Posts

I used to think a canter-to-walk transition was mainly about slowing Archie down before a test movement. The more interesting work happens underneath that…

When a dressage test calls for a counter-canter serpentine, my first reaction is to reread the sheet and wonder whether Archie and I can make the shape look as…

A two-day event begins well before Archie walks down the centreline or leaves the start box. For me, the real preparation starts in the feed room, where I work…

I entered a Preliminary dressage test at an indoor centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs, expecting to ride Archie much as I had at our usual outdoor arena. He…

There is a particular kind of nervous energy that settles over a cross-country venue before the first rider goes. The flags are out, the jumps are waiting, and…

A triple bar combination on a show-jumping course has a way of making my pulse jump before Archie has even left the warm-up arena. Three linked fences ask for…

Lengthening Archie’s trot has been one of those training goals that looks simple from the judge’s box and feels much more complicated in the saddle. I want him…

Archie has always looked as though he has barely moved after a cross-country round, then reveals the effort once we are through the finish. He stands alert,…

Finding out where a SuperEnalotto jackpot was won can feel a little like checking the results board after an eventing round. The headline gives you the…

There is a small piece of kit that tells you what kind of day I am having before I even unload the float. At dressage, Archie wears a clean white saddle pad.…