Welcome to the January issue of Equestrian Life… and Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2023! We hope you’ve all had quality time with your human loved ones and quality riding time with your equine dependants. While the rest of society calls this the holiday season, equestrians well know there is no such thing! Horses still need daily attention and exercise, just as we need to feel the freedom of riding to remind us why we do this. So, be inspired by what we have in store for you in this issue then go and pull those boots on!
Our cover story features Cathryn Herbert, a young West Aussie who has just made a big impression in four-star competition with Wimborne Constable. In only their second pairing at four-star, Cathryn and the Warmblood stallion nailed it at Wallaby Hill. Adele Severs fills us in on their journey via Ryans Horses and how Cathryn believes her partnership with the 14-year-old is just beginning.
Another name to watch out for this year is Jamie Priestley. Roger Fitzhardinge caught up with the third-generation show jumper at Jumping@Willinga, where she was happy to tell us of her plans for the future, and how she is delighted to discover such a world class facility not far from where she lives after having travelled the world.
Northern-hemisphere based Lyndal Oatley draws on her international experience as an Olympian and World Championship competitor to offer pertinent observations into what makes powerhouse dressage teams tick – and what Australia can learn from them. Lyndal is one of seven expats we check in with to learn about their offshore progress and potential aspirations for the Paris Olympics; there is always so much to learn from their international experiences.
Back home again, and we also meet Isabelle Luxmoore, the latest young dressage rider to enter the Australian Big Tour ranks, and catch up with 4CYTE ambassador Brett Parbery and his ground-breaking performance program.
We also have two special features that share a theme of working with horses against the odds – Amanda Young’s tale of Timmy the rescue pony reads like a screenplay for a Netflix doco, while Adele Severs takes us on the roller-coaster ride of foaling and fostering as she tells the story of Jazzy and Fury. Veterinarian Dr Maxine Brain discusses other matters of the heart – literally – when buying a horse, and Suzy Jarratt, as always, entertains us with her Horses in the Movies series, this time on Secretariat, the other Big Red.
Happy reading!
Start reading the January issue here
