After an exciting Spring eventing season which included a CCI*** win and an Australian Team representation and with my first ‘white’ Christmas in the USA experienced, it is time to update you with the final Sunburst Equestrian Newsletter for 2005. The most welcome news being that I have been elite listed with “Koyuna Sun Magic” with the immediate focus being the Aachen World Championships in August 2006.

The Spring season began well with “Koyuna Sun Dancer” and “Koyuna Sunshine” doing the quinella in the Novice class at the Mt Gambier Horse Trials. The SASJC “Cygnet Rambler” Cup showjumping weekend was also successful with “Koyuna Sun Magic” proving a very capable jumper to win the “Fair Play” Trophy. The next two weekends brought success at the Royal Adelaide Show Dressage competition where “Koyuna Sun Smoke” won the Tom Roberts Memorial Medium class and the World Cup Showjumping at Metropolitan where “Koyuna Sun Magic,” having upgraded to B Grade with his win in the “Fair Play Trophy,” excelled placing in the 1.3m, an A & B Grade of 1.4-1.45m and the Mini Prix. “Koyuna Sun Shine” also won the D Grade Championship, youngster “Koyuna Sun Storm” placed 2^nd in a D Grade and “Koyuna Sun Dancer” was 3^rd in a C&D Grade class which upgraded him to C Grade where he was successful in jumping clear rounds in both the C Grade (6^th) and the C Grade Championships (6^th). Two steady clear rounds in the Open Intermediate at the Monarto Horse Trials for “Koyuna Sun Magic” having a preparatory run prior to the Sydney International and “Koyuna Sun Dancer” at his first Intermediate start were also beneficial.

 The Sydney International was a very busy weekend as I was not only riding 3 horses myself in the CCI*** and CCI* classes but was coaching a Pakistan rider, Usman Khan who was competing in the Asia-Pacific Championships being run at Pre-Novice level. “Koyuna Sun Magic” made a significant improvement in his dressage score from his last 3 star competition at Werribee to finish almost 10 points better on 50.2 which placed him 6^th in a tight field led by Australia’s best performer at the Athens Olympic, Rebel Morrow and Oaklea Groover. “Koyuna Sun Smoke” was also good in the dressage though an extra flying change did not help his score; he finished in 15^th on a 54.2. “Koyuna Sun Dancer” showed some physical immaturity in his test to be only mid-field on 58.6 though excellent performances brought him right up the order to finish 6^th in his first CCI* and qualified him to compete at CCI** at Lakes & Craters. “Koyuna Sun Magic” also excelled Cross Country giving me a very mature, confident run which I felt provided him the necessary experience to upgrade to CCI**** at Adelaide. Unfortunately, “Koyuna Sun Smoke” struggled in the heat at Sydney and was not travelling well so following a trip in the water which caused a fall coming out up the bank, he was retired to save him for Adelaide. “Koyuna Sun Magic” then capitalized on his showjumping experience to jump the only clear round in the CCI*** class but one time penalty made matters extremely close when Shane Rose and “All Luck” had one rail to finish on an equal score. Rebel then had two fences down to slip to third, leaving myself and Shane tied for first; I was declared the winner having been closer to optimum time on the Cross Country.

After such an exciting finish to Sydney, “Koyuna Sun Magic” was in strong contention for the Australian team to compete against New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman Challenge to be held as part of the CCI**** class at the Adelaide International. The team training camp was an invaluable opportunity to hone our skills prior to the commencement of and during the competition with Bettina Hoy, Wayne Roycroft and Sam Lyle providing superb training. I was selected to run 2^nd for the team; Sonja Johnson and “Ringwood Jaguar” ran 1^st, Megan Jones and “Kirby Park Irish Jester” 3^rd and Rebel Morrow and “Oaklea Groover” 4^th. Dressage day was very successful for the Australians who all demonstrated a significant improvement from Bettina’s training; I was thrilled with my score of 48.3 which held the halfway lead before lunch, finishing 7^th overall.  Megan and Rebel both scored very well on a 43.4 and 43.7 respectively while Sonja scored a 51.1. “Koyuna Sun Smoke” did a good test though it was a little disappointing to leave our best work in the practice arena; his 49.6 left us in 10^th position. Dressage leader was Jessica Irvine-Brown on her experienced mare Belcam Abberdeen, scoring a 39.6 which is a serious international score. The Australians were some 30 points ahead of the New Zealander’s though with their experienced rider, Matthew Grayling on “Gordon” the only ones in the top 10.

The Cross Country course posed some interesting new questions and was regarded as a serious 4 star test with the bounce into water and a bounce onto and off the Normandy bank in the water being tough as was the brush combination of oxer, apex, apex in the Rose Garden where many took a longer option. “Koyuna Sun Magic” was very good to be clear with 6 time; I rode a little too conservatively to begin with and got behind time which wasn’t possible to catch up with many serious questions later in the course. Still, I was thrilled to have him clear and home safe around his first four star in overnight 8^th place. “Koyuna Sun Smoke” was exceptional, giving perhaps my best ever 4* ride to be clear with 1.6 time which was as fast as he could go! This brought us up into 6^th. Sonja Johnson was clear and well under time on her jumping machine, “Ringwood Jaguar” while Megan and Rebel were also clear with 4.4 and 4 time respectively. Again, the Australians were impressive, increasing their lead as the New Zealander’s had experienced some trouble on course, notably Matthew Grayling who fell.    

The Showjumping was again testing and clear rounds hard to jump. “Koyuna Sun Magic” was again one of few to jump clear but again had time penalties; this time they would prove very expensive. It was unfortunate though that I was warming up when it was announced that the optimum time on the showjumping course was reduced by 2 seconds; I had watched the first 3 horses jump who didn’t seem to be having trouble with the time, then the Ground Jury changed the time after the 6^th horse had finished. While there is no changing the fact that I went too slowly, knowing that the course time had been shortened may have given me the extra sense of urgency I needed. 3 time penalties pushed our score out to 57.3 and eventual 6^th place; I was again tied in 5^th with Stuart Tinney this time but I was slower cross country to lose the countback. “Koyuna Sun Smoke” unfortunately had 2 fences down and 1 time fault to finish on 60.2 in 7^th place. Megan & Sonja had one rail each to finish 1^st and 2^nd while Rebel had two rails for 3^rd and Jessica had 3 rails for 4^th; it was great to see Megan and ‘Jester’ take home the spoils after coming so close in 2002 and overcoming the disappointment of injury in England last year.

Lakes & Craters International Horse Trials set in the stunning Lakes Complex in Camperdown was a great place to finish our event season. “Koyuna Sun Dancer” contested his first CCI**, “Koyuna Sun Shine” the CCI* and youngster, “Acacia Ridge Sunrise” was having his 2^nd Pre-Novice start. ‘Dancer’ excelled in his first serious competition, just adding 1.2 time cross country and 1 time showjumping to his dressage of 56.6 to finish behind Heath Ryan and “Koyuna Streisand” in 2^nd place. It has been a very successful season for him and he has come a long way in a year; last year he was 4^th in the Pre-Novice at Lakes & Craters. “Koyuna Sunshine” finished on her dressage score of 45.6 to place 4^th in the CCI* while “Acacia Ridge Sunrise” added nothing to his dressage to win the Pre-Novice. A quick return home overnight, a day spent packing for a 3 week working holiday in New Jersey, USA and I was away again; I actually met up with the Japanese Ground Jury Member from Lakes & Craters, Someko Suzuki in Tokyo as she was flying home.      

My time in the USA has been an invaluable teaching experience as well as a great ‘holiday’ where I have made many new friends and had some exciting new adventures; skiing on Gore Mountain in upstate New York under the guidance of Karen Leonard, a tour of Manhatten with Steve and Linda Mislid which started at their awesome apartment overlooking Central Park and ‘breaking in’ to USET with Linnet Tell where it was great to catch up with Jim Wolf, now USET’s high performance manager. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Nan, Brian and Kate McGardle was also a special time with their whole family having such singing talent that Christmas evening became a real ‘jamming’ and singing session. A big thanks to Karen, whom I met at the University of Queensland where we were both studying for a Masters in Animal Physiotherapy and innocently stated that people at her barn in the US loved having clinics so if I was interested…, and her close friend Nan hosting me and for their efforts in organising the teaching clinics and to Lin and her parents, Bill and Alice, who were fantastic hosts at “Windswept Farm.” I am looking forward to returning in December next year as a relief and different challenge from what promises to be a ‘full on’ year. 

Please find my attached competition results for the past Spring season and an itinerary for the beginning of the 2006 competition season.

 Best Wishes for the New Year,

 Wendy Schaeffer OAM