These gorgeous photo's were taken by Amy Dawson of Duncan Pratt Photography

Dressage Gala - August 2009

After a few quiet months getting over injuries (Honda) and illness (Me) and some insanely busy months at work we finally got back out and about for the Dressage Gala on the 30th August.

We competed in the prelim 1C test and then the novice 2C test.

Our score for the prelim test was 62.74% and we gained 2nd place.
Our score for the novice test was 61% and we gained =4th place.

I'm super happy with both of our tests. This was an especially great result as this was our first novice test!! Woohoo!!! I'm so proud of my boy!!

I'd like to thank Jess Blackwell (from Equestricare) for organising such a great event. It was beautifully run and it was such an enjoyable day. I also received some really good feedback from the judge which gives me more to work on too.

And I have my chestnut pony back!!! Yay!!!

Wanneroo Adult Hack Day - May 2009

Sporting a new clip job, saddle and browband we headed out for our first hack day in many many months.

Our results in the W/T/C ring were:
1st Best Presented
2nds and 3rds in my rider class, height, weight and hunter classes.
1st gelding
Champion Hack
Supreme Champion

Honda warmed up nicely on a chilly morning but wasn't his usual self in the ring. We muddled through the classes and in the hunter class he just didn't want to go forward. Then as we lined up after out workout he stretched forward and did a massive pee! After that he was back to his normal self, worked beautifully in the gelding class, even better in the champion class (which we won against 5 other horses!!) and then super in the supreme class as well! Poor bugger... he was busting!!

Don't you just love the silver colour he's gone this year when I clipped him!! How often do you see a chestnut go silver!! And there is no makeup on his legs... that's just the colour they are!!

Big thanks to Mel from Magic Browbands for our new browband and bib-vest, I really love this combination on him!!

Huge thanks to Michelle for being my personal strapper and photographer.

And I'd like to say a special congratulations to Mel with her gorgeous old boy Omar. Omar was brought out of a 7 year retirement the day before when her mare went lame, given a bath, plaited up and off to the show. He stepped off the float, realised where he was and the look on the face was like "it's about time you took me to a show!!". He went out there and blitzed the W/T ring, coming home with Champion!! Go Mel and Omar!!!!

2nd Best Presented Team

Our results in the W/T/C Hack Ring (ring 3)
1st Rider 18-30
1st Hack over 16h
1st Pleasure hack
1st Hunter type
CHAMPION HACK OVER 16H

We also did the 30cm jumping and got a blue ribbon for going clear... not bad since we only jumped our first jump 3 weeks ago!!!

Honda was an absolute star, he was so chilled out during and between the classes, I couldn't be happier!

I was also really happy with how he dealt with so many horses in such a confined space… over 100 entries on the day, at least 55 entries in Ring 3, about 20 of which were over 16h so in our classes! Each and every person worked hard and deserved every ribbon.

This was Magenup's first interclub challenge and we placed 3rd in the Highpoint competition and 3rd in the Handicap Trophy as well.

GO TEAM MAGENUP!!!

Arabian Trilogy- May 2008.

3rd Derivative Prelim Dressage with a score of 62.4%
2nd Arabian Derivative Gelding (halter class)

Wow, what a fantastic show!!! Firstly I must put out a huge thanks to Mel, Niki, Michelle and Ali for their help throughout the day. I had a great day because of you guys!!

Honda warmed up beautifully, best he ever has, he was so lovely and soft and into the bridle I couldn’t have been happier!
I was thrilled with our 3rd place in the dressage, it was a big class with 12-15 riders.

Then it was a long wait for our halter class in the evening. I was so nervous I spent most of the afternoon trying not to throw up! I want to thank my wonderful coach Kiley Galbraith for taking the rein and showing Honda inhand for me. There is NO WAY I can run as fast as she does!
I was so proud of my boy… it’s been a few years since he’s even done a halter class, he ran out, stood up and then ran out again just beautifully, I was fighting back the tears!
So to get 2nd to the stunning Leedale Princeton and beating a few gorgeous specimens in the process was a very happy moment for me!

The first photo (in the dressage) is my favourite of us to date! Love the stride, love the lift in the shoulders, love the ear locked on me, love the frame, love the softness in the bridle, love the foam on his lips... just hate my position (which has since been fixed by getting my saddle refitted!).

Magenup ARG Closed Show- April 2008.

1st Smartest on Parade- out of 9 or 10 competitors.
2nd Rider 21-30 years
1st Hack over 16h
2nd Medium/Heavyweight Hack
2nd Ladies Hack

The weather wasn't much better for this show but Honda was much better behaved and there was alot of room for me to go and work him down the back to keep him moving. He had just been clipped on the Tuesday before the show (his first time clipped) so I tried to keep him warm without tiring him out.

You can see in the photo's the change in his coat since I clipped him. I'm just thrilled he hasn't gone a horrible apricot colour!

If you have a closer look at the bottom photo you can see what he thought of being ridden in the cold and the rain... he wasn't too impressed! *grin*

Pinjarra Hack Day- April 2008.
Senior Unofficial Ring

No smartest on parade class.
2nd Rider 21-30 years
RESERVE CHAMPION RIDER
1st Hack over 16h
2nd Medium/Heavyweight Hack

The weather was pretty horrible and Honda made it pretty clear that he "doesn't do wet!" so it was an interesting day.

Perth Hack Day- March 2008.
Senior Unofficial Ring
Judge Michelle Harris

1st Smartest on Parade
1st Rider 21-30 years
CHAMPION RIDER
1st Hack over 16h
2nd Medium/Heavyweight Hack
2nd Ladies Hack
CHAMPION HACK

We had an absolutely fantastic day, especially considering that this was our FIRST CANTER show. I was super proud of Honda, he was such a star, lovely and soft all day and really listening to me.