Inspiring group of riders finding their place in the sun
It’s been a long road for people with disabilities to gain recognition as riders. At the turn of this century, England recognised riding for the disabled as a beneficial form of therapy and offered riding therapy for wounded soldiers at the Oxford Hospital during WWI ... Now, para competitions are a part of almost every senior dressage competition world-wide and there is a strong focus on the riders and horses.
Learning opportunities the top priority at development event
The Show Horse Council of Australasia’s NSW/ACT Youth Development and Championship Showcase was a brilliant idea, executed perfectly. Held at the Hawkesbury Showgrounds and designed be a youth development program as well as a qualifying event for the Grand National Show, it offered something for every young rider.
Northern Territory show season in full dry season swing
When the show scene goes into hibernation over winter in the southern states, the Northern Territory springs into action. The NT has an active show horse community and several top-class shows are run during the dry season, including the Darwin Show Horse Club's State Show Horse and Riding Championships that has just been held at the Darwin Showgrounds.
World adult games champions heading for Victoria
Playing games on horseback is not just for kids. The 37th World Championships for Adult Mounted Games will be held at Werribee Park from October 8 to 15, with 18 nations competing. Most would know the story of how Mounted Games were created by Prince Philip as a competition for children who could not afford an expensive, purebred pony and that in 1957 the Horse of the Year Show staged the first Mounted Games Championship for the Prince Philip Cup.
Australian riders go global in experience of a lifetime
The dreams of four young Australian riders came true when they lined up to compete in the Global Amateur Tour held at Quintas Equestrian Centre near Puebla in Mexico ... It is a two-star FEI event that includes international riders on borrowed mounts and local riders on their own horses.
Weather gods throw it all at Milang Horse Trials
The Milang Horse Trials in South Australia provided competitors with a great weekend, even though the weather gods threw everything at them ... Horse trial classes were run from EA 95, where the winner in the senior section was Jayden Coates and Deltoi rising from fourth after dressage.
Sand dancers of a different kind show off their moves
Watching the Let’s Rein Jackpot Show held at Elmore Equestrian Park recently I began to understand why one of the most decorated dressage riders of all time took up the discipline ... In reining, each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs over the hocks and 360 degree spins – all much the same movements as dressage, just with different names.
New Zealand farmer makes quick work of Quilty Gold Cup
A farmer from New Zealand has won Australia’s most famous endurance ride, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, completing the 160km course in the third fastest time in the event’s history. Ashley Cole, riding the nine-year-old Arabian stallion Tonki Dee Boo Novak, crossed the finish line at Stirling's Crossing, Imbil, Queensland, at the eight hour, 44 minute-mark, just a minute ahead of Catherine Bailey and Razorback Targaryen in second place.
Clydie-cross story triggers an outpouring of love
When we wrote about how crosses with the magnificent heavy horse breed the Clydesdale were the quiet achievers in the horse world last week, we were very quickly shown just how popular and much loved they are.
Nothing better than a book to ride out the winter break
The last of the foal shows are done for the year, the royal show horses have a few more weeks rest before the earnest work begins and it’s the quietest time of the year for most horse people. It’s an opportunity to catch up on some reading by the fire while the wind blows cold, or while seated on a 12-hour plane flight – do we revisit some old favorites or go and find something new to read?
