Sunburst Equestrian Newsletter - April 2009

Newsletter April 2009

The Highs and the Lows of the equestrian athlete were well demonstrated to me March – April 2009. Coming from the “high” of Sun Set’s brilliant jumping in New Zealand and gaining of a Certificate of Capability for the WEG in Kentucky 2010 came the significant injury to her leg in the truck ride back to the airport which left her in rehabilitation for the next 4 months, so she did not travel to Sydney for the Royal Easter Show.

The next high was the performances of the 3 Koyuna horses that did make the trip to Sydney Royal, Sun Storm, Sun Dancer & Sun Shine whose combined placings won me the “most successful Showjumping rider” award, with the best placing, a second in the Mini Prix, to Storm.

Another “high” followed with Sun Storm excelling the following weekend, taking out the Eventing CIC*** at Camperdown, Victoria, literally on her way home from Sydney Royal. In a very strong class of event horses all preparing for the Eventing World Cup at Sydney in May she was 4th after dressage well in touch with the leaders It’s Monty & Georgia Clifford, Koyuna Tora Bora and Allofasudden, Cross Country Storm was a gun with the fastest clear round taking her well into the lead, which she maintained over Kirby Park Allofasudden & Megan Jones, as both horses showjumped clear.

With 4 very competitive horses entered for the Eventing World Cup Qualifier in Sydney, May 2-3rd, and the enticing HSBC prizemoney, we were on such a winning role that something had to give and it did. I experienced yet again the “low” when I managed to break my ankle bone in a bizarre tangle with an electric fence on our property !!! No-one to blame but myself, I inexplicaby climbed under the fence on the wrong side of the electric wire and zapped myself big-time. I knew something had broken and even a visit to the miracle working Orthopaedic surgeon who fixed my broken leg (the other one) to allow me to ride at Atlanta did not help. No miracles in 8 days or even 5 weeks. All my 4 fit horses missed the CIC-W*** and Storm then missed Melbourne 3DE too, so is yet to qualify for Adelaide 4* in November.