Scone Dressage

The North Kaludah team took 7 horses up the valley to Scone today. I had a 4:30am start to collect Maybellene to float her up for Megan to ride. Jeremy rode 3 horses in 2 tests each from Prelim to Prix St George, Christine had 2 horses at Prix St George and Grand Prix level, and the "girls" had 2 tests each; Megan had her second competition with Maybellene doing a Prelim and her first Novice test, and Alex likewise had 2 tests on 'Gary'(by Brae Galaxy).

The warm-up gave the young horses their first experience of golf carts and buggies on the adjoining golf links, so leg-yielding towards a white buggy coming out of the trees was a new trick(!!) but everyone coped well.

Maybellene got lots of nice comments in her new white warm-up boots. She and Megan did their first (for both) Novice test in the morning; the first half was a little uneven, but the halt at A was super and the second half of the test looked lovely. After a 3 hour break, the pair warmed up for the Prelim and looked very smooth and 'round' throughout. The test results weren't posted by the time I had to leave so I'll have to find them out tomorrow.

All up, a lovely day out; sunny to start and hot enough for jackets to be deemed optional (many rode with jackets on and perspired profusely!), then overcast with a light breeze. Great experience for the developing partnership(s).
Roll on Hunter Valley DA in a fortnight!

Cooling rain

Two 15 minute cloudbursts dropped the temperature and brought some relief from the heat...but didn't last long. I hosed Cloud and Laddie when I took their cotton rugs off this morning and they enjoyed the sweat being rinsed off. Another , natural, shower this evening!

Cloudie's back

What service! Di and Tony took a couple of mares to the vet for preg testing, one of them being Cloud. She's 14 days in, so they thoughtfully dropped her off here at home, not so far from the vet! Potentially saving her another floating!
What great timing!
Laddie is Home Alone, so his 'best mate' is home to keep him company.
Not that she wants anything to do with 'that boy stuff'. She told him quite definitely...so now he's a bit bewildered as to why she's cranky with him.
She'll get over it; I guess it was quite a big day for her!
Now for the count-down to a 45day test. Fingers crossed!

Alex Park; Sunday comp

Maybellene had her first competition outing for some 18 months when Christine and Jeremy's groom, Megan Riley, offered to take her to pick up a couple of scratch rides at the Alexander Park Associate Training dressage day, today.
I was going to 'pencil' for some tests, so it was great to be able to see her.
The weather was fair; scudding showers and overcast, but at least it wasn't too hot.
Megan and Maybellene, both, coped beautifully. In their first test, the Prelim 1B they placed 6th /27 with 61%. Their second test was a little 'smoother' and scored 62.5% for 8th/30.
Very creditable performances in classes where the pros were developing their youngsters.

The photos are from the warm-up as I was involved with other tests when she was in the arena.
The first photo shows Megan riding Maybellene towards Sappho Ranson-Elliott on the grey 2* eventer Bonza Troy (bought from Matt Ryan).
The group photo shows Emma Armstrong warming up on Rogue Trader (by Regardez-Moi) on the left, Jeremy Janjic on Kaludah Ribbon (another by Regardez-Moi) in the background,and Megan and Maybellene (M&M!) on the right.
The competition is really "hot"!
I caught some lovely 'uphill'work in trot and canter in the others.

Back home

The Ladster is back!
Jeremy dropped him home last night. He came on the truck, on his own..another first! No hesitation about loading this time. In fact, he has been positive about everything after the initial loading for transport, really; didn't show any of the resistance I was prepared to hear of. Jeremy says he shows intimations of "a lot of gears" which are available to be engaged as his training progresses to higher levels of dressage or show-jumping (!?) Very interesting!
Meanwhile, it's a new experience to be Home Alone, but he seems to be very 'grown-up' in handling the situation.
Photos are from a bit of a strut this morning; I haven't got the head, or tail as well shown as I might have, but his more fit/adult outline is evident!

Breaking progress

Laddie has really relaxed into his work with the breaker this (second) week. Jeremy is happy that he is proving to have the Saddlebred brain and endurance and is showing a go-forward work ethic.
He is looking to be a very balanced young horse, showing easy changes in all upward and downward transitions....already!
Very pleasing!

Photos from Kate

Kate sent through a couple of photos she found from her pre-Christmas visit Down Under.
She and I were given a quad-bike tour of the Ryan's stud at Heatherbrae by fellow eventer, Emma Armstrong, and enjoyed checking out potential dressage and eventing superstars from the likes of Regardez-Moi, Jive Magic, Fiji, Brilliant Invader, Salute, Starnberg, Aspen...
Amazing established bloodlines for success at world class competition level!

Then Kate snapped took some snaps of Bloomsbury horses, at home.
Photos show Kate and Emma on the tour at Ryan's, with Ryan's youngsters looking over their shoulder... and, back at home, Laddie, Maybellene, Gracie and Cloud getting a drink after a (leisurely) chase around the paddock to see some 'action' ..on a very steamy morning when they would rather not be bothered!

Pan and Brooke

I love hearing back from my 'family' of horses. Mike Piper sent through some photos of Brooke and Pan training on their property.
They look to be developing a very trusting, working partnership, and having fun into the bargain.