01 1 / 2012
Images from a photo shoot I recently did at the farm starring Lord Buckley (Buck) the grey and Island Snow (Rosie) the bay!
How gorgeous are our horses? Buck is an 11 year old Aussie Stock Horse and Rosie is a Thoroughbred.
11 1 / 2012
These vests are fantastic for trail riders who ride along the roads! We often get people who have NO idea about horses flying past in their cars, trucks, buses and motor bikes! Even bike riders can scare the absolute crap out of the horses!
These vests really catch drivers eyes and before they can realise it says “POLITE” instead on “POLICE” they have already moved over and slowed down!
I got mine from: http://campbellfloats.com/index.html
26 2 / 2012
First ride back for the season at Nagambie and am so happy with the result of =2nd with my gorgeous friends Sarah and Niccy! The 80km’s went so quick with the non stop talking and laughing! Couldn’t of done it without the amazing horse Rowallan Nara and Daniel, the most beautiful boyfriend / strapper in the world - he must love me being up at 3am on his Sunday morning helping out! It was a nice easy track for the first ride of the season, very flat and well marked! A 4am start was great for the 80km riders to try and get some km’s covered before the heat of the day. Luckily there was a lovely breeze which helped keep the horses cool when the sun did rise!
Well done to everyone that made it around!
12 3 / 2012
Road trip to S.A
What a weekend!
Nicky and I headed to Mount Gambier in S.A for the Mil Lel dual affiliated 80km ride. I was riding Nicky’s horse Doug and she was on her novice horse Clarendon Sabi. We set off at 7am Saturday morning for the big road trip! It was an interesting journey, we half followed the gps and half followed where Nicky thought we should be going which didn’t work in our favor! We defiantly felt like we took the scenic route, especially because we had to stop for gas all the time, and at times go out of our way to find a petrol station! It was a much better option than us 2 girls running out half way there with the effy, goosey and two horses on the back! The time flew as we chatted about our ponies the whole way up!
We got to the ride base and set up under some nice big trees, vetted through the horses and had a wine!
The ride started at 5 am which was good as the sun was due to be in and out all day. The morning was really fresh but the afternoon got quite warm!
The track was really beautiful, we rode through some gorgeous pine forests and the conditions were perfect for a novice horse! Nice and flat, easy to follow and plenty of water. They also had some lucerene hay out for the horses to pick on.
When the sun was rising it was absolutely stunning in the forest! It’s defiantly one of my favorite parts of endurance riding! Watching the sun come up while on the back of a horse out with nature is a magical feeling and I wouldn’t of wanted to be anywhere else in the world at that time! The forest was so quiet and all we could hear were the morning birds singing! It only got a little bit scary when we passed about 10 trees about 15 meters apart with dolls and Teddy’s in them…..weird!!! We had a fast trot past that bit!
Doug hadn’t gone to a ride since the State champs last year and it was Sabi’s second 80 so the plan was to go slow and just get the ponies through!
The first 40ks ran smoothly and I think we did it in around 3hr 20mins.
The second 40 was a ride out to a check point about 2kms down the road, then do a 20k loop twice. Once the horses finished the first 20k loop it was hard because it was unmotivating for them to head away from home again, hard for us to!
The boys lifted in spirit and we did the second 40ks in around 3hr 50mins.
I was lucky to be on Doug who has an amazing heart. I think after the first 40 he was 38 and then after the 80 he was 40. He trotted out beautifully and we were through! Nicky and Sabi also got through with no dramas so we were thrilled! The long drive was well worth it!
As we were pouring a celebratory champagne and about to poultice the horses legs Sandy came up to us and told us to get ready for Best Conditioned. We had come =3rd!!
I was last to trot out Doug for BC. The vet was standing behind him and gave me the instruction to go ahead and trot in a straight line up and back. As I was about to move the vet flipped some pages over on his clip board which frightened Doug so we started the trot with a turbo fart right in the vets face!!! We all couldn’t stop laughing while I trotted him! It was so funny! At least it was him and not me! Haha
All in all it was a great ride and nice trip away. We are kind of mad for driving all the way to south australia for one night and an 80km ride, it felt a bit like the Quilty….but all within 48hrs! But the end result and all the laughs along the way made it worth it!
The drive home was difficult. It took us about 9.5 hours, we didn’t get in to Nicky’s house until 3.30am. We soon discovered the reason we couldn’t see the road was because we only had one headlight and the reason why the truck sucked up so much gas is because we had 1 flat tire! Whoops! In saying that Nicky is one amazing girl driving that big truck and goosey all that way within that short space of time. She even woke up early this morning and rode 2 horses before working 1-9 tonight! She is the most dedicated horse woman I have ever met! Its a credit to her training, that every horse of hers that I have ridden are super fit and feel great! They are all very happy and spoilt horses!
Now it’s time to get ready for Kilmore in 2 weeks time!! Looking forward to it, Emma Holland is sure to put on another impressive ride!
28 3 / 2012
It was another great ride on the weekend at Kilmore. Emma put on yet another fantastic event.
Daniel and I arrived at ride base at around 12.30 on Saturday. We were staying in town so there wasn’t much to set up. Once Steve arrived with the horses I entered, weighed and vetted Tassie through then we went for a ride. I then went and rode Zha for Niccy as Sarah who was riding him hadn’t arrived yet! We then went had had some lovely Chinese in Kilmore before an early night in bed!
I rode in the 90kms starting at 4am Sunday morning on Rowallan Nara. We set off out of ride base up a decent size hill, which is always handy when you are on fresh ponies! About 8kms down the road all the horses started spooking at something….a huge wombat decided to cross the path so that went down not so well, at the same time there were bells ringing in the paddock next to us….I have no idea what that was but it sounded like cow bells….do they still use them?!
The 90kms consisted of 3 legs, a 40km, 30km and 20km. I rode along side Niccy and Sarah and we did the ride in 5hrs 55 mins and placed =2nd!
We were wrapped with that result and very proud of our ponies!
Off to El Dorado next for the Easter weekend! I have good and bad memories of that place….it was were I did my first 160km and I actually thought I was going to die….yep there were tears for the last 5km’s! Man it was a killer….having to get off and walk up those massive hills in the middle of the night! A beautiful course though so I’m hoping to kick back and enjoy a much more relaxing 80km’s!!
17 4 / 2012
Over the Easter long weekend Daniel and I headed to Eldorado for the 2 day Easter endurance ride. They held an 80km,40km and 20km on both the Saturday and Sunday. My initial plan was to ride one of Nicky’s horses on the Saturday and Nara on the Sunday but I was struck with a bad chest infection and didnt want to over-do it! There was also no motel luxuries so we were camping in the back of the float! I could only handle one night as it was freeeezing!!
We got there Saturday arvo, set up the horses and the beds in the back of the float. We went for a quick ride and vetted the horses through, before a meal at McEvoys Tavern…the smallest pub in Victoria! We had an early night and woke up at a more civilized hour of 7am! The ride started at 9am which was a nice change from the 4am or earlier ride starts. In saying that though it is nice to get away early…I think 5 am is a good ride time!
The track at Eldorado was wonderful! It was really great underfoot for the horses and the scenery was great for the riders! It was very well marked and the check point volunteers were happy and helpful handing out plenty of water, oranges, lollies and of course Easter eggs! There was also heaps of water for the ponies!
I was riding novice time to start preparing Nara for the Quilty. We stuck to a nice steady pace and she passed the final vetting with flying colours! The pretty completion ribbon we got was well worth the long drive!
The drive home was exhausting…it was so far for us and Daniel did another fantastic job getting me and the horse home safe and sound!
The next ride is Toongabbie which is in 2 weeks! That is only 1 1/2 hrs up the road so its nice and easy! They are running a 160km elevated and an 80km so not too sure what the plan is for Nara, thats up to her owner! But in prep for the Quilty which is in around 9 weeks (YIKES!) I’m assuming we will do either 80km’s or retire at 120km!
Dan and I booked our plane tickets over to Tasmania for the Quilty this week, as well as a hire car and accommodation so we’re all set!! Getting nervous just typing about it! Cant wait!!
30 4 / 2012
On the weekend I had another successful ride on Rowallan Nara at Toongabbie. We rode in the 86kms which kicked off at 10am on Saturday morning. The horses arrived Friday night with Steve so I woke up early Saturday morning and met them there! While it was good to sleep in my own bed that night instead of in the back of the float or a motel I much prefer the early ride start times. It seems to me to drag out too much if it’s on later in the morning!
I rode with Steve who was riding Drumlin Hobart which is the horse he is riding in the Quilty and is Tazzies boyfriend. We set off up the front of the group at a fast canter which was good fun, apart from a few massive shies which had me flying out onto the bitumen road and a few big pig roots, once we got going it was great!
The 86kms consisted of doing the 43km Red leg twice which was around 10kms of flat roads leading up to around a 20km climb through the hills and around 10kms of flat roads home with 3 check points. We did the first leg in around 2hrs 45 mins and then slowed right up for the second leg doing it in around 3hrs 40mins. The weather got quite warm but there was a cool breeze and at times very strong winds so that helped keep the horses cool. Tazzie had a bit of attitude at this ride trying to boot out at any horse that got too close to her and Hobart, her kicks were so big it would throw me onto her neck! Haha she even did one as a car went past?! Weird she usually doesnt bother about cars!! It was going too fast so I think she was telling them off!
Tazzies heart was a bit high when we came in after the last leg and it was hard know how to strap them as the weather had cooled down a lot so we didn’t want to put too much water on them but all she needed was a bit more cooling and we vetted through great with a 45 HR.
I was extremely excited to vet through and find out that Tazzie and I had come 1st place!! I was very proud of her! Coming 1st meant we were in the Best Conditioned workout the next morning so I headed home to rug all our horses in the pouring rain and a beautiful roast dinner cooked by Daniels dad Cliff!
Sunday morning I was up at 5am again to head back to ride base (after a quick maccas brekkie run) to get Taz ready for BC. She had pooed all over her legs and bum which is always fun to clean off a grey horse but managed to make her as clean as possible! Best conditioned was ridden so I warmed her up in the arena while watching the 160km riders present their horses! My good friend Nicky was in it and her horse Zha was a bit humpy and I’m pretty sure did a mini rear before his workout! He didn’t even look like he’d just done 160kms (and won it!) the day before!
Next the lightweights were up and I felt Taz did and excellent workout. My friend Sarah was also in it as she came 2nd and her horse looked amazing so I knew Taz had a bit of competition on her hands/hooves!
As it turned out we ended up getting 1st place and Best Conditioned so I was thrilled!!! We got a lovely big blue ribbon and a beautiful BC rug!
Now there is only 2 more rides until the Quilty! The next one is Smythesdale so I think we’ll do 80kms there and that will be it until the Big Q!!! Very exciting times!
30 4 / 2012
How HOT are my new red Dublin boots and gaiters?! I love them! Does red make you go faster? I hope so!! I can’t wait to try them out!
Check out the video for them:
10 5 / 2012
Love this Hermes saddle! It’s a one off made in 2001 for a Japanese Rock Band! I’m sure we all could do with the extra wings while riding every now & then…
18 5 / 2012
Loving my Dublin red boots and gaiters! I think they look so nice with my lululemon red top!
The boots surprised me with how comfortable they actually are! They have a new ortholite system which moulds to the shape of your foot and has padded shock absorbing cushions! Important for your ankles and knees when riding long distances!
Other features include:
Made from a unique compound using Ortholite® for it’s antibacterial properties, increased breathability and to wick away moisture leaving your feet cool dry and fresh. Containing repeat memory technology the Ortholite® insole moulds to the shape of the foot providing secure fitting and springs back when you take of the boots so the thickness and shape of the liner is retained over time.
Heel & Forefoot Dimple Matrix
Enhances forefoot and heel feel with massaging qualities and promoting better air circulation for comfort.
High Rebound Pods
Podiatry positioned ‘pods’ to provide support and shock absorption where the foot needs it the most.
Flexible Stability Foam
Internal TPU foam under the sock liner that offers the foot support comfort and stability.
ABS Shank
Optimally located internal shank offer side and middle stability control without affecting flexibility. The lightweight shank is specifically designed to allow cushioning through the heel. The Flex Grooves in the forefoot provide extra flexibility.
Padded Shock Absorbing Cushion
Cushioning foam located directly under the heel and through the shank to ensure every step is comfortable and offers premium shock absorption.
Lateral & Medial Support & Outrigger Motion Stability
Offers side and middle stability control to assist in strengthening and supporting the foot in the correct position and prevents rolling.
Internal Heel Shock Absorbing Cushion
Located in the heel cavity for support.
Positive Stirrup Traction (PST)
Offers multi directional grip for wearing in the paddock and yard to grip in the stirrups and features a texture, designed to minimize clinging dirt and for easy clean.
Industrial Strength Rubber Outsole
Industrial engineered strong rubber outsole with a texture, designed to offer Positive Stirrup Traction (PST) and a close contact feel whilst riding.
28 5 / 2012
Fashion over Function… I think not! Not many boots can stand the test of endurance riding and remain comfortable for 80 kms…around 7 hours of riding time!
Look how filthy my ‘fashion’ boots got! Scrubbed them and they came up good as new!
28 5 / 2012
Introducing my boyfriend and my new horse Castlebar Nariel. She is a rising 4 yo Arabian mare. My boyfriend is breaking her in and she hasn’t put a foot wrong. I can’t wait to ride her, she is an angel! And is so so pretty!
31 5 / 2012
Quilty Disappointment
I have received some bad news regarding the horse I was riding for next weeks Tasmanian Quilty. The owner of Rowallan Nara has informed me that she has most probably been sold to the UAE so therefore will not be on the boat over to Tasmania tomorrow. I am shattered by this news as all year I have been preparing for the Quilty and was looking forward to getting my second shiny buckle. Nara is a lovely mare that has tried hard for me this season and im happy at our last ride together we got 1st place and Best Conditioned. She will be sadly missed and I really hope she can perform in the desert like she did for me this season.
Daniel and I are still flying up on Wednesday and I am in the process of trying to find another horse to ride, although its not looking good I will still be there watching, learning and observing from some of the best riders and vets in Australia.
