Having had a successful start to the Autumn event season and being in the final throes of leaving for the USA on our Kentucky CCI**** campaign, I felt it was time for an update with the first Sunburst Equestrian Newsletter for 2007.

“Koyuna Sun Magic” performed very well at his first Eventing start for the season with a close 2^nd placing in a competitive CIC*** field at the Albury International Horse Trials on March 24&25. A 3^rd place after dressage on a 47.8 was rewarding and reflective of his improved dressage training this season. Although I rode somewhat conservatively across country with the flights to Kentucky being just two weeks after Albury, we were still among the fastest and posted a double clear showjumping round. Now, having completed his fitness preparation and had further dressage and jumping training we are ready to leave for Kentucky with our flight leaving Melbourne this Sunday night, April 8. We then have some time in quarantine in LA before taking a domestic charter flight to Lexington, Kentucky on April 12. Once arriving in Lexington, we are being kindly hosted at Maggie Wright’s stables, “Champagne Run” while I will be staying with Eloise Penn, a committee member of the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. We then move in to the Kentucky Horse Park on April 21 in preparation for the competition April 26-29.

 My two young Advanced horses, “Koyuna Sun Dancer” and “Koyuna Sun Shine” have also began their Autumn season well with an exciting 1,2 finish at the Tonimbuk CIC*** on March 10 & 11.  Dancer began with a good dressage to be equal 2^nd before a fantastic cross country round put him well ahead going into the showjumping. An uncharacteristic 2 rails down was disappointing but still left him some 5 pts clear of Shine who had come up from 4^th after cross country to 2^nd with a clear showjumping round. ‘Shine’ then finished at the top end of the competitive CIC*** field in 7^th place at Albury a fortnight later, outdoing Dancer who had a glance off a difficult arrowhead across country. The talented 6yo mare, “Koyuna Sun Storm” also had a good weekend at Albury to finish 11^th out of 68 in the CIC* with clear jumping rounds and a strong dressage performance.

 Youngsters “Glenrose Sun Devil” and “Lord of the Sun” have also commenced their eventing careers at the Kirkaldy Park Horse Trials on March 17 & 18. A first and second after the dressage was a great start to the event – only ‘Sun Devil’ finished where he began though to win as “Lord of the Sun” took a dislike to the ‘new’ water jump that was different from his at home!

Best regards,

Wendy Schaeffer OAM