protector! “Over the three years I competed Tilly she did a lot for my dressage, so it did turn out well,” she laughs. “We placed fourth in the Level 1 Pony at Horse of the Year, and also had a fourth in the World Dressage Challenge. Tilly was always quite hard work though.” Abbey’s first hack Squid (Kalihari) was a lot more fun. He was a good all-rounder, and she did “a mix of everything” with him, including Timberlands as part of the winning Franklin team. “Squid was great at Training level and won everything. But when I took him up to Pre-Novice he wasn’t quite so honest,” she remembers. Then, when she was 15, a huge breakthrough happened when Diego KSNZ was purchased for her from Fraser King. “That was when I knuckled down and thought, ‘this is what I want to do’. Up until then, I hadn’t ever had a really good cross-country horse,” Abbey explains. “Diego really taught me how to ride a cross-country course. We didn’t win a lot, but riding him helped me so much. My first big eventing win was the Puhinui 1* with him, and I did my first 2* on him when I was 16.” Diego is now happily retired at home, looking after the foals in the paddock.

Stable stars

The current star of Abbey’s stable is Rocky (Rockin It). The 12-year-old Thoroughbred was produced to 1* by Katie Fleming and purchased by Abbey three years ago. “Rocky has an absolutely amazing, scopey jump. Diego wasn’t the scopiest, and I had to be a bit careful, but scope’s no problem for Rocky. I could probably take him around a 4* track without too many problems, but he has a few issues with his dressage. He tends to get very tense and tight and struggles to come back and focus. It’s not easy for him but he does try, and he’s a lot better than he was. He’s still not amazing, but he’s improving!” She says that lessons with John Thompson, who lives nearby, have been very helpful and she’s been making the most of that opportunity over the winter. Also just around the corner is Abbey’s jumping trainer, Donna Edwards-Smith. “I had the occasional lesson with Donna before we moved to the Waikato two years ago, and now I’m around there all the time. She inspires me – she works so hard and will help anyone.”

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“That was when I knuckled down and thought, ‘this is what I want to do’. Up until then, I hadn’t ever had a really good cross-country horse.” Along the way

In 2016, Abbey took up an opportunity to spend four months in England working for Tim and Jonelle Price, before coming back to New Zealand to work for John Thompson and Holly Leach for eighteen months. Now living on a lifestyle block in Te Kauwhata in the Waikato with her parents, she’s making a go of working professionally for herself. Abbey admits that it’s not always an easy life. “I’m trying to get my name out there, and it can be a bit slow at times. I don’t really have a life outside of horses, but that’s what I choose to do. I’m lucky to have the support of my parents because I couldn’t do it without them! My other great sponsors make it much easier as well – I’m a brand ambassador for Prestige, and Golden Horse Feeds also sponsor me.” Abbey isn’t one to back away from a challenge. “As an eventer, the challenge is to get all three phases done well in one weekend. We all strive for perfection, but there are always things we can improve on. My biggest thrill so far came at Taupo Three Day this year when I went clear across country. The weather was quite foul, and I was first to go around the 2* track. I wasn’t sure how it would ride for us, but everything seemed to come up nicely, and we went clear. I was stoked!” As a rider, she considers her greatest strength to be that she is an all-rounder. “I’m not amazing at anything, but I can cover it all pretty well. I’m quite laid back and don’t get too worked up. Sometimes if everything isn’t going to plan, we can all get a bit stressed, but I’m fairly relaxed. I don’t think Rocky would deal well with a stressy person!” Abbey is hopeful that Rocky will compete at 3* level next season, with a goal of getting to Adelaide 4*. “I feel very safe to move up with him,” she comments. “I’m more excited about it than anything.” She’s doubtful, however, whether Rocky’s dressage will ever improve sufficiently to make him competitive enough to go to England, which is her long-term goal. “I’m keen to go back to England to ride, but I’d want to take a horse that’s seriously competitive,” she says. However, she has recently purchased a very nice young horse, DSE Southern Star, which she has high hopes for, so will see what the future holds. C

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EquiFit T-Sport Wrap

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Ossabaw Ladies Show Jacket

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TRAINING

Learn something new or refresh an old technique with advice from our leading trainers in this issue

LUCY OLPHERT

CHRISTINE WEAL

TOP TIPS

STRIDE BY STRIDE

BEND & FLEX

TRAINING ADVICE

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TRAINING

STRIDE BY STRIDE Words Pip Hume Photos Show Circuit

Striding, adjustability, straightness and position are foundational basics that need to be in place before horse and rider can progress. Show jumping trainer and rider LUCY OLPHERT takes us through some simple exercises that will help improve your jumping, stride by stride. As a coach, Lucy sees many riders trying to push beyond their capabilities. As a rider, she knows that you need to progress one stride at a time. She uses a variety of training exercises to create a solid foundation and train the right reaction in a low-risk environment, pointing out that if you get it wrong over poles at home, the consequences are far more minimal. “If you train with good habits at home, you will find it much easier to carry over those good habits to the show. Often when we are under pressure, our survival instincts kick in. But these instincts are not always the right ones! The show is not the place for training; you can’t be thinking about all these things on course. The reactions need to be automatic. If they aren’t, then you haven’t done enough training at home! There are some factors we can’t control at a show, but if we ensure that our homework and preparation have been done, we can eliminate mistakes as much as possible.” Lucy’s sessions usually begin with a warm-up, progress to a fixed stride exercise, follow on with some strength and power, and finish with riding a short course.

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At the time of this session, Laura Farmilo had been working with Lucy for around 12 months, initially riding a schoolmaster which she had produced herself before wear and tear unfortunately forced the mare’s retirement. Laura’s partnership with her eightyear-old warmblood Aston is just a couple of months in, and she hopes to be looking at 1.20m classes next season. Lucy comments that he is a very nice horse with a great brain and is very willing, but at this stage of his training he lacks strength, so exercises to build strength and help transfer the weight from his forehand to his hindquarters are especially important. Having returned to competitive show jumping after having a family, Laura’s ultimate goal is to ride at Grand Prix level. “This horse has the scope, and if we get there that will be amazing! But if we don’t, that’s okay too.”

LESSON OBJECTIVE:

TO DEVELOP BALANCE AND STRENGTH

DYNAMIC RIDER STRETCHES It’s not just the horse who is the athlete, explains Lucy. The rider plays just as much a part, so it’s as important for riders to have a warm-up routine as it is for their horses. It is a proven fact that warming up helps to prevent injuries, as it increases blood flow to the muscles, helping to gradually prepare the body to handle the demands of more strenuous or vigorous activity. A proper warm-up routine can help not only to increase the efficiency of your muscles, but can also reduce the potential for pulled muscles and decrease the severity of muscle soreness after your ride.

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THE WARM-UP

Once on the horse, Lucy’s ridden warm-up includes lots of transitions and straight lines, ensuring that the horse is off the leg and adjustable forward and back, while also incorporating some circles and turns. Throughout the warm-up, Lucy wants Laura to work on the responsiveness of her horse. When she gives an aid, Laura must expect an immediate response. “When you ask for the horse to come back, the response needs to be now, not two or three strides later. Riders need the option to ride a fence on a normal stride, a big stride or a short stride. If you are riding down a related line and the horse takes two or three strides to respond, you could end up in the middle of the jump.” It’s about training your eye as well as understanding your horse’s stride length and improving the quality of your canter, so the horse is more secure between hand and leg. If you have more strength in your canter, then you have better options for your distances. Lucy asks Laura to ride to the inside of the track. Riding on the track makes it easy for the horse to keep his balance and stay on the line. But that doesn’t reflect what happens when you’re riding a course, where you don’t have a fence or the arena edge to keep the horse on the track. Laura rides forward on the long side and collects the stride on the short side, inserting a 15-20m circle at each corner. On the short side, Lucy encourages her to use sitting trot and look around the circle as she collects the horse so that he carries more weight on his hindquarters. “Horses naturally carry more weight on the forehand, which is fine when they’re hanging out in the paddock eating grass, but it’s critical to remember that when we are jumping, their power comes from their hind end. They don’t have front wheel drive pulling them along. We use flat work and specific exercises to transfer more weight to the hind end.”

“You want to feel a real difference between the normal canter stride and the opening up of the canter into extension.”

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FIXED STRIDE EXERCISE This is a fixed stride exercise, based on six ‘normal’ strides and is one of Lucy’s ‘go-to’ exercises for practicing striding. “No rider gets the perfect take-off spot every time when riding a course, so we need to learn how to react when things don’t go to plan or when the distance measures shorter or longer than the normal 12ft stride. If the horse is long over the first jump, then the distance to the second is going to be shorter, so the rider will need to sit up and hold. If the horse is deep over the first, then she will have to push on to get the distance,” Lucy explains. There are three parts to this exercise, and riders need to work out what canter speed is required -

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• To complete the distance in the normal six strides. • To shorten the canter to complete the distance in seven strides. A good option when the striding is long or if your horse has a naturally short stride length. • To open the canter to complete the distance in five strides. This option can also be particularly handy in jump-offs, but it must be ridden accurately as the consequences can be high! Calling out “land” and then counting each stride as you go can also make it easier to ‘see’ the distance. “Sometimes people mistake the landing as their first stride, so I also ask my students to call out “ land” before starting the count. It’s important to train your eye as distance charts are no substitute for being able to see what is actually happening on the approach. Remember that as the fences are raised or lowered, the distances will change accordingly.” “When you’re out competing in the show jumping ring, it’s all about the kind of accuracy we are training here,” Lucy says. “Riding this exercise requires discipline before, during and after the jump. Approaching the jump you need to set yourself up before the turn, then ride the corner and get to the first pole with the horse travelling straight. Immediately after the jump, you are in the recovery phase. That means checking your rhythm, balance, position, etc. Maintain the same canter lead throughout the exercise – if the horse changes or disunites, correct it. It’s important to understand that the quality of the jump is often determined by how we are travelling between the jumps. If you have not established a good rhythm, are unbalanced, or on the wrong lead, you are not setting yourself up for the best result at the fence.”

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BUILDING UP STRENGTH

Building strength and power takes place through anaerobic exercise, which works on the horse’s lactic acid threshold. It’s similar to a person doing weight training, making successive efforts with breaks between for rest and recovery, which is important for the energy system to refuel and go again. “Laura’s horse lacks strength at this stage of his training, and he wants to increase his speed coming into the jump to compensate,” Lucy explains. “Gymnastic exercises are great for teaching horses to solve problems, to use their front ends effectively and to jump off their hocks. Remember, strength is the ability to exert force. Power is the ability to exert that force quickly. The higher the fence, the more strength and power you need.” This two-fence strength and power exercise is another of Lucy’s ‘go-to’ exercises because it’s so easy to build and so difficult to ride! 1. Start with a placement pole on the ground, 2.2m to a vertical. 2. Just before the pole, go into sitting trot. Over the pole, close the leg and soften the hand. 3. Do four to six repetitions, raising the pole a hole or two each time until the exercise is testing the horse, but not pushing him too hard or making it too difficult for him to get over the jump. 4. Rest for two to three minutes then repeat the exercise. 5. You can then progress to a short one-stride grid by adding another jump. 6. Do four to six repetitions of this, rest and repeat. It will ride as a short distance because you’re trotting in and working on getting the horse to contract a bit more quickly than usual. “We want to challenge the horse, but keep it well within his capabilities, so he’s gaining confidence,” Lucy says. “If you feel your horse getting a bit fatigued towards the end of each set, that’s okay. In an exercise such as this, we’re trying to train the horse’s neurological signals to fire faster, while increasing the lactic acid threshold. “Sometimes riders panic because the horse starts to get clumsy, and they make the mistake of trying to do more repetitions, not understanding that the horse actually needs a break to allow the energy system we are working with (anaerobic) to sufficiently recover and refuel.”

“Gymnastic exercises are great for teaching horses to problemsolve, to use their front ends effectively and to jump off their hocks.”

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GRID WORK

Lucy prefers to begin grid work exercises from a trot approach, as it is easier to keep control of the horse and maintain rhythm and balance. Begin with a pole on the ground followed by a cross rail, then measure 5.4m to a vertical. “In the beginning stages of teaching grid work, fences should start small,” she says. “As the accuracy and confidence of the horse and rider grow, the height can gradually increase. You can also add more fences one at a time. Never push your horse too hard and switch him off.” A rider’s upper body movement should be minimal, avoiding over-folding or abrupt movements. The rider must also give a generous release with the reins, to allow the horse to round his head and neck correctly over the jump Lucy reminds Laura not to bring her hands back over the top of the jump. “As soon as you do this you’re shutting down the horse and stopping him from thinking for himself,” she explains. “Your job is to get him to the jump and then allow him to take care of it.” “Less is more,” she emphasises. “It’s human nature to want control and hard for us to relinquish that control, but the more control we take, the less the horse thinks for himself. In a sticky situation, pulling on the reins will only make it worse. The head comes up, the back hollows, and the legs drop, along with those rails! If he is strong between the jumps, I would prefer that you carry your hands a little higher than setting them low. Keeping them higher makes it harder for the horse to resist and grab the bit, so it becomes a much lighter way of going.”

“When you carry your hands, there’s less for the horse to resist against and it leads to a much lighter way of going.” “In your turns, think of your outside rein as both your steering wheel and brakes. If your horse gets too quick, make gentle half-halts with your outside rein to ask him to slow down without leaning on your hands. Otherwise, maintain a steady contact to control the outside to avoid losing his balance. If he falls on the forehand in a corner, use more inside leg to push him out toward your outside rein. “On another note, if the horse stops, you need to decide whether it was a spooky stop or a naughty stop. With a spooky stop, it’s okay to let him look once. Once he is standing calmly and not rolling his eyes or snorting anymore, he is giving you the okay, so if he stops again there will be a consequence!”

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DYNAMIC BUTTERFLY EXERCISE BUTTERFLY EXERCISE

6 strides

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This is another favourite exercise of Lucy’s, as it incorporates muscle memory and encourages the rider to be thinking about the next fence. “The earlier you look, the more time you have to prepare. Where you want to end up is where you need to look, so look around to the next jump!” The aim is to jump each jump in the exercise once, making a nice, flowing course. Remember that horses like to land on the opposite lead to takeoff, so you need to be aware of this on landing. “After each fence, really think about straightness first and foremost, then which lead you are on, then move off through the turn,” Lucy tells Laura. “If you start trying to turn the horse over the fence, you disrupt the balance and the decrease the chances of a successful jump.” She reminds Laura that if her horse is drifting a bit, for example to the right, to apply more right leg along with a little more contact in her left hand. “This exercise uses the work we did in our warm-up, on adjustability and transitions forward and back. Open up the canter, build it up around the turn, then heading into the ‘straight of the fence’ steady the canter stride, collect him and transfer that weight to his rear engine.”

FOCUS ON POLES Once your horse is relaxed on the flat, all you need is a handful of poles to get him to work with you, not against you. You can do this by building a mini course of poles and imagining you’re jumping a proper course of fences as you ride over it.

Start with two poles on the ground… EXERCISE 1

This is a great exercise to do either as part of your warm-up or once you’re in the swing of a schooling session. It will help to improve your rhythm, impulsion and straightness, while giving your horse a clear idea of what he’s being asked to do – which will, in turn, help him feel more confident and relaxed.

…then progress to four poles, ridden in a figure of eight. EXERCISE 2

80-82ft

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS EXERCISE: • Ride over the two poles, first in trot and then in canter (see Exercise 1).

• Aim to keep a balanced rhythm, making sure your horse doesn’t fall in around the corners. You want to stay nice and straight over each pole and remain in balance around each corner.

• Next, place two more poles at a slight angle from B (see Exercise 2).

• Try playing around with the distances and adding or taking away strides to test your speed and control.

• To get your horse’s head in the game, add two dog-leg loops so that you’re effectively riding a figure of eight, in canter, over all four poles.

• Turn the poles into a mix of crosses and uprights, set at a height you feel comfortable with. Lucy likes using crosses as they force the horse to stay straight and really use his shoulders.

• To start, place two poles on the ground, 80-82 ft apart.

PROBLEM BUSTERS • If your horse starts to rush the poles (or fences), pull him up calmly and give him a pat, keeping everything nice and relaxed.

• Some horses will start to anticipate the turn, so it’s your responsibility to keep your horse straight and keep him guessing by playing around with your line to the fences.

• If your horse gets anxious and starts to rush or lose concentration, circle away and ride a number of 15m circles to help him settle and regain focus, asking him to bend around your inside leg.

• If he spooks at something either inside or outside the arena, don’t pull his head towards whatever’s frightening him. Create a little inside bend and ask for a few steps of leg-yield towards the object that’s causing the spook.

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Ride a 15m circle over a fence, concentrating on aiming for the middle of the jump

CIRCLE OVER A FENCE

MAKE IT WORK

Use one of the angled fences from the previous exercise and ride a 15m circle over it two to three times, first on one rein, then the other (see Exercise 3 below). Concentrate on staying in the middle of the fence as you jump it. Next, add a change of rein over the fence (shaded line in Exercise 3). It’s hugely important to stay sitting central as you pop the fence. Open your hand in the direction you want to go and put a little more weight in your opposite leg to help you balance. This helps to open up your horse’s shoulder and encourages him to change leading legs.

• Get into the habit of looking where you want to go. This is important whether you’re jumping a course of fences or practicing the exercises described here. Look ahead and your body will automatically shift into the correct position, and also gives your horse a clearer idea of where he’s going.

EXERCISE 3

• If your horse is a little on edge, circle over a cross-pole, on a 15m circle, several times until he starts to relax. • Give your horse regular walk breaks every five minutes or so throughout your session to help him relax.

TRY THIS AT HOME Upright fence or cross

The key to progressing your training will be practice, practice, practice! Have a go at the exercises shown in Exercises 1 & 2 during your warm-up, focusing on your rhythm and balance, then progress to Exercise 3 when you’re both ready.

EVERY TIME YOU RIDE 15m

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Work on changing the way you react when your horse spooks (remembering to create a little inside bend and ask for a few steps of leg-yield towards the spooky object). If he’s genuinely scared, by all means let him have a look at whatever’s worrying him and give him a pat. But you need to suss out whether he’s genuine, or just trying to avoid having to go to work!

LUCY

INTERVIEW

UP CLOSE

Tell us about your childhood riding experiences. My childhood riding was spent cavorting across farms, beaches and hunt fields. I was lucky enough to try my hand at everything from showing to dressage, show jumping to eventing. I even did a pony scurry at the Tauranga racecourse and won! Jumping was always in the blood though. I never opened gates; I just jumped them! I had several wonderful ponies, but the stand-out would have to be a pony called C’est La Vie. He was only 13.3hh but had the heart of a lion. He took me to Pony Grand Prix as well as winning the Two Fence challenge at the Royal Easter show when I was ten years old, clearing 1.85m and just taking the back bar on 1.92m! At what point did you decide to focus on show jumping?

Around the age of 14. It was after my very first international competition (the FEI Children’s World Final in Brazil). Hearing the New Zealand anthem after I won the final event was a moment I will never forget. It also confirmed to me that I had what it took to be competitive on the world stage, but if I really wanted to get there, I would have to specialise.

What is it about the sport that challenges you? Let’s be

honest. This is a very complex sport! For a start, your teammate weighs nearly ten times more than you. On top of this, they don’t even speak the same language! I think that in itself is a huge challenge and a part of what makes our sport so unique. I take a lot of pleasure in getting to know each and every one of my teammates. They have individual personalities just like us, so you cannot adopt a ‘one best way’ approach. My aim is always to work with, rather than against. There is no better feeling in the world than when the two of you are in complete harmony.

Who has been your best show jumping horse to date?

Without a doubt, my current mare Eve Saint Laurent. At the age of two, she sustained a life-threatening injury. The surgeon told me she would be a broodmare at best. But this horse doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘can’t’! She has defied all and just this last season stepped up into the World Cup League. This horse has taught me so much about resilience and self-belief and will be a very hard act to follow.

What horses are currently in your team? Currently, I

have four horses: Eve Saint Laurent (Eve) – my numero uno; Little Houdini (Houds), owned by Katie Sapsford in Tauranga; Hello Dolly (Dolly), co-owned with Jasmin Teece in Nelson; and Volantis (Fozzie from Aussie), co-owned with Wainui Farms in Tauranga.

What qualities do you look for in a show jumper? Temperament first and foremost. Experience has taught me that with a good temperament you are far more likely to have trainability. I also look for horses that are naturally talented, have sound conformation, are brave and have a big heart.

What is your greatest strength as a rider? I would have to say my physical and mental fitness. Both are critical components of any sport that can drop even the most talented athletes to their knees if they are not adequately prepared.

What advice would you give to other riders? Always ensure

you have laid solid foundations before moving up. Too often I see riders working at levels beyond their capabilities and wondering why the wheels keep falling off! You only have a few spare tyres. Use these wisely! If you truly want to excel in this sport, then your riding alone will not get you there. Riders need to be physically and mentally fit – a combination of resistance and core training as well as speed and endurance.

Who inspires you? Tough one, there have been so many! I was

fortunate enough to get to know Marcus Ehning while I was working in Germany and he really is one of the most dedicated and hardworking riders I have ever met. He has such a beautiful affinity with his horses and watching him ride is like watching poetry in motion! My longtime dressage coach Sally Isaac has also been an incredible mentor and supporter over the years. She is one of my first ports of call whenever I need advice on horses or life! On a non-rider level, Malcolm Law and Mike Allsop (both Kiwis) have inspired me over the years. Both have faced considerable challenges in their lives, yet still had the courage, determination, and resilience to not only overcome these events but to grow and become stronger from them.

Where to from here? I would love to take a few horses overseas

in the next two years to campaign. The Global Champions Tour, World Equestrian Games and the Olympics are firm aspirations, however, right now I am working steadily on growing the team. I am also incredibly passionate about providing opportunities for other riders to compete in international competitions. In the past year, I have fielded two Masters teams to Mexico, two Under-18 teams to Germany and Russia, and in September will head to Brazil with three riders for an Amateur competition!

Who are your sponsors? I am very fortunate to have an

amazing team of supporters backing me. Just recently I secured a very exciting deal with Cartown in Palmerston North so will have some shiny new wheels this coming season! Prestige Equestrian NZ has been with me since 2016. These saddles are absolutely incredible and have made such a difference to my position and riding. I am also lucky enough to have Sundowner Trailers as the official transport for my precious cargo, and Platinum Performance whose supplements have been a game changer this last season. I also appreciate the support of Pittam Farrier Services and Recharge Physio. C

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TRAINING

BEND AND FLEX

WITH CHRISTINE WEAL

If your horse lacks suppleness, it can really affect how he feels to ride. Dressage rider and trainer Christine Weal is here to take the mystery out of bend and flexion. She explains how to improve your horse’s way of going by getting him supple and bending beautifully.

LACKING SUPPLENESS?

Bend and flexion are essential to correctly riding balanced corners, turns, circles, serpentines and lateral work – movements found in all dressage tests – and therefore are so important to get right. Bend and flexion are also just as important for jumping, because riding a course of jumps is much easier on a supple and responsive horse.

WHAT ARE BEND AND FLEXION?

Simply put: Bend is the curve of the horse’s body and neck, from his ears to his tail, around a turn. Flexion occurs at the poll, when the horse brings his nose closer to his chest. Lateral flexion is when he also turns his head slightly.

FLEXION AND BEND WORK TOGETHER

You can have flexion without bend, but to have correct bend, you need flexion too. Whether you are asking your horse for flexion or bend, it’s vital to remember that they both come mostly from your leg. You must have forward movement, created by your leg, then your hand indicates to your horse what you want him to do. You must be riding your horse forward before asking for bend and flexion

SHOULDER-FORE

A lateral movement which encourages your horse to take more weight onto his hindlegs and step actively underneath his body.

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Top tip:

Remember to work your horse equally on both reins to build up muscle evenly, making it easier for him to stay straight, even on his weaker rein.

BEND

True bend is achieved when the horse’s whole body follows the curve on which he is travelling in an arc from his poll to his tail. Riding through a turn is something you will have to do every time you get in the saddle, so it makes sense to work on your ability to navigate those turns successfully without losing balance, rhythm, energy and focus. Riding a turn correctly will result in your horse having an even curve throughout his body, with his energy flowing forwards into your hand via your rein contact. He should be bending in an even curve from his tail to his poll, including through his ribcage and along his spine.

BENDING CHECKLIST

Top tip:

•

Continually check your position, making sure that you’re level and balanced. Check that your shoulders, spine and your hips are aligned, and the weight in your stirrups is evenly distributed.

•

You should feel the horse come over his back with a fluid stretch along his topline. Remember, when the horse’s neck is down, his back is up and able to work correctly.

•

Your horse should be balanced and rhythmic. Don’t rush.

•

When your horse is fluid and balanced, sitting correctly should feel easy.

A horse who is flexible on both reins is easy to ride - movements feel smooth and effortless.

SHOULDER-FORE

Although it’s not a required movement in any dressage tests, shoulder-fore is a useful flatwork exercise to do with your horse, as it’s great for developing straightness and improving balance.

HOW TO RIDE SHOULDER-FORE 1.

Put a little more weight into your inside leg to encourage bend and activity, keeping your outside leg at the girth to prevent your horse’s quarters swinging out.

Your outside rein supports your horse’s outside shoulder. Think about maintaining straightness with this rein, and hold it a fraction lower than your inside rein.

Ask for a little flexion on your inside rein to keep your horse soft through his neck.

Keep your shoulders parallel with your horse’s shoulders – you should be in shoulder-fore as well, but watch you don’t get pushed to the outside of your saddle.

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ENCOURAGING BEND WITH FLEXION

Generally, we want our horse to be bent in the direction of travel – for example, if we’re riding a 20m circle on the left rein, he should be bent to the left. You know that you have the correct amount of flexion when you can just see the corner of his inside eye and nostril. If you can see

more of his eye, you have too much flexion. If you can see his eye on the outside, you need more inside leg and inside flexion. In addition to flexion, the bend of your horse’s body from his ears to his tail should match the arc of the circle you are riding. It’s not just a bend in his neck, but a curve through his entire body.

OUTSIDE HAND

INSIDE HAND

Your outside hand plays a vital role in helping your horse bent through his whole body. You must keep your contact consistent to help him balance, and to control the amount of bend. Once you’ve ridden an exercise, use your outside rein to straighten his neck. Watch what your outside hand does – if you feel like you want to cross your hand over his neck, your horse is falling onto his outside shoulder. To correct this, ride with a firmer contact on your outside rein – riding in counter-flexion for a few steps can help. If you want to open your outside hand away from his neck, he’s probably falling in and you need to ride with more inside leg.

STRENGTHEN HIS WEAKER SIDE

Every horse bends more easily one way than the other. On one rein he’ll feel more flexible and bendable, and naturally, this is the rein you’ll prefer to ride on. You might consider it to be his ‘good’ side, but unfortunately that isn’t true. Your horse probably tends to over-bend his neck to the inside on that rein, falling out through his outside shoulder while his hindquarters drift to the inside. On his stiffer side, your horse won’t easily curve around your inside leg on a circle – instead, he’ll fall in and lean on you. This is because the muscles on his ‘good’ side are actually shortened and contracted, which limits how much he can stretch and bend when that side of his body becomes the outside of the circle.

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Your inside hand simply helps to soften and lightly flex your horse through the poll and jaw – it’s not used to pull him around. You can use your inside rein as an indirect rein aid – opening it away from your horse’s neck – as this helps to show him where to go, but it will only work correctly if you use your inside leg and maintain your contact on the outside rein. If you feel like you’re pulling on the rein or it feels heavy, you need to use more inside leg into the outside rein to create the bend. Asking for too much bend in his head and neck can create tension and prevent him from bending through his ribcage, which will not allow him to use his body correctly.

It’s up to us through training to make the weaker side stronger and this takes consistency and perseverance. As riders, we find it easier to ride on one rein (usually the same as the hand we write with). Again, we must work on improving our own position, giving clear aids to help our horses. Ultimately, bend and flexion are closely linked to straightness. We’re aiming to have our horses equally soft, supple and flexible on both reins. When your horse is straight, his spine lies directly over his line of travel, and his hind feet follow directly in the tracks of his front feet. Straightness is achieved not only on straight lines, such as diagonals across the school, but also when he’s going around a curve, if his body is bent evenly and correctly.

INSIDE LEG

The main aid used to ask for bend is your inside leg. You should be able to close your inside leg at the girth and your horse will step away from the pressure. He should go forward freely, moving his body in a soft arc. When your horse is responsive off the inside leg aids and is bending properly through his body, he’ll feel balanced and movements will feel easy.

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LEG-YIELD

Leg-yield is a movement where the horse moves forward and sideways at the same time, while keeping straight throughout his body. However, he is slightly flexed away from the direction of travel, e.g. if the horse is moving towards the left, he will be looking slightly to the right. His legs will cross over as he moves across, as shown on the left. Leg-yield is a very useful lateral movement for your training sessions, whatever your level. If you are looking to introduce half-pass and shoulder-in, leg-yield is a good place to start. It is also useful for trying to get your horse to become more supple, straight and balanced, and encourages your horse to ‘give’ through his ribcage. When leg-yielding out on a circle, make sure that your horse is moving sideways away from your leg. His body should follow the curve of the circle, with a slight flexion at the poll away from the direction in which he’s moving, and you should just be able to see his inside eye and nostril. Remember, you are pushing your horse off your inside leg into your outside rein. The outside rein must keep a consistent, even contact to guide the shoulders and maintain suppleness within the movement, and must work together with your inside leg. In the beginning, you will find one side easier than the other. This will show you how even the horse is off the leg and into both reins.

HOW TO RIDE A LEG-YIELD IN TROT

It is worth noting that if you or your horse are unfamiliar with this movement, you should practise it first in walk. This will help you both to understand the basic aids for leg-yield before you increase the pace.

LEG-YIELD

A lateral movement where the horse moves forward and sideways at the same time.

•

Start on the right rein, and establish a good, active and balanced working trot.

•

Apply a half-halt as you come along the short side of the arena, then ride onto the quarter line.

•

Put slightly more weight into your inside seat bone, then shift your inside leg behind the girth and ask your horse to move sideways, away from your inside leg towards the edge of the arena.

•

Use your outside rein to control the bend.

•

Use your outside leg to prevent your horse from “running away” from your inside leg, or from his quarters leading.

•

Use your inside leg to maintain his forward momentum.

•

Use your inside rein to ask for a small amount of flexion, but make sure your horse is balanced and the contact is even between both reins.

•

Once you reach the edge of the arena, straighten your horse and ride him forward and out of the leg-yield.

COMMON PROBLEMS

My horse doesn’t travel sideways enough when asked • A common misconception is that leg-yield occurs when the rider pushes the horse sideways with a constantly applied leg aid, but too much leg will only deaden your horse’s reactions. How to fix it: • Use short, sharp leg aids from the inside leg and reward the horse when he responds by removing the pressure. My horse falls out through his outside shoulder • This happens when the rider asks for too much leg-yield and has too much neck bend to the inside, usually because of poor outside rein contact. It feels like the horse is unbalanced and leading with his shoulders, and he doesn’t take any crossing-over steps. How to fix it: • Take a more consistent outside rein contact, and be aware of how the leg-yield is developing. If your horse starts off well but then begins to fall out through his shoulders, you’re probably asking for too much, too soon. Have a break for a few strides, ask him to go forward and straight, then correct the rein contact and continue. With young or green horses, reward small efforts and gradually build up to a full leg-yield.

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Half halt with outside rein to keep shoulders straight

Leg aid behind the girth

CIRCLES ARE ESSENTIAL

Circles are probably the most common movement you’ll do and are extremely valuable in your horse’s training. When ridden correctly, they create flexibility and improve your horse’s ability to bend laterally. Incorporating different-sized circles into his schooling benefits his overall way of going. If you’re riding a circle on the left rein, put your inside leg on the girth to create bend and maintain activity. Place your outside leg slightly behind the girth – this controls the size of your circle and prevents his hindquarters from swinging out. As you ride smaller circles, you may need to position your outside leg further back. Your inside rein asks your horse to flex to the inside. We often ask for too much bend to the inside when riding circles. On a 20m circle, it’s only a very gentle arc and you may not need as much bend as you think. Finally, your outside rein supports and controls the amount of bend in his neck and helps to turn him, bringing his shoulders around the curve.

WORKING LONGER AND LOWER

There are benefits from riding your horse in a longer, lower outline. It encourages him to stretch over his topline, improving suppleness and relaxation through the muscles – basically allowing him to have a good stretch. If you ride your horse in one position all the time, for example in a competition outline where his poll is the highest point, over time he’ll become stiff. Riding in different outlines keeps him healthy and supple. When riding in a longer, lower frame, it’s important that this isn’t forced. You must ride forward from your legs into a contact. Over time your horse will learn this position is comfortable for him. Riding horses is all about control, not force. If you can’t put your horse where you want him, then you aren’t in control.

EXPERT HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT

ASK CHRISTINE QUESTION

Could you please tell me the correct aids for asking the horse to bend around your inside leg on a 20-metre circle?

ANSWER

First, make sure your horse is travelling well on a straight line, with his hindquarters stepping well under, and that you are sitting straight and square. In an arena, even on straight lines his neck should be slightly flexed to the inside, so you can just see his eyelashes. This means that your outside rein will lie against his neck, and your inside rein will be just slightly off his neck. This should be sufficient bend and flexion for a 20m circle. Start your circle by bringing the horse’s shoulders onto the curve, using your inside leg to encourage him to keep a nice active pace around the whole circle. Let your outside leg come just a little behind the girth to prevent his quarters from swinging out. C

Working in a long and low frame stretches and lifts his back

MANAGEMENT KNOW-HOW

Nutritionist Gretel Webber from Dunstan Feeds gives her tips for a relaxed willing horse Your horse’s feeding regime has a huge influence on his behaviour under saddle, so bear in mind the following checklist when deciding what to put in his haynet or feed bin.

FORAGE IS KEY. Forage should form the basis of all our horses’ diets. This

can be a pasture-based diet or a combination of hay and/or haylage. Horses should receive a minimum of 1.5% of their bodyweight in hay/chaff or pasture daily (on a dry matter basis) for digestive health. An excitable horse will be easier to manage if its diet is based around forage.

ALWAYS LOOK AT THE LABEL ON THE BAG.

Choose feeds that rely on digestible fibres and oils, rather than lots of cereals. Avoiding high starch feeds can, in some horses, assist in maintaining a more manageable temperament. The digestible energy (DE) level of the feed will tell you how calorie-dense it is, and therefore how fattening. Low-GI feeds can provide a medium energy level but remain ‘cool’, due to the form in which the calories are provided in the feed. If your horse is naturally full of energy and a good doer, choose a concentrated feed. These are generally low intake feeds (approximately 400-500grams per day) that are packed full of essential nutrients, but due to their low intake they contribute few calories to the diet. However, if your horse is more difficult to keep weight on, you will need to provide a full feed at a higher intake. A low-starch feed, along with nonmolassed beet products and vegetable oils, is ideal for these horses.

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TRAINING

Top TIPS FOR

SPRING TRAINING Spring exercise also provides an opportunity to fix problems in a horse’s training and to prepare both horse and rider for the upcoming competition or riding season. Here are some top tips to give you a leg-up as we come into spring.

Lisa Cubitt says: Off-season training is a great time for going back to basics and strengthening up on fundamentals. It’s the time for lots of flat work and pole work, working on rideability and adjustability. Make a plan! Write down your goals, do a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and identify areas you need most to work on. Keep track of your progress in a diary, and try to keep fit yourself.

Birdy Berry says: Injury prevention is extremely important. Show jumping is very strenuous on horses’ legs, so having your horse super fit and strong before the show season starts is key to your ongoing success. Continually work them on different surfaces, and make sure that you regularly check their paddocks for any holes or uneven ground that could injure their precious lower limbs.

Bundy Philpott says: Jacqui Thompson says: Winter’s your training ground – it’s the ideal time to step up and become established at the next level. You can test that training at a low-key spring dressage day or two before the higher level competitions get underway.

Sam Mynott says: This is a great time to go back to basics and do some simple exercises. I highly recommend grids - it gives them something different to do and keeps them thinking.

Pay attention to detail. The off-season is a good time to go back and assess the little things that happened over your last season that crept in – how many times did you have the first rail down in the show jumping, or a rail in the combination? If you had a stop on cross-country, was it at a ditch or a skinny? Spring is the time to make sure you’ve done your homework and fixed those details.

Emily Fraser says: Hunting has been winter training for me, to keep my eye in. If I have young horses, they are in work throughout winter for schooling and winter jumping shows.

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Kate Tobin says:

Ben Conn says: As a rider, you need to make your aids short, sharp and clear. If your aids are dull, your horse will become dull to them. I recommend long reining or working with your horse from the ground so they learn to carry

Going into the spring season, planning is the key! I pick my first few shows, decide which horses I’m taking and what level they will compete at. Then I write up a six-week plan for each horse to make sure each one is conditioned and ready to go when the shows come around.

themselves and respond to voice aids. Praise them when they get it right! Abbey Thompson says: Take a

Lucy Olphert says: Achieving the ride you want on show day means trying different things at home during the lead up to the competition season, so that you know what works and what doesn’t for your horse. Experiment during the off-season with the length of your warm-up. Does your horse need 10–15 minutes before jumping a course in good form, or does he need 20 –30 minutes of exercises before doing coursework? Does your horse tire easily? Is he greatly influenced by weather? All of these variables play a role in your day-to-day training and your show-day warm-up.

Nicola Urquhart says: During the off-season, I work on fixing any problems that have cropped up, focusing on improving so I can come out better the next season. Unless a horse is young, I prefer to keep them ticking over during the wet months.

breath. It can seem like the end of the world when things don’t go well, but everyone has good luck, and everyone has bad luck, and sometimes you have to wait your turn. Make the most of the time you have before the season starts again. Buy some good wet weather gear and just get out there and do it!

Molly Lumb says: When it comes to planning ahead and setting goals, I like to have short-term, medium-term and long-term goals set prior to the competition season; then I know where I am heading and what I want to achieve during the season. As a rider, pre-season is very important for training purposes, as it allows me to work on my weaknesses from last season.

Pip Gibbons says: Christine Weal says: While it may be tempting to jump on your horse and go for a long ride the minute you feel the warmth of spring in the air, it all depends on what your horse did all winter. If he didn’t work, you’ll need to bring him into work slowly. Your horse’s age, fitness level and general health will have an impact on how long that takes. Spring is also the most crucial time to reassess your horse’s nutrition requirements and make changes for a successful season ahead.

Variety is everything! As riders we can get obsessed with our training, but everyone is happier when they get plenty of variety. Along with their regular arena work, my horses love a little bit of jumping, and heaps of hacking over the hills and at the beach.

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ADVERTORIAL

THE MAGIC OF MĀNUKA Nature’s Super Healer An unfortunate reality of being horse owners is that at some point or another, we inevitably have to deal with wounds that require treatment. With equine veterinarian Dr Leigh de Clifford, we look at the benefits of Mānuka honey as a healer for wounds of all types, and learn that it is a ‘must have’ for your first aid kit. WORDS Laura Hunt

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THE EXPERTDr Leigh de Clifford

After graduating from Massey University with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2008, Leigh has been working as an equine veterinarian for 10 years. He has worked in a large equine hospital in western Victoria and as private veterinarian for Qatar Bloodstock and Qatar Racing in the United Kingdom. Leigh has been working in New Zealand for Matamata Veterinary Services for four-and-a-half years, and his special interests include sports medicine, lameness and surgery. Leigh is hugely passionate about the benefits of medical grade Mānuka honey as a natural, antibiotic-free wound treatment for horses, and together with fellow equine veterinarian Dr Jason Lowe, launched Mānuka Vet just over a year ago. After initially identifying a gap in the market, they spent a year-anda-half developing the Mānuka Vet products, which are wound treatments designed specifically for horses, and made from pure high-grade New Zealand Mānuka honey. Through development of the product, Leigh has learnt a huge amount about Mānuka honey, and is a strong advocate for its use in the right form as one of the most effective ways to treat all types of wounds.

Mānuka Vet products are antibioticfree, completely natural, and suitable for all kinds of equine injuries

History of Mānuka honey

The use of Mānuka honey in assisting wound healing is not a new concept. “The ancient Egyptians used honey along with lard-soaked cloth to aid in wound healing,” explains Leigh. “Recently it has been put into the spotlight again as the World Health Organisation and veterinary community put increased focus on the reduction of antibiotic use in treating human and veterinary patients.”

Mānuka Vet’s honey is collected from New Zealand’s wild Mokau River banks

Off the shelf vs medical grade

There is a big difference between picking up a pot of Mānuka honey off the shelf at your local supermarket compared to buying certified medical grade Mānuka honey, and Leigh explains that you will get a variation in healing benefits between the two. “Honey is a multi-active product with its high sugar and high acidity content, but for wound healing, it all comes down to the methylglyoxal (MG), the ingredient which is only found in superior levels in New Zealand Mānuka honey,” says Leigh. “MG is the most significant component of the honey for wound healing – it really has the punch. In terms of the jigsaw

The work structure of a beehive is like a well-oiled machine

Mānuka honey and the reduction of antibiotics

puzzle, it’s the biggest piece.” Leigh further explains that a typical jar of New Zealand Mānuka honey bought off the shelf at a supermarket would have an MG level of around 100, whereas to be classed as medical grade, Mānuka honey needs to be at least 350 MG. “It’s only when you start to use medical grade Mānuka honey, with an MG level of 350 or more, that you will see the true beneficial effects in wound healing. For example, our Mānuka Vet Skin and Wound Gel, which is intended for wounds in the early stages of healing, has been independently certified as having more than 500 MG; and our Skin and Wound Crème product, for more minor abrasions or wounds at a later stage in the healing cycle, still has a level of at least 350 MG.”

One of the major reasons Leigh is such a passionate advocate for the use of medical grade Mānuka honey for treating wounds is because of its ability to reduce the need for antibiotics. “There’s a massive push worldwide to reduce the use of antibiotics for both horses and humans because of growing resistance to various antibiotics,” he explains. “For example, there are two products that we were using just 10 years ago to treat respiratory infections, but 90% of bugs are now resistant to them.” With research showing that wounds in horses are one of the top three reasons for vet call-outs across the world, a reduction in the use of antibiotics to treat those wounds by using medical grade Mānuka honey could help significantly reduce the use of antibiotics. “Medical grade Mānuka honey has the ability to kill bacteria in the wound for a significant amount of time and the need to provide those systemic antimicrobials (antibiotics) is reduced,” he adds. “I’m seeing this in my everyday work where using a medical grade Mānuka honey product has meant I use antibiotics about 50% less than I used to.”

Why New Zealand Mānuka honey?

New Zealand Mānuka honey is the only type of honey proven to be effective in wound healing. Mānuka honey, derived from Leptospermum scoparium (Mānuka, also known as New Zealand tea tree), is only found in New Zealand, and is the most extensively studied type of honey in the world. “The type of Mānuka honey made in Australia has no research supporting its use in wound healing, so it is always important to use only New Zealand medical grade (at least 350 MG) Mānuka honey products,” says Leigh. Other types of honey, such as clover or meadow honey, also don’t have the healing benefits of medical grade Mānuka honey. “To date they haven’t found MG present in any other types of honey, and independent research from the University of Sydney recently found that saline-soaked gauze swabs, standard meadow honey and low quality Mānuka honey all had no effect on wound healing, so it does appear that quality medical grade Mānuka honey is far more superior as a wound healing product,” he adds. Bee colonies are checked on a regular basis to ensure the hive is a happy one

The high sugar content in honey causes an ‘osmotic gradient’ (higher pressure on one side compared to the other). This in turn causes a suction-like effect pulling fluid into the wound and shrinking any bacteria present

A better and quicker heal

In addition to being antibacterial and reducing the need for antibiotics in many cases, Leigh explains that medical grade Mānuka honey is also inflammatory modulating, meaning it has the ability to reduce pain from a wound, speed up the healing time and the quality of the healing. “The main out-take really is that you get a better quality heal of the wound when using medical grade Mānuka honey for treatment,” he says. “You end up with a wound that will have fewer complications and a reduction in costs to the owner, because the horse may not be locked up for as long, return to work quicker, spend less time bandaged and, in many cases, there is either a reduction or removal of antibiotics in the treatment process.” C

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HORSE CARE

-THE BASICSARTHRITIS EXPLAINED

Bony changes can be seen around this arthritic pastern joint (circled)

THE CONDITION

and can occur for several reasons. These include poor conformation, repetitive strain, an underlying defect in the cartilage such as OCD (osteochondrosis dissecans), or an injury to the joint. Arthritis leads to bony changes that can limit the joint’s movement as the cartilage, which coats the ends of

the bones within the joint and acts as a shock absorber, thins or cracks, exposing the underlying bone. The release of inflammatory enzymes and cells further damages the joint. However, if arthritis is caught early, it is possible to halt the effects and regain normal, or at least functional, joint use.

In its early stages, it can be hard to differentiate arthritis from just ‘a bit of stiffness’. Maybe your horse isn’t as keen as he once was to canter on a particular rein? Maybe there’s heat and swelling around one of his joints, or he’s showing signs of mild lameness? Maybe he’s less willing to lift one of his back legs for the farrier? To reach a diagnosis, your vet may need to perform a flexion test, take an ultrasound scan or use nerve

blocks to identify the affected joint. If a local anaesthetic is injected into the joint and any lameness immediately disappears, arthritis may well be to blame for your horse’s unsoundness. X-rays can be taken to look for bony changes within the joint, although these may be hidden, which is why X-rays are often used in conjunction with other diagnostic tests. An arthroscopy – when a camera is inserted into the joint – is much more invasive, but enables the vet to

make a more precise diagnosis. This process also allows the vet to ‘clean up’ the joint if necessary by removing any excess cartilage and debris.

The best way to prevent and manage arthritis is to ensure your horse’s body is working as efficiently as it can. Regular farrier visits to balance the feet and help prevent uneven loading on the joints, keeping your horse at his ideal weight, and a regular, sensible exercise plan will all go a long way towards helping your horse’s joints work

as nature intended. It’s also a good idea to make sure your horse is always well warmed-up before strenuous exercise and well cooled-down afterwards, to help protect his joints from excess wear and tear. A good quality joint supplement that boosts your horse’s levels of glucosamine and chondroitin (both

help to build healthy cartilage) is recommended, and your vet will be able to advise you as to which product to invest in. While many people reach for this kind of supplement only when stiffness becomes an issue, it may be more beneficial to give it long-term from a younger age, especially if your horse is conformationally challenged.

PREVENTION

Arthritis can strike any horse at any time, usually developing with age as wear and tear on the joints damages their structure, leading to inflammation and pain. Also referred to as degenerative joint disease (DJD) or osteoarthritis, arthritis largely targets the hock, knee, fetlock, coffin joint and pastern,

SYMPTOMS & DIAGNOSIS

Arthritis is one of the most common causes of lameness, and it affects many horses as they age. The onset of the disease is very gradual and can often go unnoticed in the early stages, with horses initially appearing to be occasionally stiff first thing in the morning...

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A flexion test helps to highlight any joint pain

ARTHRITIS

- THE KEY FACTS -

Arthritis is one of the leading causes of equine lameness, and is believed to be responsible for 60% of all lameness cases. Today’s sophisticated diagnostic tools include nuclear scintigraphy (better known as a bone scan) and MRI scans. During a bone scan, a radioactive substance is injected that ‘binds’ to areas of active bony change within a joint. These can then be picked up as hot spots by a scanner. An MRI scan – which can only be used on the horse’s lower leg – can also be used to detect changes in the joint and its surrounding soft tissue. Riding too fast or hard over poor terrain – be it hard, soft or boggy – can increase the chances of joint trauma and, in turn, predispose the joint to arthritis. This is one of the reasons why it’s vital to ride with care when the ground is not so good.

TREATMENT & CARE OPTIONS • A period of rest followed by a gradually increasing exercise regime. • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as phenylbutazone or suxibuzone. Long-term, ongoing treatment with these drugs is often required. • An anti-inflammatory steroid injected into the joint. Use of steroids in horses does have the potential serious adverse effect of laminitis, so this is something that should be considered before administering this treatment. • Sodium hyaluronate injected into the joint. This has been used effectively for mild to moderate inflammation and has a cartilage protecting effect, but is less effective for severe inflammation. • Polysulphated glycosaminoglycans (PSGAGs) injected into the joint. This can help prevent ongoing degeneration of articular cartilage. The effectiveness of injecting PSGAGs into the muscle is less certain. • Pentosan polysulphate injected into the muscle. This has been shown to be effective as a disease-modifying drug with experimental equine osteoarthritis. A course of four or five injections is usually recommended. • IRAP – this involves taking a blood sample from the horse, which is then stimulated in a laboratory to produce anti-inflammatory agents. The serum is collected from the blood sample and injected into the affected joint. It has shown good results in some horses. • Oral joint supplements – these may be beneficial, particularly early in the disease, although scientific evidence supporting their use is largely lacking. Such supplements contain molecules that constitute the ‘building blocks’ of cartilage, such as glucosamine and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). Supplements vary widely in ingredients and price, and should be checked carefully before purchase. • Surgical management – such as fusing the joint (arthrodesis), which may be considered on selected joints in unresponsive cases. Surgical fusion of the pastern or lower hock joints can result in athletic soundness. Fetlock arthrodesis is also done in valuable animals, which enables them to be sound enough to be kept for breeding purposes. • Treatments for osteoarthritis are designed to modify the disease process, either by reducing inflammation or assisting repair within the joint. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to predict how an individual horse will respond to treatment and several lines of therapy may be necessary to achieve a sound animal.

If your horse shows signs of lameness, if there’s heat or swelling in one or more joints, or if you spot any unusual lumps or bumps around a joint, call your vet for advice. While arthritis is manageable in the long term with good care, your horse may need painkillers, antiinflammatories and box rest in the short term.

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HORSE CARE

10 TIPS TO MANAGE

EQUINE

ARTHRITIS

Keeping arthritic horses mobile, supplemented, and as flexible as possible is key to keeping them sound until spring. Here are some tips for keeping these horses comfortable during the colder months.

HELP HIM STAY IN SHAPE – Excess weight puts unnecessary strain through your horse’s joints, while thin, poorly muscled horses lack the strength needed to support correct joint function. A healthy weight is one risk factor that is 100% under our control. If the horse is already arthritic, weight control should be an integral part of the treatment plan.

KEEP EXERCISING – Exercise is often blamed for causing arthritis, but the truth is that exercise is essential for healthy joints. Joint cartilage has no blood supply, and it is nourished and cleaned by joint fluid being compressed out of the cartilage when the horse moves, with fresh fluid flowing in when the joint is not bearing weight. Exercise also stimulates cartilage to become stronger in areas that are being stressed. It strengthens the ligaments between bones, holding them in alignment. Controlled, calm exercise is very important for the health of arthritic joints.

Arthritis affects the vast majority of horses as they age, but can be managed with vet treatment and good care

6 7

CONTROL HIS PAIN – Speak to your vet about using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as phenylbutazone (bute). These can minimise the pain of arthritis and help to improve your horse’s quality of life dramatically. TREAT HIS JOINTS – Another anti-inflammatory medication available from your vet is corticosteroids, and hyaluronic acid (HA) injected into the affected joint or muscle. Corticosteroids break the cycle of inflammation, while HA improves joint fluid quality.

PROTECT HIS CARTILAGE – Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is one of the main substances responsible for cartilage destruction, but antibodies against IL-1 can help stop these detrimental effects. An IL-1 antibody-rich serum called IRAP (interleukin receptor antagonist protein) can be injected directly into affected joints, helping to slow the progression of arthritis.

TRIMMING AND SHOEING – Regular hoof care is essential, as well-balanced feet absorb concussive forces more effectively. Use an experienced farrier who’ll take time with your horse, as he may get stiff holding his legs up for long periods. It's important to avoid over-stressing arthritic joints. You can help to prevent arthritis from developing by making sure your horse's feet are kept well-trimmed and meticulously balanced – this is true regardless of whether the horse is shod or barefoot.

JOINT SUPPLEMENTATION – There’s a wide variety of these available, and while scientific evidence in support of them is sparse, most studies in naturally occurring arthritis have been done with people. Most of these do show relief of pain, better movement and, in some cases, a slowing of arthritic progression. It is generally agreed that the sooner supplements are started, the better the result will be. Supplements including glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate may be of use for joint health and slow down arthritic progression before extensive joint changes have occurred.

HANDS-ON CARE – Physiotherapy can provide a host of exercises that improve a joint’s range of motion, improving suppleness. Lengthening and stretching exercises will help back and neck arthritis in particular.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ANY CHANGES – Check your horse regularly, especially his joints. It is recommended that an arthritic horse has regular veterinary check-ups every four to six months. C

KEEP HIM MOVING – Arthritic horses should be turned out in their paddock as much as possible to allow them to exercise their joints. Encourage walking in the paddock by placing hay and water at opposite ends, which has the added benefit of burning extra calories. If your horse is stabled, try to at least hand walk him at regular intervals during the day.

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HORSE CARE

CARE FOR YOUR

older horse

Regular grooming and up-close inspections of your horse's surface condition will aid in early recognition and treatment of superficial wounds that can open the door to more troublesome infections.

Ageing is a natural process – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy, or fun. In horses, as in humans, strength and flexibility diminish with age, as does the body’s ability to handle stress and infection. Activity can become more difficult and less pleasurable, while injury and illness can occur more easily and might be harder to overcome. Like us, horses need extra care as they get older to help ward off the aches, pains and digestive problems that come as they hit their late teens, and into their twenties and (sometimes) thirties.

Taking steps now to adapt your veteran equine’s feeding, care and management routine to suit his years will help to keep him fit and well. Here are six top tips for the care of older equines:

1 As your horse ages, his digestive tract becomes less efficient and his teeth become smooth, or are lost, leading to a lack of grinding surface. This means his ability to chew hay and fibre is reduced. Offering fibre in an easy-to-chew form (such as short chop feeds) and using a balanced feed specifically formulated for veterans is recommended to meet his increasing needs.

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Remain vigilant against parasites! Older horses have a reduced resistance to worm infections, so keeping on top of his worm burden is important. A faecal egg test to see if your parasite control program is working makes sense. Collecting a manure sample is easy. If the faecal egg count is high, another test two weeks after de-worming is recommended.

Your horse’s immune system starts to become less effective as he ages. To minimise the risk of serious infection, it’s important to keep his vaccinations up to date, even if he’s not going to be travelling. Contact with other horses, even if they are vaccinated, can be a risk of infection. Tetanus lives in the environment, meaning infection can occur for any horse, even through minor cuts and abrasions.

The good news for owners of older horses is that most dental problems can be avoided or managed through regular preventive check-ups. Possibly the most common and easily overlooked cause of malnutrition or weight loss in old horses is tooth loss or dental damage. Years of grazing gritty grass and grinding up hay and grain can wear, weaken or even loosen the teeth. Horses have a finite amount of tooth available in their lifetime. As they age, their teeth become more prone to problems. Loose teeth can shift, causing ulceration in the mouth and may eventually fall out, leaving a gap behind. If a horse loses a tooth, the others shift to close the gap. As they shift, other gaps (diastema) form where food can get packed, leading to dental disease, abscess or infection. Routine dental care is vital to pick these problems up early, before they start to cause real trouble for your horse.

equine dental care

Maintaining a horse's soundness can be difficult at any age, but geriatric animals can have added insidious orthopaedic damage that often catches up with them later in life. Owners often miss the early signs of lameness in their older horse because they are slower on their feet, which means the condition isn't being managed and they may deteriorate faster. By the time your horse gets into his twenties and beyond, he is likely to have a bit of ‘wear and tear’ of his limbs. If you feel your horse is becoming less mobile than usual, or you notice that he is lame, call your vet for advice. The type of farriery work your older horse requires may not change appreciably as he ages, but deteriorating hoof quality and joint stiffness can complicate his hoof care. As horses age, their hooves often become more brittle. Use a nutritional supplement containing biotin, zinc and other nutrients that help enhance hoof structure.

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Be alert for glandular dysfunction. A little loss of condition, sleekness and energy is normal in ageing horses, but a woolly, coarse coat retained in warm weather, coupled with weight loss and excessive sweating, thirst and urination may signify hyperactivity of the pituitary gland. This ‘master gland’ is located at the base of the brain, and hyperactivity could indicate that Cushing's disease is present. Cushing’s can affect horses at any age, but is most common in horses in their late teens or twenties. It’s important that your horse has regular checkups with a vet who can diagnose any conditions that may arise. This may include a blood sample to screen for underlying conditions that might not become clinically apparent until the later stages.

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HEALTH

TO HELP WITH LOWER BACK AND HIPS

NICOLA IS A PERSONAL TRAINER & WELLNESS COACH WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO LOVE DRESSAGE. SHE RUNS A POPULAR DRESSAGE RIDER TRAINING WEBSITE, HELPING RIDERS IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH AND FITNESS OFF THE HORSE. Nicola applies her knowledge in sports conditioning, biomechanics and scientific core training to help riders improve their riding performance. Download her free Dressage Rider Fitness Guide at dressageridertraining.com

CHILD’S POSE

This is fantastic for helping to relieve tension through your lower back and help to open up your hips. Have your feet together and your knees wide, then sit back on your heels and reach your arms forward. Rest your head down and focus on your breathing. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

The human body has a fantastic ability to heal itself, at any age and in nearly any state, especially when given the right environment to do so. Our body will put up with a considerable amount of incorrect movement and poor lifestyle choices for a long time because we have a significant amount of functional tolerance built into us.

However, we shouldn’t abuse this high tolerance. Instead, we need to make sure that we listen and take care of our bodies on a daily basis because little signs and symptoms can turn into more significant, much uglier problems later on. Just as a tree moulds to its environment, so too does our body to the pressures we put it under, and ignoring our physical problems or only treating the symptoms they create will not resolve those underlying issues. We have amazing bodies that can repair and heal themselves, given the right tools and environment, so it is essential to pay attention to everything your body is trying to tell you.

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WORDS Nicola Smith

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These stretches and exercises are designed to help relieve lower back or hip pain, which are incredibly common problems, often created by the environment our bodies are placed in every day. While these stretches will be super helpful, pay attention to other possible changes you can make to your daily life. Sitting for long periods of time can cause tightness in your hamstrings, shoulders, hip flexors, and compression in your lower back. To combat this, try to spend more of your day standing or walking. Try this – for every 30 minutes of sitting you do each day, aim to do 2 minutes of walking to counteract it.

Taking car e of your body today will allow you to continue d oing the things you love for as long as you choose.

When it comes to riding, it’s crucial to sit evenly in the saddle, with your spine in a neutral position, so you can to maintain proper posture. Alignment matters when it comes to riding – not just because it makes a pretty picture, but also because it ensures that your body works evenly and optimally to prevent undue wear and tear on both rider and horse. Adding the horse’s movement and force to an uneven, unaligned body is a classic example of a ‘poor environment’. Your body may or may not put up with this for a while, but eventually, it will all catch up with you and may decrease your riding years. Shown below are some fantastic stretches to help you.

KEY HOLE STRETCH A great exercise for stretching your glutes, piriformis, and lower back. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Bend your right knee, placing your right ankle onto your left knee. Reach your hands through to grab your left thigh and pull everything in towards you. Keep your head down as you stretch.

HALF LOTUS

This is great for getting into your hip flexors as well as stretching out your piriformis and glutes. Sit evenly on both seat bones with your legs crossed, lift your left heel and place it onto your right thigh with your foot flexed, then allow your upper body to tip forward with a long spine. If you need to, you can sit on a cushion to lift your seat bones up off the floor and have your feet further in front of you. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

SEATED FORWARD FOLD A great way to help stretch out your lower back and hamstrings. Sit evenly on both seat bones, with your legs stretched out in front of you. Allow your upper body to fold forward with your spine nice and long. Look towards your toes as you breathe and gently stretch. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

KEY HOLE SPINAL STRETCH This exercise is useful for helping to improve your internal hip rotation and to stretch your glutes and lower back. Start by lying down on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet on the ground, hip-width apart. Bend your right knee and place your right ankle above your left knee on the thigh, then allow your knees to fall to the right as you take your eyes the other direction. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

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WRAPPED SPINAL TWIST

RUNNER’S LUNGE A stretch to get into your hip flexors and quadriceps. Have your hands down on the floor and step your right foot to the outside of your right hand. Gradually slide your left knee backwards, and press your left hip forwards to feel the stretch. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds on each side.

Sitting g for lon me f s o ti period tightness use , can ca strings r ham exors, u o y n i p fl ers, hi ion in s should e r mp s and co wer back. your lo

7 8

WIDE LEG FORWARD FOLD This stretch helps to open up your lower back and stretch your hamstrings. Stand with your feet wide and toes angled slightly inwards. Bend your knees and fold your chest over forward, letting your hands rest on the ground and bending your knees as much as you need to remain comfortable. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

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This stretch helps to get into your glutes, ITB (iliotibial band) and lower back. Lie on your back, cross your left leg over your right and if you can, tuck your left foot behind your right calf. If you can’t, wrap them as tight as you can, then allow your legs to fall gently to the left. Take your eyes in the opposite direction and breathe. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

ADDUCTORS As riders, our adductors can get tight, and this is a great way to open them up and get into your hip flexors at the same time. Stand with your feet wide and toes pointing 45 degrees. Move into a sitting position, then place your elbows inside your knees and gently press your thighs wide. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

SEATED TWIST This stretch releases your lower back, glutes, and piriformis. Sit down with your legs out straight in front of you, then draw your left heel in towards your right seat bone and cross it over your right thigh. If that is enough for you, stay there; or you can take it further by bending your right foot in as well. Sit up tall and breathe as you look behind you to intensify the stretch. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

COW FACE POSE This stretch is for your outer hips and lower back. In a seated position, place your bent right knee on top of your bent left knee. Aim to wrap your legs as tight as you can and have your feet flexed. If you need to, you can sit on a cushion to prop your hips up and allow even weight on both seat bones. With your legs stacked, let your upper body fold forward with your hands out in front. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

We have a mazing bodies tha t can repair and heal themselve s, given the right to ols a environme nd nt.

HAPPY BABY This stretch is great for opening up your lower back. Lying on your back, bend your knees and draw them in towards your chest. Reach your hands through the inside of your thighs and take hold of the inside edges of your feet. As you bring your feet down towards you, think of pressing your lower back into the floor. Aim to hold for 30-60 seconds.

Doing these stretches on a regular basis will help prevent any tightness in your back and hips. Remember to pay attention to other factors in your environment too – riding isn’t just about being on the horse! You and your horse are a team, and you should pay as much attention to your wellness each and every day as you do to his. C

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RECIPE

W A R Citrus slice

Keep d i s h es t minimum o a t h i s tasw i t h ty t r e at

Base ingredients

Instructions

1½ cups desiccated coconut

•

Cover cashews with water and soak for a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight.

•

Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper.

•

Drain the cashews. Put all of the base ingredients into your food processor and blend until crumbly and able to stick together.

•

Tip the mix into your lined tin and press it down evenly.

•

Place the topping ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth and well-combined.

•

Now pour this mixture over your base. Tap the tin on the bench to get the topping to really settle into the base.

•

Place in the freezer to set and to store.

½ cup soaked cashews 10 Medjool dates, seeds removed Zest of 1 lemon Juice of ½ lemon

Topping ingredients 1 cup soaked cashews 4 tablespoons coconut oil 3 tablespoons coconut cream Zest of 2 lemons Juice of 1½ lemons

hungry for more? Nicola Smith has plenty of tasty recipes in her cookbook - Real Food, Real Health which is available for download on her website www.foreverfit.tv along with 300 more recipes that will get your taste buds excited!

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Brown 527grain calfskin WRAT leather, inner leg patch in inverted leather, rear zipper, front elastic laces & patent leather moka pipings. Optional spur studs. $ 1175.00

By Mountain Horse Beauty and function combine into the perfect all-round boot for riding and casual wear. This sturdy boot also has a waterproof foot component. $599.00

Maddox Equestrian www.maddoxequestrian.co.nz

AMS Saddlery www.amssaddlery.co.nz

The Eventor Dandy By Eventor

Soho Rain Boots

This stylish, super comfortable and hard wearing tall yard boot is a must. Built to last with an incredibly comfortable and a supportive instep, this is a boot that ticks all the boxes. Available from leading retailers. RRP $295.00

By Harcour

Top Notch Equestrian www.topnotcheq.com

South Canterbury Saddlery www.scsaddlery.co.nz

There is no need to be a ‘Plain Jane’ with these stylish tall rubber rain boots that are shaped for comfort. Be sure your feet are protected in this wet weather with these stunning boots.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

111

BREED AND RAISE YOUR OWN STABLE OF CHAMPIONS

SHOWCIRCUIT

NEW ZEALAND’S ULTIMATE EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE

FEATURING BLUE BLOOD STUD CAITHNESS STUD CHEVAUX DANSANTS STABLES EQUIBREED - VDL STUD EQUIBREED NZ EURO SPORT HORSES GOLDENGROVE STUD FARM KELARAY STUD KM PERFORMANCE PONIES LINDEN RIDING PONY STUD MATAMATA VETERINARY SERVICES MATAWHIO SPORTHORSES MAUNGATUA EQUESTRIAN NGAHIWI STATION NZ HANOVERIAN SOCIETY PARKLANDS FARM PL PERFORMANCE HORSES RIVER PARK FARM STERLING WARMBLOODS TREVALDA IRISH SPORTHORSES VOLLRATH HANOVERIAN STUD XTREME SPORT HORSES

STUDS & STALLIONS ISSUE ONE | 2018

EXCELLING ON THE WORLD STAGE PERFORMANCE - PEDIGREE - POWER PRESENCE - RIDEABILITY !!

CANDYMAN GNZ 16.1hh 4-year-old stallion CandyMan GNZ is a sensational young stallion with the looks, movement and pedigree of a superstar and almost unlimited abilities with a refined technique. He offers the best of both his legendary sire, with additional benefits and refinements from his exceptional dam line and shows endless promise for future success.

WITH SUCH A FIRST-CLASS PEDIGREE, SUCCESS IS INEVITABLE! CANDYMAN GNZ

This magnificent young stallion exhibits athleticism, scope, correct conformation that is suitable for breeding of a modern type of showjumping or eventing athlete.

POWER - CAREFULNESS TECHNIQUE - SCOPE CandyMan GNZ’s ancestory is not only loaded with extraordinary mare families, but also stallions who are well recognised for their ‘history making’ influence.

FRESH SEMEN AVAILABLE STUD FEE - $2000 + GST - LFG

Dam Lily GNZ (Holsteiner)

CANDYMAN GNZ

Sire Casall (Holsteiner) Carentino Casall

(Holsteiner)

Kira XVII (Holsteiner)

Caletto II (Holsteiner)

Isidor

(Holsteiner)

Lavall I

(Holsteiner)

Maltia

(Holsteiner)

Corrado 1 Lily GNZ (Holsteiner)

(Holsteiner)

Fleets Treat Jnr GNZ (Holsteiner)

Cor de la Bryère (Selle Français HLP)

Soleil

(Holsteiner)

Corlando (Holsteiner)

Fleets Treat (Thoroughbred)

*** QUALITY YOUNGSTOCK FOR SALE! *** Please contact: Paul Ffoulkes for more information about all the listed stallions and youngstock available through Goldengrove Stud. Email: p.ffoulkes@xtra.co.nz Ph: 03 318 7337 - Mobile: 021 919 262 Visit us for updates on Facebook

EXCELLING EXCELLINGON ONTHE THEWORLD WORLDSTAGE STAGE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE- PEDIGREE - PEDIGREE- POWER - POWER- PRESENCE PRESENCE- RIDEABILITY - RIDEABILITY!! !!

EUROCOMMERCE EUROCOMMERCE PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA

STOP STOPPRESS: PRESS:

THE THEONLY ONLY5*5*STALLION STALLIONININNZ NZ AND ANDTHE THEONLY ONLYONE ONEWITH WITH5*5* PROGENY!! PROGENY!! Last Lastseason seasonalone alonehas hasbeen beenhugely hugely successful successfulwith witha a85% 85%embryo embryo recovery recoveryrate!! rate!! Pennsylvania Pennsylvaniahas hascompeted competedinternationally internationallyforfor the theNetherlands Netherlandswhen whenridden riddenbybyGerco GercoSchröder. Schröder. He Heis isthe theonly onlystallion stalliontotocome cometotothe theSouthern Southern Hemisphere Hemispherethat thathas hascompeted competedininNations Nations Cup Cupevents eventsand andthe theGlobal GlobalChampions ChampionsTour, Tour, and anddespite despitehaving havinghad hadlimited limitedmares maresdue duetoto his hiscompetition competitioncareer, career,has hasprogeny progenycurrently currently jumping jumpingatat4*4*

PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIATHE THEONLY ONLYSTALLION STALLION ININNZ NZTHAT THATHAVE HAVECOMPETED COMPETED AT AT5*5*LEVEL LEVEL

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania is is fully fully approved approved Oldenburg Oldenburg and and the the Bavarian Bavarian Warmblood Warmblood studbooks. studbooks. He Hestands standsatat16.3hh 16.3hhand andis isa amodern moderntype typeofofblood blood horse horsewith withananoutstanding outstandingtechnique. technique.

PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA

Grannus Grannus

(Hanoverian)KWPN, (Hanoverian)KWPN, OLDBG, OLDBG, HANN HANN

Gambrinus Gambrinus (BAVAR) (BAVAR)

Goldfee Goldfee

Perle Perle

(BAVAR) (BAVAR)

Pilot Pilot

(WESTF) (WESTF)

(BAVAR) (BAVAR)

Goldperle Goldperle (Hanoverian) (Hanoverian)

Graphit Graphit

(Hanoverian) (Hanoverian)

Odessa Odessa

(Hanoverian) (Hanoverian)

Karim Karim

(BADWU) (BADWU)

Panja Panja

(BAVAR) (BAVAR)

Pilatus Pilatus (WESTF) (WESTF)

Gratia Gratia

(WESTF) (WESTF)

Goldstern Goldstern (Hanoverian) (Hanoverian)

Glorie Glorie

(Hanoverian) (Hanoverian)

STUD STUDFEE: FEE:$3000.00 $3000.00++GST GSTNZD NZDwith withLFG LFG Please Pleasecontact: contact:Paul PaulFfoulkes Ffoulkesfor formore moreinformation informationabout aboutallallthe thelisted listed stallions stallionsand andyoungstock youngstockavailable availablethrough throughGoldengrove GoldengroveStud. Stud. Email: Email:p.ffoulkes@xtra.co.nz p.ffoulkes@xtra.co.nz Ph: Ph:0303318 3187337 7337- Mobile: - Mobile:021 021919 919262 262 Visit Visitususfor forupdates updatesononFacebook Facebook

EXCELLING EXCELLING ON ON THE THE WORLD WORLD STAGE STAGE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE -- PEDIGREE PEDIGREE -- POWER POWER -PRESENCE PRESENCE -- RIDEABILITY RIDEABILITY !!!!

*** *** QUALITY QUALITY YOUNGSTOCK YOUNGSTOCK FOR FOR SALE! SALE! *** ***

QUINEUS QUINEUS GNZ GNZ

CARTELL CARTELL GNZ GNZ

16.3hh 16.3hh -- Bay Bay

17hh 17hh -- Chestnut Chestnut -- 2008 2008

POWER POWER -- SCOPE SCOPE -- TECHNIQUE TECHNIQUE -- ELEGANCE ELEGANCE

Cartell Cartell is is into into his his fifth fifth season season at at stud. stud. His His first first crop crop of of foals foals has has exceeded exceeded all all our our expectations, expectations, producing producing aa very very modern modern type type that that is is tall tall with with fantastic fantastic natures natures and and movement movement that that everyone everyone desires. desires.

16.3hh 16.3hh 4-year-old 4-year-old stallion stallion Are Are you you looking looking for for an an international international quality quality show show jumping jumping prospect? prospect? Quineus Quineus GNZ GNZ has has itit all, all, he he is is an an eye-catching eye-catching stallion stallion that that exhibits exhibits scope, scope, beautiful beautiful form, form, technique technique and and confidence confidence over over fences. fences. Quineus Quineus GNZ GNZ is is aa modern, modern, elegant elegant stallion stallion with with super super conformation. conformation. He He is is very very uphill, uphill, with with aa great great shoulder shoulder and and shape shape to to the the neck. neck. He He has has 33 outstanding outstanding gaits; gaits; lengthy lengthy walk, walk, expressive expressive trot trot with with excellent excellent mechanics, mechanics, and and an an uphill, uphill, active active canter canter which which is is very very balanced. balanced. He He displays displays this this super super movement movement both both at at liberty liberty and and under under saddle. saddle. Quineus Quineus GNZ GNZ has has an an exceptional exceptional character, character, with with aa very very willing willing and and happy happy attitude attitude towards towards work. work. He He is is quite quite aa unique unique young young stallion, stallion, with with immense immense jumping jumping prospect, prospect, rideability rideability and and focus. focus. He He is is an an eye-catching eye-catching wellwelldeveloped developed stallion stallion with with his his gleaming gleaming coat, coat, light light chrome, chrome, leggy leggy good good looks, looks, and and correct correct conformation. conformation. Suitable Suitable for for breeding breeding aa modern modern jumping jumping athlete. athlete.

FRESH FRESH SEMEN SEMEN AVAILABLE AVAILABLE STUD STUD FEE FEE -- $2000 $2000 ++ GST GST -- LFG LFG

(Selle (Selle Français) Français)

Quantum Quantum

(Selle (Selle Français) Français)

Ulla Ulla V V

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

(Hanoverian) (Hanoverian) (Thoroughbred) (Thoroughbred)

Raenga Raenga

(Thoroughbred) (Thoroughbred)

He He has has aa very very easy easy disposition disposition and and an an excellent excellent canter. canter. His His grandsire grandsire Carentino Carentino is is the the top-ranked top-ranked Holsteiner Holsteiner stallion stallion in in the the world world (as (as of of November November 2012), 2012), and and other other grandsire grandsire Corrado Corrado 11 is is the the sire sire of of top top horses horses including including Clinton, Clinton, Corradina, Corradina, and and Indorrado. Indorrado.

“This “This horse horse is is fantastic fantastic through through his his body body over over aa fence.” fence.”

-- Daniel Daniel Meech Meech

SERVICE SERVICE FEE FEE $2500.00 $2500.00 ++ GST GST -- LFG LFG

(Selle (Selle Français) Français)

Dirka Dirka

(Selle (Selle Français) Français)

Cor Cor de de la la Bryère Bryère (Selle (Selle Français Français HLP) HLP)

Ella Ella

Gambaldi Gambaldi (Hanoverian) (Hanoverian)

Dreamy Dreamy

(Hanoverian) (Hanoverian)

Te Te Pek Pek Galeno Galeno

POWER POWER -- PEDIGREE PEDIGREE -- PRESENCE PRESENCE

Jalisco Jalisco B B

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Gineus Gineus

Goldengrove Goldengrove Stud Stud Farm Farm believes believes that that Cartell Cartell has has and and passes passes on on the the crucial crucial three three P’s: P’s:

Postillion Postillion

(Thoroughbred) (Thoroughbred)

Puherangi Puherangi

CARTELL GNZ

QUINEUS GNZ

Quidam Quidam de de Revel Revel

Cartell Cartell uniquely uniquely carries carries very very prominent prominent Holstein Holstein sire sire lines lines –– the the great great Casall Casall Ask, Ask, and and Corrado Corrado 1, 1, who who has has won won at at Aachen. Aachen. He He offers offers New New Zealand Zealand breeders breeders the the opportunity opportunity to to breed breed power, power, scope, scope, athleticism, athleticism, quickness quickness and and stamina stamina into into their their progeny. progeny. Cartell’s Cartell’s presence, presence, along along with with his his extreme extreme quality quality in in type, type, scope scope and and jump, jump, makes makes him him aa breeder’s breeder’s dream. dream.

Caretino Caretino Casall Casall

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Kira Kira XVI XVI (Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Caletto Caletto IIII (Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Isidor Isidor

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Lavall Lavall II

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Maltia Maltia

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Jadalco Jadalco

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Yetar Yetar Springs Springs Jayne Jayne (Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Fabio Fabio

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Ladalca Ladalca

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Coral Coral

(Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

(Thoroughbred) (Thoroughbred)

www.goldengrovenz.com www.goldengrovenz.com or or visit visit us us for for updates updates on on Facebook Facebook

Corrado Corrado 11 (Holsteiner) (Holsteiner)

Unknown Unknown

INSISTING ON ONLY THE BEST IS PAYING DIVIDENDS GOLDENGROVE STUD ONLY OFFERS QUALITY SIRES

*** QUALITY YOUNGSTOCK FOR SALE! ***

LAMONDO GNZ HOLST

CASSIUS GNZ

Here’s an opportunity to breed to a LORDANO direct family line, through the dam line of the 2012 European Championships gold medal team winner (Ireland) at Aachen. An outstanding son of the super stallion Lordano, an international GP show jumper who, with Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, jumped clear to gain 3rd place in the prestigious Hamburg Derby, beating horses such as Corrada, three-time winner of the Hickstead Derby with Peter Charles. Lamondo’s dam, Lamona, is an imported Holsteiner, who has produced three approved stallions and numerous World Cup-winning horses. Lamondo is an outstanding stallion, standing at 16.3hh and carrying a modern blood type. He is the perfect outcross for Cor de la Bryère and Capitol bloodlines and would be a brilliant cross for NZ thoroughbreds, producing progeny endless scope and rideability.

Cassius GNZ is a brother to Cartell GNZ. In competition with rider Chris Harris, he was the South Island 6YO Champion and won the first 7YO class of the season. He is the only purebred Holsteiner by Caretino’s son bred and available at stud in New Zealand.

17hh - 2011 - Bay

16.3hh - Bay

Cassius GNZ produced the National 5YO champion (Sabine MS) in 2015/2016, ridden by William Willis, and the pair also won the style prize at the New Zealand Young Horse Show 2016/2017.

SCOPE - POWER -TECHNIQUE Cassius GNZ has had an incredible strike rate from limited opportunities. Cassius GNZ has many young progeny about to commence the 4YO and 5YO classes, and all are showing excellent young horse attributes. He has been a barn favourite for his superb temperament and has always been admired for his presence and enormous athletic ability.

FRESH SEMEN AVAILABLE $2000.00 + GST - LFG

Lord Lordano

(Holsteiner)

Ladykiller

(Thoroughbred)

Viola

(Holsteiner)

Varese

(Holsteiner)

Coriolan (Holsteiner)

Larese

(Holsteiner)

Lander

(Holsteiner)

Lorenz

(Holsteiner)

Mametta (Holsteiner)

Lamona

(Holsteiner)

Elegant Princess (Thoroughbred)

Caletto II

Skid

(Thoroughbred)

Grisaille

(Thoroughbred)

(Holsteiner)

GNZ CASSIUS

LAMONDO GNZ HOLST

FROZEN SEMEN AVAILABLE $2000.00 + GST - LFG

Carentino Isidor

(Holsteiner)

Cor de la Bryère (Selle Français HLP)

Deka

(Holsteiner)

Metellus (Holsteiner)

Corbala

(Holsteiner)

Jadalco

(Holsteiner)

Yetar Springs Jayne (Holsteiner)

Fabio

(Holsteiner)

Ladalca

(Holsteiner)

Coral

(Holsteiner)

Corrado

(Holsteiner)

Unknown

Contact Paul Ffoulkes E: p.ffoulkes@xtra.co.nz | P: 03 318 7337 | M: 021 919 262

NÚMERO UNO XTREME By Numero Uno (pref) out of Cassaro Xtreme (Cassini II)

This exciting young stallion has a very athletic and scopey jump with a wonderful technique. His progeny are exquisite, they are very modern and possess incredible movement plus amazing temperaments. Numero Uno Xtreme is by the very famous international show jumping stallion Numero Uno (Libero H x Lord Calando). Following a very successful show jumping career with European Champion Marco Kutsher, Numero Uno today has proven himself to be one of the leading sires in the world. Numero Uno (Sire)

16.1hh 6-yr-old Grey Stallion

STUD FEE: $2000 + GST Sharleen Workman - T: 021 380 943 E: shar-xtremesporthorses@mail.com

PURCHASE NOW AND SAVE $200 + GST Purchase before the 31st July and pay ONLY $1800 + GST

COROFINO II Corrado x Fernando x Lord

Sport HoRsEs

Corofino II boasts one of the most successful jumping families to come out of the Holsteiner Verband. During his 30 day stallion test he received a 10 for character, 9 for temperament and 10 for jumping. Accordingly, he significantly stamps his offspring with his impressive scope, carefulness and temperament, which provide the highly sought after ‘rideability’ factor. Progeny - Windermere Cappuccino

Progeny - Corodette Xtreme

17hh Licensed Holsteiner and Hanoverian Approved Stallion

STUD FEE: $2700 + GST Sharleen Workman - T: 021 380 943 E: shar-xtremesporthorses@mail.com

PURCHASE NOW AND SAVE $200 + GST Purchase before the 31st July and pay ONLY $2500 + GST

www.corofino.co.nz

Swarovski

(imp)

PHOTOS Kimi Knight

$2800 Fresh/ + GST Chilled AI Transp orted Nation wide LFG

Champion Stallion in dressage at his 30-day test in 2007. As the 1st Reserve Champion of the 2006 Oldenburg licensing, this elegant black stallion was one of the stallions to die for in Germany. He presented himself with extraordinary elasticity, always in perfect balance. The potential of his gaits and rideability can only be defined as the ultimate. After a very good 30-day test in Neustadt / Dosse in 2007, Swarovski took his 70day test at the same venue in 2008, finishing third in a very strong field of competitors. In sport competitions he won and placed against the best in tests for young riding horses (scoring 9.5 for his trot and canter). He also won many tests for young dressage horses and won his qualifier for the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf with a score of 8.6. Because of his large first crop which contained a good number of premium and auction foals, the results of his performance tests and his record in sport, Swarovski was awarded the I-b main premium in the lot of stallions with emphasis on dressage at the Oldenburg Stallions Days in 2008. In 2010 his first son Seine Hoheit was licensed and awarded a premium. The offspring from his first crop were three years old in 2011 and a good number won and placed in tests for young riding horses, which immediately put their sire among the top five percent of all German dressage sires with a predicted breeding value of 147 points.

Licensed & Performance Tested Oldenburg Stallion registered to Hanoverian, Oldenburg and Westfalian studbooks 2004 Black 170cm Sandro Sandro Song Antenne II SANDRO HIT Ramino El St Loretta Lassie Donnerhall Don Gregory Grenate

ST PR EL ST HERZDAME

Rubinstein Heidemi St Pr St Heideblume

RIVER PARK FARM | Renai Hart | 027 543 9794

EURO SPORT HORSES www.eurosporthorses.co.nz

2016 Hanoverian Licensing, Verden, Germany PHOTO Sabrina Lorenz

EURO SPORT

DIAMANT B 174cm 2014 Grey Stallion

Diacontinus x Calido I x Calypso II Available in fresh chilled semen Service Fee: $2000 + GST LFG

The Licensed Hanoverian stallion Diamant B combines outstanding scope, technique, power, temperament, bloodlines, paces, and conformation.

Sire Diacontinus (Diarado x Contendro x Argentinus) at only 8 years old has already made a big impact in both sport and breeding. He was the highest ranked 3 yr old performance tested stallion in the whole of Germany for 2013, with all jumping scores between 9 and 10. He is currently competing successfully at 1.50m. On the FN (German Equestrian Federation) Sire Rankings, Diacontinus with his first crop of 3yr olds has gone straight to No.2 in the Jungpferdeprüfungen Springen Ranking (young horse jumping tests), only 1 point behind the leader! Diacontinus’ outstanding index of 162 puts him ahead of sires such as Cornet Obolensky (155), Chacco Blue (150), Contendro I (147), Diarado (146), and Darco (144)!ES Diamant B’s first crop of foals look very exciting, athletic, correct, with excellent temperaments. Son ‘Mack’ (Shapour xx) at the 2018 NZ Show Horse Council Inc Foal Show was 1st in the Movement and Manners class and 2nd in the Warmblood and Show Hack classes.

Email: Email:eurosporthorses@hotmail.com eurosporthorses@hotmail.com Cell: Cell:021 021907 907227 227or or027 027223 2234818 4818

Find Findus uson: on: &&

2016 Nations Cup, Ocala, Florida 2016 Nations Cup, Ocala, Florida PHOTO ESI Photography PHOTO ESI Photography

EURO EUROSPORT SPORT

CENTAVOS CENTAVOS "Euro "EuroSport SportCentavos Centavosisisextremely extremelyscopey scopey (powerful) (powerful)and andcareful, careful,intelligent intelligent &&lovely lovelytotoride! ride!Traits Traitswe weall allhope hopefor." for." Multiple MultipleOlympic Olympic&&World WorldChampionship ChampionshipSJSJ Medalist Medalist- -BEEZIE BEEZIEMADDEN MADDEN

172cm 172cm2004 2004Black/Brown Black/BrownStallion Stallion Escudo Escudol lxxArgentinus ArgentinusxxBariton Bariton Available Availableininfresh freshchilled chilledsemen semen Service Servicefee fee$2000 $2000++GST GSTLFG LFG

ESES Centavos is is approved forfor Hanoverian, Oldenburg, SBS and NZWB studbooks. HeHe is is anan International 1.60m Show Jumper, Centavos approved Hanoverian, Oldenburg, SBS and NZWB studbooks. International 1.60m Show Jumper, representing New Zealand inin the Furusiyya Nation’s Cup inin Ocala, FLFL 2016. 2015 Silver Fern Stakes && NZ Horse ofof the representing New Zealand the Furusiyya Nation’s Cup Ocala, 2016. 2015 Silver Fern Stakes NZ Horse the Year Champion and winner ofof countless Grand Prix. NZSJ High Performance Squad Member inin 2016/17. ESES Centavos’ Year Champion and winner countless Grand Prix. NZSJ High Performance Squad Member 2016/17. Centavos’ young progeny have already amassed 77 National titles inin Show Jumping && Eventing, and many more Island and Regional young progeny have already amassed National titles Show Jumping Eventing, and many more Island and Regional champions across the disciplines. Centavos’ progeny earned him the title ofof Champion Sire atat the 2017/18 NZ Young Horse champions across the disciplines. Centavos’ progeny earned him the title Champion Sire the 2017/18 NZ Young Horse Show Jumping && Show Hunter Show. HeHe was also the sire ofof 2018 NZ Hanoverian Tour Jumper Foal Champion ‘Everlast’ Show Jumping Show Hunter Show. was also the sire 2018 NZ Hanoverian Tour Jumper Foal Champion ‘Everlast’ (Danske xx), asas well asas three ‘Premium’ ranked foals.” (Danske xx), well three ‘Premium’ ranked foals.”

Equ

iBr e

d ed NZ Lt

EquiBreed

Excellence in Equine Reproduction

Our team specialises in producing foals!

Ask us to tailor a programme for your mare or stallion. From our new purpose built facilities we offer the latest technologies in AI, embryo transfer, fertility treatments, semen freezing, sex-sorted semen and more…

Talk to our Specialist – Dr Lee Morris 07 870 1845 or email: info@equibreed.co.nz www.equibreed.co.nz | EquiBreed NZ Ltd, 399 Parklands Rd, RD 1, Te Awamutu

DC A National Champion himself, now Donnerubin is the sire of the greatest number of 2016-17 NZ Dressage Champions in Level 1 and 2 in his oldest progeny! That is the power of using a stallion with the highly inheritable bloodlines of Donnerhall (Donnerubin is a double cross) and Rubinstein. 11 years old - 16.1hh. Donnerubin produces champions under saddle where it counts.

NZWA PERFORMANCE LICENCED STALLION

Donnerubin started at his first season Grand Prix dressage in 2017-2018. That makes him the first stallion in NZ’s history to be trained from foal to Grand Prix by one person, and better yet, I had never ridden level 5 before him, he was my first stallion and my first young horse! That is a beauty of these bloodlines, talented and still trainable. • In his first season Grand Prix he was scored 67% from an international dressage Judge, never in our wildest dreams did we think we would get that. We have so much to consolidate and strengthen now, but its really exciting and a very proud time for us both! • We are proud to announce that in 2017 the NZ Warmblood Association has licenced Donnerubin off his performance results. His progeny can now be included in the main studbook. • Donnerubin’s bloodlines in particular the Donnerhall bloodline continue to be highest represented in the world dressage rankings. Donnerhall and now his son’s and grandson’s for the past over 10 years have held the highest number of top 10 spots on the WBFSH Sire Rankings for dressage. It is this kind of reliability that we as breeders look for when

choosing a stallion that is going to produce an outstanding foal. • This is why Donnerubin progeny continue to dominate in the dressage arenas. They are both talented, stunning to look at, but more importantly are incredibly trainable. These traits are inherited from the strong Donnerhall genes. Donnerubin being a double cross of the Donnerhall bloodline, means he stamps his progeny extremely strongly. • Donnerubin is now the sire of National Dressage Champions multiple times over multiple years with multiple different horses. • Donnerubin was the sire with the highest number of progeny who were national and regional dressage champions in the 2016-17 season (we haven’t had time to check this last season).

• Donnerubin is also the sire of the 2017 National Young Eventing Horse Champion - Ricker Ridge Riley. • Donnerubin progeny are also champions in showing and show hunter. They show a natural ability to jump and are making their mark in most realms of equestrian sports. • Donnerubin’s progeny have such magic temperaments, this has meant that even freshly broken in Donnerubins are being ridden by young riders. • The most exciting part is that these Champion Donnerubin youngstock come from such a wide range of mares, TB, warmbloods, anglo arabs or clydesdale mares. He stamps his progeny that strongly.

“Everyone deserves a beautiful horse!”

Our motto is So come and join the Donnerubin family. Donnerubin is highly fertile which makes breeding a breeze.

Donnerubin

Donnerhall Donautraum (German Import) (Oldenburg)

(Oldenburg)

Waischja

(Hanoverian)

De Niro

(Hanoverian) Delilah (German Import) (Oldenburg)

Aronja

(Oldenburg)

Donnerwetter (Hanoverian) Ninette (Oldenburg) Lortzing (Hanoverian) Winzerin (Hanoverian) Donnerhall (Oldenburg) Alicante (Hanoverian) Rubinstein I (Westphalian) Amsel (Oldenburg)

We here at CDS congratulate all riders, breeders, and all the support crew who contribute to these beautiful Donnerubin babies success. We are proud to be a part of that and your journey. Service Fee: $1600 + GST

+ Collecton Costs Includes Live Foal Guarantee. AI nationwide. 10% discount for return mares or owners with multiple mares.

CDS - CHEVAUX DANSANTS STABLES Feilding, New Zealand. • jacindayounger@xtra.co.nz • Mobile (027) 220 4257 Check out Donnerubin’s Facebook page for the latest updates

MAGNUS SWB

SIRE: MOSCHINNO - DAM: MADEIRA SWB Reg. Purebred Swedish Warmblood 2009 | Currently 16.3hh (still growing) Magnus is a bold, upstanding mahogany bay stallion. He has an impeccable presence and charisma with stunning conformation and once seen he will leave a lasting impression. Magnus has three powerful elastic gaits showing athleticism and rhythm, allowing him to cover the ground with ease. Magnus is also obliging in nature - no matter what we ask of him, and he always shows enthusiasm and willingness in all of his work. He consistently brings home the top show awards and has become quite a professional during his outings. His kind nature spills over to loving people, and he passes this characteristic on to his progeny. He crosses very well with Thoroughbreds, warmbloods and crossbreeds, continuing to improve movement, conformation and nature. CONTINUALLY PRODUCING OUTSTANDING TOP RESULTS IN HIS OUTINGS

SERVICE FEE

$1200.00 + GST + COSTS LFG | AI Chilled only

WHATEVER THE DISCIPLINE, MAGNUS DELIVERS PRESENCE AND THE WOW FACTOR. HE WILL BE A GREAT ASSET TO YOU AND YOUR BREEDING AMBITION.

CAITHNESS REGENCY SIRE: PRESTIGE VDL - DAM: CAITHNESS SILVER SONG Registered Warmblood NZ 2007 | Height 16.2hh

Regency is a captivatingly beautiful stallion. He is an impressive, large-framed stallion and a very expressive face. He is a powerful, extravagant mover. With an emphasis on temperament, rideability, movement, athletic ability, and conformation he is producing exception progeny. His movement is pure magic to watch as he covers the ground with loads of charisma and presence. Exceptional elevated rhythmical movement. Combined with an outstanding obliging temperament in all situations. This unique opportunity to breed to a Prestige son here in NZ. Embrace this excellent prospect to produce a show jumper, dressage or showing horse for all breeders. Combined with an outstanding obliging temperament in all situations.

SERVICE FEE

$1200.00 + GST + COSTS LFG | AI Chilled only

Video footage of both stallions is on our website

CAITHNESS STUD

CAITHNESS STUD Ashburton, New Zealand Craig and Annabelle Read E:caithness.stud@gmail.com | 0276 836 461 www.caithnessstud.co.nz

S tallion Line Up of 2018/2019

Crave FF

Mash x Bremervale Charmed Purebred Arabian Australian Champion East Coast Champion Multi A Class Supreme Champion $1200 purebreds | $1000 derivatives LFG, frozen semen

Special:

Buy 2 breedings and get 1 free!

Triple Trees Prince Perfect

Concherto FF

Veenstras Promise x Helsehoeves Henriete

Burren-Dah The Wizard (exp) x Aloha Symphony

Elite Dutch Riding Pony / Warmblood Pony

Brown 15.2hh Anglo Arabian stallion

$700.00 breeding dose LFG, frozen semen

$550.00 per breeding (3 doses) Limited doses available

Kelaray Stud is proudly sponsored by: Equilibrium Australia & Cedar Lodge Equine Products

For more information and photos, including progeny, on the above stallions please visit our website or contact us directly.

280A Heath Road, RD1, Awanui, Kaitaia 0486 Email: kelly@kelaray.com - Phone: (64) 09 408 7935

www.kelaray.com

O CHACC ’S SILVER ED RANK SIRE IS R 1 IN E NUMB RLD!! O THE W

Matawhio Sport Horses

Matawhio Sport Horses proudly presents

Chacco Silver

Chacco Blue x Cellestial x Sir Caletto 10-year-old, 177cm, Oldenburg Jumping Stallion

Awarded excellence in the recent NZWB Classification Tour and achieved the highest ever awarded mark in the NZWB studbook history Chacco Silver is line bred to the influential Caletto 1 and carries some of the most critical blood in modern jumping. His sire Chacco Blue was a successful international competitor who, amongst other top results, was 3rd in the Grand Prix of Aachen. He now has more than 50 approved sons, and his progeny are topping European young horse sales. There is a real buzz about Chacco Blue progeny which are, in the hands of some of the world’s top riders, making a name for themselves in international competitions, as their sire did. Chacco

Blue is now deceased which makes his progeny even more valuable! Chacco Silver is an outstanding young stallion prospect. He will pass on incredible athleticism, quickness, scope, confirmation, size and temperament. He strongly stamps his foals, producing very athletic, modern correct types. His first foals are now rising six years old and are exceptional. Matawhio Sport Horses offers a rare opportunity to breed with an athlete of this calibre. He is the only Chacco Blue son in New Zealand and has lineage tracing back to Cor de La Bryere on both sides.

Chilled Semen available at your mare’s convenience. - Service fee $1950 + GST. LFG and first collection free.

Address: BryantRoad, Road Karaka, Address: 56 56BBBryant Karaka, Auckland Auckland 2580 2580 Phone: 0211542311 Email: Matawhio@xtra.co.nz Website: Phone: 021 1542311 Email: matawhio@xtra.co.nz Website: www.matawhio.co.nz www.matawhio.co.nz

A STAR IS BORN 29 Premium Foals in 2018. The Breeding Programme is making international super stars right here in New Zealand.

Buy a Premium Foal and be in to win in your sport! Contact – The Studbook keeper, Robin Potter: robinpotter329@gmail.com

Corofino II Holst

Buckingham Hann.

Eurosport Centavos Hann.

Cassiano Holst.

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS

www.nzhanoverian.com

nzhanoverian

Swarovski Old.

Lingh II Rhein.

Diacontinus Hann.

Choose Hanoverian or Rhineland stallions, fresh or frozen, NZ or worldwide.

THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE PONY AND JUMPING STALLION Special Offer for the 2018-19 Season: We will donate $50 from every service to the Pony Club Branch or RDA of your choice.

BIZZIE CANOODLING

Grand Prix Show Jumper

Speed Pony of the Year – HOY 2017 1st Speed Pony - National SJ Champs 2018

Open Eventer

148cm • 11-years-old • Station bred • Liver Chestnut Tobiano (heterozygous colour)

Attended NZPCA Eventing Champs in 2017 & 2018

Genuine kids pony

‘Google’ is ridden and handled by a 13 year old Pony Club rider.

Temperament

Straight forward, sensible and trainable. Confident and brave at home, on the beach and in the Premier ring.

Conformation

Uphill, straight and very athletic with medium bone.

SERVICE FEE $1035 (incl GST)

Includes LFG, first collection and booking fee.

Contact Charlotte:

• 027 241 8860

•

grassyards1@gmail.com

VISIT HIM ON FACEBOOK

Ngahiwi Station presents

NGAHIWI ONE EYE The best of Ngahiwi and the KWPN in New Zealand

A PROVEN SIRE Ngahiwi One Eye has produced successful offspring including

MEA I

TWO EYE SEE Winner of the Premier Jump at the Wairoa Show, Won Six Year Old at Taupo Classic, 3rd in 3rd in the Premier Jump at Waipukarau Show. Six Year Old class HOY 2016 Six Year Old Horse of the Year. Winner of the Larsen Saw-milling Grand Prix at the Fozlight Rantzau XX Gisborne Jumping Show 2018 Rancune Cor De La Bryere Lurioso Quenotte

VDL Corland

Keur en Elite

Thyra

NGAHIWI ONE EYE

Panikau

Ngahiwi Aclamist Judy

Landgraf I Odetta Atomic Briar Rose Sunburn Colt Rosie

MELANIE’S CHOICE

Winner of the Seven Year Old at Taupo Classic 2017

Vestale du Bois Margot Ladykiller Warthburg Ronald Ibylle Whahaka Station Bred Rex Rambling Rose Sunburn Gemma Ballenah Lady Bird

SERVICE FEE $2,000 + GST (50% deposit paid up front, balance payable at 45 days positive pregnancy) Semen collection costs, shipping and veterinary fees extra

Ngahiwi One Eye is standing at Ngahiwi Station this season and frozen semen is available from Equibreed. For all bookings contact Bruce Holden, Ngahiwi Station P: 06 867 5253 | M: 027 335 0596 | E: bruce@ngahiwistation.co.nz Ngahiwi Station, PO Box 930, Gisborne 4040

VDL Stud

“DAVIDOFF” Full sized German Riding Pony Stallion A PROVEN SIRE WITH PROVEN BREEDING AI available nationwide

$80

(i boo ncl GS 1st king fe T, coll ecti e & on)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: WWW.DAVIDOFF.CO.NZ OR CONTACT MARION ROGERSON DIRECT: 07 824 0978 | 027 267 1590 | ROGERSONS@XTRA.CO.NZ SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

FIDERTANZ FOUNDATION DONNA DORIA

FUGATO SW FURST HEINRICH WILD ROSE WARKONDA

FIDERMARK I REINER FREUDE DE VITO WENIGA FLORESTAN I DANINA ROHDIAMANT WISBY

FLORESTAN I NATONGA RAVALLO FRUEHLINGSSONNE DE NIRO ELFENGOLD ANDIAMO WENITA FEDELIO RAUTE DONNERHALL FREGATTE RUBENSTEIN I ELEKTIA CORLANDO WENKA

FINAL SEASON THIS SEASON F FRESH SEMENOR

FUGATO SW IMPORTED FROM OLDENBURG, GERMANY Fugato SW is a 5 year old 16.2 hh Oldenburg stallion who is stamping his progeny with his beauty, movement and temperament. By the sensational stallion Foundation and out of a State Premium Oldenburg mare by Feurst Heinrich/Rotspon. Fugato’s dressage pedigree is impeccable. We chose the pedigree for the sweet temperament which the F line provides. But added to that is first class movement and

conformation. Fugato SW has it all! Now that his first crop are weaned we have great feedback about them. Our clients are telling us how superior their Fugato foals are in every way. FINAL SEASON THIS SEASON FOR FRESH SEMEN: Fugato SW will be gelded winter 2019 so book your mare early this year to ensure a booking.

Sheena Ross - Sterling Warmbloods Ltd 273 Tourist Road, Clevedon | 0274 525 678 | sheenamross@gmail.com

For more information, video and to download our breeding contract please visit

www.sterlingwarmbloods.co.nz

Vollrath Stud provides world-class proven performance bloodlines (dressage and jumping) standing magnificent Hanoverian stallions you can inspect in reality!

Vollrath Lessing

Vollrath Gershwin

Londonderry (Laurie’s Crusador xx / Warkant / Eiger I) ex Prisca (Prince Thatch xx / Aircraft / Imperator AN

Goldfever II (Grosso Z [Goliath x Füchsin] x Gundula [Galvano x Dana] ex Roxanne (Ramires [Ramino] x Donata [Dorian x Desi]

One can’t go past Lessing when thinking about a sire of serious dressage prospects.

A strong horse radiating significance in posture and statue.

Lessing – a star in his own right as a performer – is arguably THE producer of Dressage horses with up and coming stars like: Leila, Le Vivre, Latimer, Liaison, Laureate etc. to name a few impressing in the competition arena. Lessing is also starting to make his name as a sire of serious Eventing prospects e.g. Indy RE.

The world class jumping blood combination Gotthard/Furioso/ Ramires paired with the lines of the famous Duellant and Der Löwe xx is providing NZ breeders with an alternative pedigree to inject bone, power and elasticity into NZ Dressage lines. Gershwin is a proven sire of high quality foals the oldest of which are being started under saddle this year.

PERFORMANCE PLUS 2003 Black Hanoverian (GER) DE 431317001-0031 175cm / 17.1hh

Service fee is 2,200 +GST .

GOLDEN GENES 2010 Black Hanoverian (GER) DE 431316638310 168 cm / 16.3 hh

Service fee $1,950 + GST

Discuss your breeding needs with Berny & Jutta at Vollrath (06) 345 6636 For extensive information see our website www.hanoverian.co.nz You may also follow us on www.facebook.com/VollrathHanoverianStud

(IMP GB)

BALLINEEN BLUE MOUNTAIN 16.2hh, 2006 Class 1 Purebred Irish Draught Stallion BBM - Multiple Champion Saddle Hunter. Supreme Paced & Mannered and rider mount.

BBM Progeny - Dressage placings at South Island Champs, HOY, 4yr Future Stars and National U25 champs

Champion Working Hunter and Full wire field Hunter.

Add some TEMPERAMENT, TRAINABILITY & SOUNDNESS into your Sport Horse breeding programme.

BBM - All Breeds Supreme Champion In-hand

Stud Fee $1500

Includes LFG and first collection. Fresh semen shipped Nationwide.

BBM Progeny Champion South Island Saddle Hunter, Rising Star SH HOY, Runner-up Saddle Hunter HOY, All Breeds Supreme In-hand

Trevalda Irish Sporthorses P: 03 444 9309 M: 027 310 6858 E: g.crossan@xtra.co.nz

www.trevalda.co.nz

KOLBEACH HOLLY’S MASTERPIECE imp Aus 14hh Mahogany Bay Riding Pony Born 2008 Sire: Fernleigh Fine Print Dam: Gemstone imp UK

Although still a young sire Masterpiece has already had a huge impact on the showing scene in New Zealand. The sire of multi champions both ridden and in-hand his progeny have already won six Horse of the Year Show Pony titles. At the 2018 Horse of the Year three ponies by Masterpiece won their Title Classes. Linden Fine Art was judged Large Show Pony of the Year, Linden Realms of Glory was awarded Rising Star Large Show Pony of the Year and Brookelds InYourDreams (dam Greenlee Dreamtime) was judged In-hand Youngstock Pony of the Year. Progeny of Masterpiece have also won the prestigious Riding Pony Society’s North Island Melville Black Memorial (for ponies in their rst season under saddle) for the past three years. Leaving outstanding progeny Masterpiece is becoming New Zealand’s most sought after show pony sire. SERVICE FEE $1450.00 inc $250.00 handling fee or $1250.00 inc $250.00 handling fee for bookings made before 31st October, 2018 NATURAL SERVICE OR AI Chilled semen available nationwide

FERNLEIGH FRONT PAGE imp Aus 13.2hh Black Riding Pony Born 2004 Sire: Owendale Percival Dam: Panteg Portrait Superbly bred Front Page is a full brother to Australia’s outstanding super sire Fernleigh Fine Print. A multi Royal Champion in Australia he made his NZ debut at the Royal Easter Show – Auckland 2018 where he was judged Supreme Champion Led Exhibit of the Show over all heights & breeds. Registered with the Welsh Pony & Cob Society of NZ he is 58% Welsh making all his progeny eligible for part bred Welsh registration. Front Page’s rst foals in NZ were born last Spring and surpassed our highest expectations inheriting his glorious pony head, huge extravagant movement and sensible, kind temperament. Sire of multi champions in Australia this beautiful stallion will be a great asset to all breeders of show ponies in New Zealand. SERVICE FEE $1450.00 inc $250.00 handling fee or $1250.00 inc $250.00 handling fee for bookings made before 31st October, 2018 NATURAL SERVICE OR AI Chilled semen available nationwide

Photo Show Circuit Photography

530 Pinnacle Hill Road, Bombay, Auckland email: info@lindenponystud.co.nz nd us on facebook

Photo Show Circuit Photography

phone: 09 23 60705 mobile: 021 264 5280

For further information & pedigrees please visit our website www.lindenponystud.co.nz

STUD FEE $750.00 incl GST, LFG & First Collection Discou n apply ts for board ing mares

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