From newest to oldest:

“L’ ahannii”– 2010 Canadian Warmblood Mare.

I had the incredible opportunity to purchase Hannii in November 2016 from Loretta Doiron and Marcie Doyle and I couldn’t be more grateful because Hannii is truly my dream horse and my first Canadian horse.

She gained her Premium Rated Mare status at the Canadian Warmblood inspection in 2016 and has some impressive bloodlines in her pedigree.

By Laird (Lynx, Olympic Ferro) out of Winter’s Gift (Weltmeyer).

We are currently training at USEF/EC Third Level Dressage.

Photos by Totem Photography.

“Mountbatton”

Monty, an Arabian Warmblood, was the horse to spark my passion in Dressage. Bought straight from his breeder when I was 13, I fell in love at first sight, we dabbled in a little bit of everything before deciding Dressage was where his real talent was. Together he went from a green broken youngster to an Equestrian Australia Medium and Advanced level horse. I recieved my first National Level placing on him coming 3rd overall against a very competitive field of horses. Monty and I recieved many Championships across the levels and eventually he  went on to carry Para rider Grace Bowman competitng  at the Bejing Paralympics, a hugely proud moment for me and my once “spooky” horse! Monty finished his career competing with a 60 year old woman at FEI Intermediaire level and I couldn’t be prouder of him.

 

 

“Currawong Dancer”

Dancer was a Crabbett Arabian bred out in Kyeneton by Illaroo Arabians in country Victoria, supposed to be a palomino with the intent to be the breeders next stallion. He turned out chestnut and luckily for me was sold on. When I first got Dancer he was skin and bone and in desperate need of love and care. Dancer was the perfect all round horse, I could do anything on him and he was the bravest horse I’ve known. We did Pony Club together, played polo cross, eventing, dressage, drill teams, musical rides, trail riding, show jumping, mounted games, you name it! I named him Dancer (formally was named Macca) because I noticed whenever I rode him and music was playing he would perk up and “dance”. With Dancer I created my own freestyle routines spending hours choreographing the movements and the perfect songs for him to dance to. He was the first horse I ever did passage on, canter pirouettes, one tempi changes and eventually I taught him to Spanish Walk and rear on command. He was such an intelligent and fun boy and I miss him every day.

 

“Cinnamon Spice”

Spice was the ultimate rags to riches story. Born in a knackery she was rescued and broken in intending to be a pony for the grandchildren to ride, Tinkerbelle was what they named her. Things didn’t quite turn out well as she was very sensitive and ended up being mistreated by her people, eventually losing trust and becoming quite dangerous in the process. Spice was then turned out in a huge field and left to sit there alone for a few years, until I found out about her through her owner at a Pony Club rally day. I had outgrown Thomas and needed a bigger pony to continue on with. Mum and I drove past her field and instantly I saw her and knew I had to have her. We had her on trial to begin with and although things were a bit rocky (rearing up over my head whilst tacking her up), I eventually gained her trust and she realized I wasn’t going to hurt her. We later found out she had been subjected to having her front leg tied up and then chased around on 3 legs in an attempt to “break her”. I re-named her Spice aka Cinnamon Spice because she was sweet with a spicy edge to her! Spice was the greatest pony in Australia, she won every single class that she was in and went on to become not only a State level champion but an Australian Champion, in her field of “Working Hunter”. The Working Hunter discipline was quite new and just beginning to take off. Spice was unbeatable. Eventually after she had won everything possible in Australia she was spotted by an American syndicate and bought to compete in the North American version of Working Hunters. Spice was flown to Florida where she lived in the lap of luxury, she even had air conditioned stables to live in and her very own groom. Spice taught me such valuable lessons as a kid, to always treat others with compassion and respect and once she knew I was her friend and could trust me, she gave me so much in return, I could never even begin to repay her.

 

“Thomas”– my first pony.

Thomas was the pony that really set the foundation for my riding. He was certainly no “push button” pony! In fact he was the most stubborn pony I’ve ever met in my whole life to this very day. He successfully bucked off all the instructors I had at the time and boy did he have a mean buck. I remember falling off Thomas the most times out of any horse I’ve ever had. He even used to be so naughty that he would run towards a fence with me and drag me along it to get me off. Also if we were riding  near a gate he would  bump his body into the gate to get me off him. He was also very lazy when he wanted to be and if you tried to get him moving, even just a slight tap with the whip would set him off. Needless to say I could only walk with him for the first few months that I owned him! I think in the end he got sick of just walking around and realized he was missing out on all the fun so I finally got him to switch gears and then he was unstoppable. Thomas aka Katamanda Little John turned out to be a fantastic pony for me, great at everything he tried and he carried me through Pony Club until I had outgrown him. He then went on to teach many more children how to ride, with a much more agreeable attitude!