One of the exciting things I haven't had chance to blog about yet was last weekend's clinic with the one and only Christoph Hess! Christoph is the Director of Training for the German Olympic Committee for Equestrian Sports (DOKR) and is a FEI 'I' judge in 3 day eventing and dressage. He is overall an extremely respected figure in the Equine world and has made many valuable contributions to the sport. As a member of Great Britain's Young Rider Prime Squad, I was selected to attend this clinic with him where I rode through the Young Rider Team Test (PSG) which he judged, then had a 15-20 minute training session to improve on aspects of the test.
Back in 2008, when I was only 15, I rode with Christoph in a clinic in Sydney with my FEI pony. It was in front of a huge crowd of people as I was the pony demonstration rider, so very nerve-racking but extremely valuable! I clearly remember him getting me to gallop around the Sydney International Equestrian Centre's indoor with my reins at the buckle to get rid of my pony's tension. It worked!
So this time it was in a different country, on a different (and much bigger) horse, with a much smaller crowd (only team members/parents) and a panel of selectors watching. Seb did an 'okay' test, we are still in that transition mode into the new method of Sandy's training so are still working on getting it away from home in a test situation. It was the training part that I was really looking forward to!
First off Christoph said he loved my way of riding, that I was very sympathetic. He asked who I trained with and when I said "Sandy Phillips" he immediately knew why I rode like I did. We worked on Seb's walk to make it more active to get a better rhythm. Then we did some walk/trot transitions to get him active from the first stride of walk and quicker off the leg into trot. We gradually built up to some bigger trot work with the whip on his shoulder to get him more uphill. He ended up with his legs around his ears (which he loves doing) and Christoph was impressed with his ability. He said he was a "very positive horse" with a good attitude towards work. Go Seb!
All of these squad training sessions increase your confidence bit by bit. It's like every time I go there I realise again why I am on the squad and am further inspired towards team selection. The selectors and Chef D'Equipes really put a lot of effort into helping us riders get to where we want to be. Their support is always appreciated and their efforts are definitely put to good use!
Monster Pet Supplies Top 50 Pet and Animal Blogs in the UK.... I'm in it!!
One of the
things that really spurred me on to start writing again (things had been tough
and had no idea how to express it) was an email I received last week from Chris Norton at Lucre Social, who is promoting the UK's Monster Pet Supplies Top 50 Pet and Animal Blogs which is produced in partnership with the Pet product Marketing Magazine. I was congratulated for being chosen among thousands of other blogs to be included on the list, which was chosen by a thorough process of selection made by real people (note the new badge on the left side of my page!).
Among those
blogs were Horsehero, Horse and Hound, Horse and Rider, Petplan, and other
various animal blogs on dogs, cats, birds, fish, everything. I was placed at a satisfying number 40,
though to even make it into the top 50 is a HUGE achievement for me!
Sometimes I
think not many people read this, as unless I get 10 comments on every post like
what some other blogs get, I don’t know who’s out there! Therefore getting to
my computer (which is difficult at the best of times) to blog about all the
exciting things that are happening always seems like a big effort with little
reward. Until now!
Sure this is
just one recognition, but it just goes to show that what I write and put out
there is read and does affect people. My aim is not just to blog about my dream
in order to inspire other riders, but it’s also to spread a good vibe towards
horses and competition. By getting placed in this list I feel I have made a
small difference in people’s lives, helping spread the positivity! This is why
I really try not to blog when I’m feeling down, sad feelings are not to be
spread!
So a huge
thank you to Monster Pet Supplies for including me in this list and for putting
together such a good way of connecting people and their ideas. The official news release can be read HERE...
Yes, I am still alive (just)!
Just from reading my last post (which I'm sure I wrote over a shocking two weeks ago!) I can now see where I was headed... busy days + late nights + no rest = fast track to burnout.
Usually I cope with exhaustion quite well, but this time a whole load of stress was put in the mix and my body decided it couldn't cope. After going to the doctor a few times with complaints of random spells of dizziness, confusion, the inability to stop myself falling asleep one my adrenalin had stopped pumping, and strange bursts of anxiety and clumsiness, he had told me to cut back on anything that was raising my stress levels and manage my days better, preferably with better home support.
Hmm well, as all horseriders know, it is a bit difficult to just "cut back" on thinking about their issues and things that have to be seen to and fixed, and forgetting about a huge wave of competitions coming your way fast is definitely impossible. Now I don't see myself to be a stress-head at competitions at all, once I leave the yard in the lorry, I am as laid-back as a turtle. It is the day-to-day things that stress me out, whether its my horse's back being sore, if they can't be turned out, if Julius's feet get thrush-ey, if they aren't drinking enough water, if Julius won't eat his food and is losing weight... My god the list NEVER ends! And to have better home support... well I get all the support I can ask for from my family, but unfortunately they are 12000 miles away in Australia, so living by myself is the only option. And it isn't so nice to come home to an empty flat every night, especially when you are on the very tip of a nervous breakdown.
So whilst trying (but failing) to keep my stress levels down and just take a bit of time out, I've been competing and training hard. I have all those things to tell you about that I mentioned in my previous post, and I still have my "Who... Post England" that I'm conjouring up in my head. Thankfully my mum is now back in the country so a bit of my time has been freed up to blog and do some more study.
So, yes I am still alive, and look forward to more posts coming your way! :D
Usually I cope with exhaustion quite well, but this time a whole load of stress was put in the mix and my body decided it couldn't cope. After going to the doctor a few times with complaints of random spells of dizziness, confusion, the inability to stop myself falling asleep one my adrenalin had stopped pumping, and strange bursts of anxiety and clumsiness, he had told me to cut back on anything that was raising my stress levels and manage my days better, preferably with better home support.
Hmm well, as all horseriders know, it is a bit difficult to just "cut back" on thinking about their issues and things that have to be seen to and fixed, and forgetting about a huge wave of competitions coming your way fast is definitely impossible. Now I don't see myself to be a stress-head at competitions at all, once I leave the yard in the lorry, I am as laid-back as a turtle. It is the day-to-day things that stress me out, whether its my horse's back being sore, if they can't be turned out, if Julius's feet get thrush-ey, if they aren't drinking enough water, if Julius won't eat his food and is losing weight... My god the list NEVER ends! And to have better home support... well I get all the support I can ask for from my family, but unfortunately they are 12000 miles away in Australia, so living by myself is the only option. And it isn't so nice to come home to an empty flat every night, especially when you are on the very tip of a nervous breakdown.
So whilst trying (but failing) to keep my stress levels down and just take a bit of time out, I've been competing and training hard. I have all those things to tell you about that I mentioned in my previous post, and I still have my "Who... Post England" that I'm conjouring up in my head. Thankfully my mum is now back in the country so a bit of my time has been freed up to blog and do some more study.
So, yes I am still alive, and look forward to more posts coming your way! :D
Up and Coming...
Wow, every day this week I've been leaving my flat early and getting home at 9pm - I'm shattered! Just been flat out with the horses, there is so much going on at the moment!
I've got lots to write about: The Horses Inside Out 4th annual conference that I went to on the weekend (and thoroughly enjoyed!), Seb's new magnetic boots and cold compression boots, riding in a judges seminar that Sandy ran during the week, a visit to the vet, a visit to the doctor with a long and complicated blood test, and riding late every night for one reason or another.
Unfortunately I'm far too exhausted to bring myself to do a post on any of these just yet, but I'll write as soon as my energy is replenished! I think bed is the best place for me right now.
And keep an eye out for my "Who... Post England" which is coming soon :)
I've got lots to write about: The Horses Inside Out 4th annual conference that I went to on the weekend (and thoroughly enjoyed!), Seb's new magnetic boots and cold compression boots, riding in a judges seminar that Sandy ran during the week, a visit to the vet, a visit to the doctor with a long and complicated blood test, and riding late every night for one reason or another.
Unfortunately I'm far too exhausted to bring myself to do a post on any of these just yet, but I'll write as soon as my energy is replenished! I think bed is the best place for me right now.
And keep an eye out for my "Who... Post England" which is coming soon :)
Who... Pre-England
I ended my last post with a bit of a lead-in to this post about who I was and who I've become on this journey, and I explained that once I learnt that my name meant "brave", I made sure I lived up to that definition. Well here is a bit of background to how I managed to be so brave, as it's not always easy. *WARNING* The first part of this post may be viewed as unmotivating... but please do read on, it gets a lot better! I can't help my past ;)
When I was younger, I wasn't one of those kids that were absolutely pony crazy who wore their purple jodphurs as accepted everyday wear. It was never my 'thing', my sister started doing it before me and I was always the one sitting in the car whilst she had her riding lessons after school. I'm not sure what exactly was my 'thing'... though I do remember that mud, bushwalks, and playstation played a prominent role in my childhood whilst my sister was off doing horseshows.
Nevertheless, my mum started to teach me to ride once my sister got her first pony, Anna, when I was six. I was "the world's best trotter" for about two years. Once my sister got serious and started competing, my parents also decided that they liked the rural lifestyle as opposed to suburbia and driving out to a livery yard every day (I know how they feel now!!) so we got a property. The horses were turning into a family thing that brought us together, so I ended up getting a pony too to complete the picture.
Regarding myself as the most uncompetitive person possible back then, it's actually surprising how much I competed. My sister and I were regulars on the show scene and we were successful at countless agricultural and state shows, occasionally making it to a national show. I think I went to pony club twice, and that was it. Barrel racing and the thing you do where you put the flag in the pole was never my thing.
I don't remember neither loving it or hating it, it was just something I did. I guess I was extremely lucky that it was all there for me to do and my mum and dad's support made it possible, and it brought me up to be compassionate and disciplined (okay, not always disciplined!). Though I never saw myself ever being an athlete and the olympics sparked zero interest to me. PE classes always annoyed me as I wasn't a great runner and ball games always seemed pointless. After being unsuccessful at many athletics and swimming carnivals, the idea of an 'athlete' became something that was too far removed from anything I thought I could be.
My sister and I also danced, though. The turn of events came around when my sister, at fifteen and going through her year 10 exams, decided that she didn't have time to do both, and as dancing took up less time than horses she chose to stick with dancing. Sure, it was a disastrous decision as my sister has the most natural talent on a horse I have ever seen... I am still extremely green with envy of her ability, but don't tell her that ;)
I was twelve at this time, and it was now my responsibility to ride her pony. This pony was the one and only Rathowen Rustic, or "Vinnie" - the pony that sent me on a whirlwind to where I am today. Vinnie, who we still own today, has an unbelievable ability for dressage with huge trainability and a very smart mind. Once I got going on him and started having dressage lessons with Roger Fitzhardinghe, there was no going back.
I had three ponies I could ride and compete (Vinnie, Kyle and Legacy) so was kept busy. Suddenly, it was like the switch was flicked, and I had the bug. While it was a common story that once the high school years hit, the horses went out the window and a social life walked through the door, that was definitely not the case for me. Call it unhealthy if you like, but I could happily give up a movie date or shopping trip to go for a lesson or a competition. I hated sleepovers because I couldn't get up in the morning and ride. I would always make people come to my house so I could wake up at the crack of dawn, do the horses, then come back in to the house to find my friends still sleeping at 9-10am. In a way it was an obsession, something that consumed my life. But I view that positively, as it set me up for the hard work and dedication that all successful horse people must possess. From those years of waking up at 5am, writing a part of an essay, doing the horses and riding, going to school all day, coming home to ride and do the horses again, then homework until bedtime, I learnt an unbelievable amount of good work ethic. So things ended up only getting easier from there!
So from all this, its really no surprise why I made the huge decision to move to England at just 16. I experienced the european dressage scene for the first time when I was 13 on a Young Rider tour (read the blog here!), where I witnessed the European Young Rider Championships and my dream was sparked. I wanted to ride like those riders, some of them were only a couple of years older than me but wow could they ride. I just though that if they could do it, then I could do it. I went back to Germany when I was 14 to do my Little Bronze Medallion (read that blog here!), spent the summer of 2009 in the UK when I was 15 (missing a whole term of school in my GCSE year!) to see if I liked living in England, and then set off for good in November 2009 to live on the other side of the world to sunny Sydney. That is when this blog started, and isn't showing signs of ending!
As I was away from school a lot, I ended up being different from my friends. It didn't affect me much, but I was always occupied by different things in life. Some resented me for it (specially when I went away), some acted like I never left and nothing significant was happening, and some really cared and were interested to know what it was like in Europe and England. Most people just didn't care though, which did make it quite easy to leave as sad as that sounds. If anything it was a shock to my family. I had been talking about moving for ages, looking at courses that Hartpury offered in equine, looking at trainers and colleges, but I don't think my dad or sister realised what was happening until the day I actually left. I was too young to move out of home that's for sure, but that's another sacrafice that is made for a dream. I am just extremely lucky to still have my family right behind me 110%, even from the other side of the world. That element of my life makes things a lot easier, and made the 'big move' generally quite smooth. For that, I am absolutely forever grateful.
When I was younger, I wasn't one of those kids that were absolutely pony crazy who wore their purple jodphurs as accepted everyday wear. It was never my 'thing', my sister started doing it before me and I was always the one sitting in the car whilst she had her riding lessons after school. I'm not sure what exactly was my 'thing'... though I do remember that mud, bushwalks, and playstation played a prominent role in my childhood whilst my sister was off doing horseshows.
 |
| I was "The World's Best Trotter" for a long time! |
Nevertheless, my mum started to teach me to ride once my sister got her first pony, Anna, when I was six. I was "the world's best trotter" for about two years. Once my sister got serious and started competing, my parents also decided that they liked the rural lifestyle as opposed to suburbia and driving out to a livery yard every day (I know how they feel now!!) so we got a property. The horses were turning into a family thing that brought us together, so I ended up getting a pony too to complete the picture.
Regarding myself as the most uncompetitive person possible back then, it's actually surprising how much I competed. My sister and I were regulars on the show scene and we were successful at countless agricultural and state shows, occasionally making it to a national show. I think I went to pony club twice, and that was it. Barrel racing and the thing you do where you put the flag in the pole was never my thing.
 |
| I was a leading rein superstar... No way was I coming off that lead!! |
My sister and I also danced, though. The turn of events came around when my sister, at fifteen and going through her year 10 exams, decided that she didn't have time to do both, and as dancing took up less time than horses she chose to stick with dancing. Sure, it was a disastrous decision as my sister has the most natural talent on a horse I have ever seen... I am still extremely green with envy of her ability, but don't tell her that ;)
 |
| 'Legacy' the cheeky monster... |
I had three ponies I could ride and compete (Vinnie, Kyle and Legacy) so was kept busy. Suddenly, it was like the switch was flicked, and I had the bug. While it was a common story that once the high school years hit, the horses went out the window and a social life walked through the door, that was definitely not the case for me. Call it unhealthy if you like, but I could happily give up a movie date or shopping trip to go for a lesson or a competition. I hated sleepovers because I couldn't get up in the morning and ride. I would always make people come to my house so I could wake up at the crack of dawn, do the horses, then come back in to the house to find my friends still sleeping at 9-10am. In a way it was an obsession, something that consumed my life. But I view that positively, as it set me up for the hard work and dedication that all successful horse people must possess. From those years of waking up at 5am, writing a part of an essay, doing the horses and riding, going to school all day, coming home to ride and do the horses again, then homework until bedtime, I learnt an unbelievable amount of good work ethic. So things ended up only getting easier from there!
 |
| Me and Vinnie's biggest win... Winner of the Senior Ridden Challenge at the National Capital Horse Show, in a class of 57 horses! |
So from all this, its really no surprise why I made the huge decision to move to England at just 16. I experienced the european dressage scene for the first time when I was 13 on a Young Rider tour (read the blog here!), where I witnessed the European Young Rider Championships and my dream was sparked. I wanted to ride like those riders, some of them were only a couple of years older than me but wow could they ride. I just though that if they could do it, then I could do it. I went back to Germany when I was 14 to do my Little Bronze Medallion (read that blog here!), spent the summer of 2009 in the UK when I was 15 (missing a whole term of school in my GCSE year!) to see if I liked living in England, and then set off for good in November 2009 to live on the other side of the world to sunny Sydney. That is when this blog started, and isn't showing signs of ending!
 |
| Back when I was a pony rider! |
As I was away from school a lot, I ended up being different from my friends. It didn't affect me much, but I was always occupied by different things in life. Some resented me for it (specially when I went away), some acted like I never left and nothing significant was happening, and some really cared and were interested to know what it was like in Europe and England. Most people just didn't care though, which did make it quite easy to leave as sad as that sounds. If anything it was a shock to my family. I had been talking about moving for ages, looking at courses that Hartpury offered in equine, looking at trainers and colleges, but I don't think my dad or sister realised what was happening until the day I actually left. I was too young to move out of home that's for sure, but that's another sacrafice that is made for a dream. I am just extremely lucky to still have my family right behind me 110%, even from the other side of the world. That element of my life makes things a lot easier, and made the 'big move' generally quite smooth. For that, I am absolutely forever grateful.
 |
| Old days of Xmas back home in Australia |
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