This 8 yo mare has been lightly campaigned in SA prior to her great success on the NSW/QLD circuits in July/August 2007. Having jumped competitively to place in both of the warm-up classes at the prestigious JK Williams Jumping in the Orchard Show, 'Lia' excelled on Day 2 to win the hotly contested 1.2m final before jumping a clear first round in her first Grand Prix.
At the exciting Elysian Fields International, she was very consistent in the three Silver qualifiers (qualifying 5th out of 68 horses) and jumped beautifully in the Silver Classic Final for 5th place, the highest placed Australian-bred horse.  Her first World Cup start at Toowoomba was also a great success for a 4-fault 1st round and a clear 2nd round for 6th place.

Best Performances:- 2007

1st C&D Futurity Angaston Agricultural Show                        February 2007
1st 1.2m Final JK Williams Jumping in the Orchard Show        July 2007
6th Grand Prix JK Williams Jumping in the Orchard Show      July 2007
3rd Silver Qualifier 1 Elysian Fields International                 July 2007
5th Silver Classic Final Elysian Fields International               July 2007
6th World Cup Qualifier Toowoomba World Cup Show            August 2007

2008 Performances:-

After the adrenalin rush of Show Jumping my first World Cup event at Toowoomba August 2007, I decided NOT to sell this freaky jumping mare, but to use the experience she was able to give me over the bigger tracks to better my show jump riding for my Eventing Olympic asperations. After EI we started Show Jumping at Yarra Glen, and Lia was jumping superbly until I made a slight error, but still a 6th in the Grand Prix, the rider needs to improve. Back in SA for our State Show Jumping Championships at Strathalbyn Lia jumps clear over John Wiltshire's tracks to record a 2nd in Grand Prix and goes on to win the Senior SA Championships jumping the only 3 clear rounds finishing with a 1.60m vertical. Despite the scheduling difficulty I decide to take Lia to Sydney for the Festival of the Return of the Horse (after EI). The cancelled National Show Jump Championships were being held at SIEC in conjunction with the Sydney International 3 DE, our major Eventing selection trials, in which I was competing on all 3 of my listed Eventers, Sun Magic, Dancer & Shine.

To this mix I added Sun Set (Lia) and was so glad I did ! After the downer of my dressage scores it was amazing to come out on Lia and jump these huge tracks set by John Vallance and to consistently place !!! Lia contested the Senior National Championships over 3 classes, coming 4th in the Speed class, 2nd in the Grand Prix and 4th in the final Championship Grand Prix to place 2nd behind Chris Chugg & Vivant on the national leaderboard for the Series. All this despite so nearly allowing myself to be jumped out of the saddle and so nearly right off over the massive yellow brick wall in the middle of the final treble.! My mare just kept right on going, 2 strides and we are jumping over a massive spread with me jumped back off her neck and into the saddle !!! - well and truely captured in print in series in The Horse Magazine article. At least the caption said "eventers don't fall off" - only one rail so we get to jump it a second time with a better safety seat.

After a spell while I go Eventing, Lia is back on form for the World Cup Qualifier series , 3 in SA, then Victoria and finally at SIEC. We are 4th at Gawler, jump so well placing consistently at Adelaide Royal Show Part 2 and even better in the World Cup Qualifier for 2 clear rounds and a second place, while one rail in each round at Glenelg has us only 6th. Enthused, I decide to miss Monarto ODE to Jump the World Cup class at Melbourne Royal and finally we score our first win with the only double clear 2 rounds. A quick trip to Shepparton, where the heavens open and it pours rain all day, but Lia wins the warm up class. She does jump clear in the first World Cup Qualifier round, but in going for time, has 2 rails in the second round so only a 7th. Lia misses Wodonga while I compete in the Adelaide CCI**** , then next weekend its back to Melboune for Equitana and its World Cup Qualifier and again pouring rain. Now all the Olympic listed horses are back jumping here and in a class of 30 horses, Lia has 11 (a style) and 12 b down and another rail in the second round for 8th place while Drossel Dan wins from Vivant and Animate, all Olympic Squad horses. Next World Cup Qualifier is at Sale and another drenching rain makes conditions difficult and Lia has 3 down to miss the second round for the first time (fortunately stablemate, Sun Storm takes over to place 8th).

The final World Cup Qualifier for the Pacific League is held in Sydney at SIEC at the ISS Summer Jumping Classic with Olympic Course Designer, Leopoldo Palacios building and 20 top horses. Lia excelled herself here jumping one of only 2 clear first rounds ( with Koyuna Ted) and with pressure from Vivant, Animate & Drossel Dan clear in the second round Lia records a second clear, unfortunately with just one time fault, so Koyuna Ted repeating his clear round wins first place but Lia retains second ahead of our Olympic representatives. Leopoldo complimented the mare's ability around his track, which is encouraging for her International future.

Best Performances : - 2008

6th Grand Prix Grand Valley SJ, Yarra Glen, Vic.     February 2008
2nd Grand Prix SA State SJ Championships, Strathalbyn, April 2008
1st Senior State Championships, Strathalbyn,SA , April 2008
4th National Senior Championship Speed class, SIEC, April 2008
2nd National Senior Grand Prix
4th National Championship G P
2nd National Leaderboard, SIEC, April 2008
2nd World Cup Qualifier, Royal Adelaide Show, September 2008
1st World Cup Qualifier, Royal Melbourne Show, September, 2008
3rd Australian SJ Championships Grand Prix, Canberra, October, 2008
2nd ISS Grand Prix World Cup Qualifier, SIEC, December, 2008