What a Month We've Had

The highlight of our year is definitely winning both the Medium Champion and the Advanced Champion at the NSW Dressage Championships.  That is just the stuff dreams are made of.  I bought a foal, he became my best friend, we trained together and achieved the impossible – a double championship at the NSW State Championships.  Of course now we have bigger dreams, but if they never come to pass, I will still be forever proud of Just Dance and what that little horse has helped me to achieve.  Just Dance’s next big competition will be the Australian National Dressage Championships at the end of October.  We are going to ride our first freestyle.  We have been working with Melissa Widdis from Fortissimo Freestyles and it is looking really good.

Here is a link to JD's winning Advanced test.  Video

The other exciting development in Just Dance’s career is that we have been accepted onto the National Futures Squad.  This is a huge honour as the purpose of the National Futures Squad is for providing assistance and training to promising horse and rider combinations that have been identified as having the potential to compete in future Olympics or World Equestrian Games.

Not to be outshined, Just Magic and Shockwave have also ventured out into the competition arena and are showing some huge potential.  The youngsters recently competed in Preliminary at the Upper Hunter Dressage Competition in Scone.  Just Magic had a few tension issues in his first test, but settled nicely in the second test to achieve second place and 71%.  Shockwave, however, stole the show.  In his first dressage test ever he came third with 68% and won his second test with 72%.  I am very pleased with the both of them and am looking forward to doing some young horse qualifiers later in the year.

We had to say good bye to two of our horses, but are very happy that they have gone to super homes.  Bangalow Creek Summer, the Sir Donnerhall filly, has been sold to Deborah Bardell from Newcastle and Balmoral Dreaming, the Duntroon mare, has been sold to Fairlie Gidley-Baird from Muswellbrook.  But our new additions are starting to arrive.  Bangalow Creek Flashdance is our first foal of the season out of Richmeed Dancer by Foundation (Fidertanz / De Niro).  She is very flash with two white knee length socks behind and a blaze.

The three year olds are also looking good.  Bangalow Creek Romanov is currently at the breaker and we are eagerly awaiting his return.  Sundance is headed to the breaker next.  We took some updated photos of him this week.  Check them out on the ‘For Sale’ page.  He is looking quite special, even reminds me quite a bit of his now famous big brother ‘Just Dance’.  Also updated is the profiles of the Two Year Olds on the ‘Youngsters’ page.