What can I say, I’m sitting at the beach, cider in my hand, thinking about going for a run, thinking about going for a swim, thinking about good enough reasons not to do either of these… Hence now I’m on the computer writing my blog, that my website manager Chanel has been kindly suggesting for about a month, but now knows I’m finally on a short holiday so more chance of getting it done! 🙂
Last season was a mix of personal Highs and only one Low, so I guess it’s not too bad. Unfortunately the Low was at the end of the season with Tangolooma getting hurt at Puhinui after giving me an amazing XC ride. I have been trying to get under the 50s in his dressage for about 12 months, so getting a 46 was awesome!!! Thanks to the amazing help of Tracey Smith. 24 hours later all was forgotten and now Bones and I will be practicing more dressage for a while before we come out again to compete.
Meanwhile the token mare of my team Swish aka SE Godswalk owned by Julie Bachelor is a very gutsy, classy mare that has moved into the team and claimed her spot, by finishing 2nd in the CCI*. I’m hoping this season we will keep building on our results together.
Also Henton First Edition owned by Mandy & Dean Beverly finished on his dressage score at Puhinui to finish 5th in the competitive PN 3DE, so he’s on the move up a grade, which is really exciting.
Since then it’s been “Babyville” intense training, with a couple of Xmas and New Year Celebrations, and a few days of picking up hay mixed into it.
In August 2014 we realized that our life wasn’t busy enough (yeah right!), so Dani took up rowing, much to my Dad’s pride! Dani has quickly picked it up and is very good, so our days/weekends/life is very full to say the least… Trying to spread ourselves a tad thin, we exceeded ourselves by competing 8 horses at Pointways One Day Event in Auckland, and then driving the horses/grooms straight to Lake Karapiro to watch Dani row in her first major rowing event in a doubles A-final – which was very cool to watch! Hannah and Alice appreciated the very fit male scenery at the rowing competition hahaha!!!
I have stolen/borrowed/been lent “Yogi” the coolest Palomino in the world form Elise and Dani, I figure what’s good enough for someone who I regards as one of the greatest Event Riders of all time – Andrew Nicholson to ride a Palomino, then it’s good enough for me too!!! For anyone who saw this little guy jump at Puhinui – he’s a dude! He’s always smiling, even as he was cantering towards 1.60m, he looked at it and then went “Righto”!!
Also joining the Team is Chris & Tracey Sorrell’s CHS Royal Genie, which has major benefits for me as she’s been beautifully trained and produced by Tracey who is a dressage rider! Only thing is now I can’t blame the horse if I make an error in my dressage test haha! :)) Winnie has enough scope and movement that we are all hoping for big things from her.
Izablu and Cluny are both aiming for a consolidating season. Gucci and Off The Top are ready to tackle a full season ahead too!!!
In the meantime I’m enjoying sitting still for a few days, before I get home and life becomes extremely busy again, between teaching at Rotorua, Cromwell, Invercargill, Christchurch and a few Pony Club camps and clinics at Home…… Then we are off competing at our first start of the season – Waitemata @ Taupo.
My thoughts on how 2015 were going to pan out have taken a turn at a cross road, but if I look a little further into the future by 2016, I am going to have a string of 3* horses again and trusty little Tangolooma will be heading the Team!!!
Looking forward to seeing you all out there.
Happy New Year, Donna
Donna Smith Eventing 
Great blog…keep them coming!