Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Two years in the making.
It has been just over two years since I brought Aura home, and she has come so far! Since breaking her in myself in february of 2010, she has gone from her first steps with a rider on her back, to training beautifully over 120cm showjumping. With a very level, easy-going out-look on life, Aura makes everything so easy and her eagerness to learn makes her an absolute pleasure to train, taking everything new in her stride with barely a flick of her rabbit-sized ears.
We are competing confidently at 100-110cm, with a very promising start in her first D Grade Championship class at the Mount Gambier Spring Show in 2011.
In the last year alone, she has grown up a great deal, both mentally and physically. Having almost grown out of the wonderfully irritating "baby legs" stage, and finally figuring out that she does, indeed, have FOUR legs! She has also grown from the 15.2HH she was when I picked her out of a paddock full of 2, 3 and 4yr old fillies, to a slightly vertigo-inspiring 17HH.
We are competing confidently at 100-110cm, with a very promising start in her first D Grade Championship class at the Mount Gambier Spring Show in 2011.
In the last year alone, she has grown up a great deal, both mentally and physically. Having almost grown out of the wonderfully irritating "baby legs" stage, and finally figuring out that she does, indeed, have FOUR legs! She has also grown from the 15.2HH she was when I picked her out of a paddock full of 2, 3 and 4yr old fillies, to a slightly vertigo-inspiring 17HH.
Friday, February 4, 2011
My first ESB horse
ESB Irish Aura was my first ESB horse. Out of a gorgeous thoroughbred mare named Biscuit, by ESB Irish Edition, Aura has the gentle temperament of her father and the relaxed nature of her mother. She is such a dream to work with, I broke her in myself in early 2010 and she has excelled at everything.
Aura is always willing to give it a go, even if she isn't sure about something.
Aura is always willing to give it a go, even if she isn't sure about something.
Career Path
I am currently employed as a waitress at a small Indian resturant in the Adelaide Hills for a couple of nights a week, as well as working weekends at Johnstons Oakbank as a cellar door sales person.
I have also dabbled in a small direct-selling business with Intimo as a fashion stylist.
I have also dabbled in a small direct-selling business with Intimo as a fashion stylist.
Further education
I have studied through various Hospitality courses and am looking to study a diploma of Animal Technology in 2012. Then if all goes well, I plan to further my studies in 2013 with a Uni degree of some type.
My Schooling
For my Primary schooling I went to St Michael's Lutheran in Hahndorf SA for years R-3, we then jumped states and I attended Victory Lutheran in Wodonga VIC for year 4, St Joesph's Catholic Primary in Chiltern VIC for year 5 and then we returned to SA and resumed my studies at St Michael's for years 6-7.
My Secondary schooling years were spent at CornerStone College, Mt Barker SA, where I attended (amazingly) from year 8 all the way through to graduation in 2009.
My Secondary schooling years were spent at CornerStone College, Mt Barker SA, where I attended (amazingly) from year 8 all the way through to graduation in 2009.
My Childhood
My early childhood was spent on a small horse stud in the tiny town of Echunga, in the Adelaide Hills. Our property was a beautiful green, 20 acre block known as Kilmorn Farm.
My parents, having been involved with horses through eventing, show jumping and hunting for the majority of their lives, began breeding in 1991.
The venture into breeding budded from a friendship forged in unusual circumstances, with Ms Vanessa Hawkins. To cut a long story short, Vanessa, due to a potentially disastrous situation at her current agistment, prevailed apon my parents to let her agist 10 horses, of which 2 happened to be stallions and a couple of pregnant mares, on our property on a short term basis.
Within a week of meeting Vanessa, my parents were well on their way to producing their first season of Irish Sports Horses as well as experimenting with Percheron and thoroughbred lines. I was born just before the first of our foals hit the ground in 1992.
Of our surviving crop of Irish breed horses, Kilmorn Ambition (re-named ESB Irish Empathy) and Kilmorn Belle (re-named ESB Irish Evening) went interstate with Vanessa to strengthen her breeding herd. While Kilmorn Corrine was sold to an eventing home, and Kilmorn Cavallier went to fox hunt in Adelaide.
I got my first pony at the age of 12 months, an unbroken, skewbald shetland gelding named Toby. He was a piece of work. After a few years of attempted education by several experienced horsepeople, it was decided Toby was better suited to the role of lawnmower.
My next pony was also a shetland, but very different to Toby. Tilly was a jet black, sweet natured old mare that had been caught up in the devastating Ash Wednesday Bushfires in 1984. She taught me how to sit a horse with confidence as well as how to land a fall. Of course, not much hurt falling from 10HH.
TO BE CONTINUED...
My parents, having been involved with horses through eventing, show jumping and hunting for the majority of their lives, began breeding in 1991.
The venture into breeding budded from a friendship forged in unusual circumstances, with Ms Vanessa Hawkins. To cut a long story short, Vanessa, due to a potentially disastrous situation at her current agistment, prevailed apon my parents to let her agist 10 horses, of which 2 happened to be stallions and a couple of pregnant mares, on our property on a short term basis.
Within a week of meeting Vanessa, my parents were well on their way to producing their first season of Irish Sports Horses as well as experimenting with Percheron and thoroughbred lines. I was born just before the first of our foals hit the ground in 1992.
Of our surviving crop of Irish breed horses, Kilmorn Ambition (re-named ESB Irish Empathy) and Kilmorn Belle (re-named ESB Irish Evening) went interstate with Vanessa to strengthen her breeding herd. While Kilmorn Corrine was sold to an eventing home, and Kilmorn Cavallier went to fox hunt in Adelaide.
I got my first pony at the age of 12 months, an unbroken, skewbald shetland gelding named Toby. He was a piece of work. After a few years of attempted education by several experienced horsepeople, it was decided Toby was better suited to the role of lawnmower.
My next pony was also a shetland, but very different to Toby. Tilly was a jet black, sweet natured old mare that had been caught up in the devastating Ash Wednesday Bushfires in 1984. She taught me how to sit a horse with confidence as well as how to land a fall. Of course, not much hurt falling from 10HH.
TO BE CONTINUED...
My Family
My immediate family consists of 4 members, my Mother Debbie, my Father Terry, my younger sister Bethany and myself. We live in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, along with two dogs, Brodie and Riley, some fish, a tiger-of-a cat; Milo and my rescued kitten Luna (short for lunatic).
Both my parents have ridden, competed and bred horses previously, so it was just natural that both my sister and I should ride as well. My younger sister, while a good rider in her own right did not find horses or riding as addictive as I do, and only rides spasmodically.
I guess my partner Jamie is worth a mention as well, although he is not horsey, suffering quite badly from hayfever, he is awesome with my horses. Supporting my dreams and pushing me through when all I want to do is give up, he is a bit special :)
I guess my partner Jamie is worth a mention as well, although he is not horsey, suffering quite badly from hayfever, he is awesome with my horses. Supporting my dreams and pushing me through when all I want to do is give up, he is a bit special :)
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