P.B. Equestrian

Yesterday the Totara Park team rode at the Kerry Currie Memorial dressage teams comp and did a phenomenal job 👏 Everyone was either stepping up a level, having a first go, or had journeyed a mile and a half in their training in only the last couple weeks so to come home with a trophy and smiles is epic 🤩

India C's pony is temporarily out of action, so Twiggy took his place instead, helping India around her first ever level 3. India stepped up amazingly after Twiggy has been out for a spell after I've been out on another injury (seems to be one thing after another for me this year!) and finding all those intricate and sensitive buttons. There's a very short list of people I would let compete Twiggy, and this up and coming rider is one of them 😉 A couple minor miscommunications in the tests, but still came out on top. It's pretty awesome to see what was once a very spicy and sometimes tricky mare be out and about with a young rider looking so relaxed, keen in her work and safe!

This competition was an extra special one with the passing of Kerry Currie earlier this year. I first met Kerry when I was only 11 years old (a terrifying 17 years ago, where did that time go!) when I first started pony club in NZ and she has played a hugely influential role in my coaching. She has helped drive my passion to go from rider, to coach, to dressage squad coordinator and head coach. Having my club to be the first name scribed onto her trophy is a privilege and very special 🥰 We miss you dearly Kerry, I hope we made you proud ❤

Massive thanks to the organisers and supporters to put on such a fab day!

Pony for a day!
Have you got a kiddo with a love for ponies but not ready to take the leap? These are wonderful taster days run by an even more wonderful crew 🦄
Fill out the form to sign up 👇
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgRs7-Nn0F-fSkYPHxkGitpIhjBNfkAWSzFgPARZNmlgxsxg/viewform

Incredibly proud of India and Elsie who flew the Totara Park PC flag today flying through their B Dressage certificates 🥳

Rare opportunity to join a wonderful club plus amazing indoor arena!

Grazing available for new members!
We are on the hunt for new riders to join our club. We are a small but mighty club with grazing available for suitable ponies. Our rallies are 1/3 dressage and 2/3 jumping ( SJ and x-country) Herd grazing with approx 2-3 horses per herd. Cost is a bargain at $40 per week YES- this, includes all year round use of the undercover arena and all of the amazing facilities at Totara Park Equestrian centre! Priority given to families who want to be active members of our club, and those that have ponies/riders that fit into our current herds and instruction groups. ( An adult ride membership may also be available :-))

Kicked off the first day of the AMDG Autumn Series by stepping up to our first ever PSG 🙌
Twiggy had been extra spicy in our ride the day before, so gave her an extra dose of calming supplement which was too potent and ended up having a mostly flat pancake for a pony 😅
Lots to like, with lots of 7s and some 7.5s but sadly without the extra go juice she was tricky to navigate in the pirouettes and behind my aids in the tempi changes, where we had a variety of strides so a bit of a fiasco, not how we've been practicing 😆 note to self, just stick with the regular amount of calmer 🙈 But still came away with a fairly decent 64% so not too bad as a debut, good girl Twiggy 😇 Onwards and upwards!

Day 2 of the Clevedon A&P with (not so) baby Frieda for her first outing since she was a yearling 🙈 Wonderful opportunity for some exposure while having my feet on the ground to give her some confidence. While she was quite spicy to be out, she really tried to put her best foot forward 🦄 We claimed the over 4 years sport horse mare, reserve champion adult sport horse, best suited for dressage and a few 3rds along the way too, her trot was just too pingy to claim the other best suiteds 😆 Good girly 😇 piccies captured by no.1 groom

Change of scene for Twiggy and I today having a dabble in the show scene at the Clevedon A & P show 🦄 It was trying conditions following the deluge of rain we had yesterday, but Twiggy was sure-footed and gave it a good crack claiming a ribbon in almost every class. Our highlights were definitely the rider class and paced and mannered classes 😇
Showing was old Fox and I's thing, missed him a lot today 🥲

We made it! After nearing 4 years from being at an away premier league Twiggy and I finally made it back to Bay of Plenty Premier League! My goals were to get there, complete the 3 tests, and be in the top 10. Twiggy was overly keen and a little nervous at times to be back, but kept settling in and on the last day started to get our groove back 💪 Over the weekend we placed 9th, 7th and on the last day in the Super 5 just got inside the placings with a 5th and placed 6th overall so goals checked and exceeded 🥳
Its a little funny to think just this time last year Twiggy was coming back into work after a baby and a 2 year break!
The show wouldn't of been the same without the wonderful company, you know who you are 🥰
Huge thanks to the brilliant Dressage Bay of Plenty crowd for putting on a stellar show as always, Vivant Equi Community as the show's leading sponsor and Kiwi Arena Rake for sponsoring the advanced level 🥂
Massive thanks to clever Dad and bro in-law Francois for managing to fix the car so we could make it, India for keeping the other ponies in check at home, my fiancé Frans for your loving support, and Mum for being no.1 super groom, chef, and side line supporter ❤
Twiggy and I felt ace all weekend in our Incrediwear NZ , Prestige Equestrian Ltd and PS of Sweden NZ gear 🤩💃

AMDG Dunstan Spring Series wrap up! Massive thanks to the wonderful organisers and volunteers for running a fab series setting us up for the season ahead. Also thanks to the amazing sponsor, Dunstan Horsefeeds for your generous contribution! And also big thanks to the fam bam, especially with all the vehicle logistics 😆
Twiggy and I finished the series on a high claiming top spot with a PB in the 6B test on 67.76% even with a course error 🤣🙈 We weren't as in-sync in our test as our warm up, and it took a little to get her focus back, and in the process lost mine haha! We also claimed the title for the series at advanced, and the high points for the teams section 🎉🥇
Next up for us is Bay of Plenty Premier League, which will be Twiggy and I's first away show in 3 years! To say I'm looking forward to it is an understatement 🥰

Prestige Equestrian Ltd
Incrediwear NZ
PS of Sweden NZ

Stoked with Twiggy at the second day of the AMDG Spring Series 🤩 Starting to feel like we're getting the hang of Advanced level. Twiggy really tried to focus today, rather than being overly clever and anticipating 🥸 To boot we got some cracking marks, which is a nice confidence boost in the lead up for the first premier league of the season round the corner.
Red one for us today, with 66.9% 🥇
PS of Sweden NZ
Incrediwear NZ
Prestige Equestrian Ltd

https://forms.gle/CmziY2h4GX7KeNag9 to sign up. Experience a day with our friendly club (and ponies!).

Pleasant surprise to ride in the sunshine today at the first of the AMDG Spring Series 🌞 Pocket rocket Twiggy did some fab work, with focus on a couple of particular movements that we have been working on over winter, working on boosting 1% at a time, and scored a solid 66%. Nice being on the other side of 65% 😆 Need to keep reminding myself we're both still really green at this level. Big thanks for AMDG for putting on another great show despite the soggy grounds 💃
Prestige Equestrian Ltd
PS of Sweden NZ
Incrediwear NZ