Newsletter - September 2001
Hello! September already and my short quarterly
newsletters seem to be turning into bi-annual extravaganzas! Well I've survived my first winter out
here. It's been long and dark,
but not terribly wet which has been both good and bad.
The crops are coming up well
and the canola is starting to flower in the back paddock. The contrast of the golden canola and
the green wheat is just beautiful - I'd love to let a horse loose in there
for some good photos but I don't think the guy I share farm with would be
overly impressed! There's lots
of news - some good and some bad. Where
to start. I haven't acquired any new horses
in the last 6 months!
The two geldings I am currently
campaigning are going from strength to strength. The problems we were experiencing with
Mitchell's metabolics seem to have come down to a simple issue of a sensitive
thermostat and dislike of being cold (and who could blame him!). We seem to have it sorted now by ensuring
he comes off track hot then triple rugging him and keeping him moving.
After the Canberra Challenge
in April, the 5 of us (Deb, Zoe,
Mitchell, Tarquin & I) went down to the Mudgegonga 80k ride in VIC where
Zoe completed successfully for 3rd junior, and Debra and Tarquin were 5th
middleweight in a time of 4:38. This
was Tarquin's first faster time so we were well pleased. (Although I must admit, I didn't enjoy strapping within 2 hours
of the start - my middle name being 'she who likes sleeping in'. The current arrangement is 'you
ride my horse, you get up at
4am and get yourself out on time. I
wonder if I can extend that to 'you strap for yourself at the first leg and
I'll catch you at the finish?J Oh well.)
On 20/5/01 Deb took Tarquin
down to Stanley 80k ride in VIC. She
was obviously jinxed by my inability to be there as they were vetted out lame
at the end of the ride. Fortunately
there wasn't much in it, it took two trot-outs to decide, and he seemed to be sound
within the week. Following
a number of ride cancellations, we
had a bit of a rest for 11 weeks, which
being winter and all we weren't complaining too much about. I kept the horses quietly ticking over
in my spare timeˇ¦
On July 22 we wheeled them
out again to Coolamon NSW 80k ride.
(A ride I remembered not so fondly from my effort to drive it last
year in the sulky through the bogs.)
But it was to be a big weekend -even the weather was kind. Deb & Mitchell came 5th
open weight, 4 minutes behind
the winner and Zoe & Tarquin were 1st Junior. They rode together in a time of 4:01.
There were smiles all around and I felt I'd received some payment for
the winter nights I'd spent leading horses from the car around dirt roads
in the cold and dark.
1st Junior was
awarded a great horse rug which Zoe talked me into letting her keepˇ¦ Further icing on the cake was an almost
respectable offer to purchase Mitchell by an overseas buyer. An offer that I decided to decline.
3 weeks later, Deb, Mitchell and I went to Miranda Griffith
NSW 80k ride and again rode well for 3rd middleweight in 4:10.
I even scored the trophy! Can't
remember what the swap was there. Also
brought home some bottles of red donated by Miranda Wines.
Again due to ride cancellations,
and work commitments we are currently in another
ride lull. Hopefully we will
be out and about again in October.
Other good news from the
last few months? On the Stanley
ride weekend I went to Wangaratta VIC Foal Show with Splitters Creek Jack
of Diamonds, a now yearling gelding
who was prepared by Fleur De Lys Welsh Cobs. It was an enjoyable day (sort of I can't say horse shows do
much for me), and Jack came home
with two 2nd places and a 4th place, plus he really behaved himself so that
was a success.
Following on from this I
had a call from Carol Nomarhas in Canberra who asked for photos of Jack, and subsequently purchased him! My first horse sold! That was exciting. I will deliver him to Canberra in November.
Early in July I celebrated
the 1st anniversary of the Splitters Creek Stud actually having
a home, and invited over a few
of the people who had assisted me during the period including Tanya and Kay
Harding (of Jirrima Performance Horses), who keep an eye on things here all
the weekends I'm away (and lend
moral support, cups of tea etc), and Linda and Jayde Porta who occasionally
work horses for me. It was a
noisy affair, 7 women talking
horse in my rather small lounge room! I even made a speechˇ¦
In August the annual magazine
'Australian Arabian Studs and Stallions' published a feature article that
I had written on Les Ellery's Cudglebar Stud. It was very pleasing to see him receive recognition for his
achievements in breeding colonial Arabians. I'm sure many people also enjoyed the old photographs of the
horses they see on some of their own horses' pedigrees.
Most of my bad news is actually
from Cudglebar. Since my last
newsletter, Les has lost two
horses. The first, Cudglebar Prince Nedj a friendly yearling
colt (Cudglebar Raksha x Cudglebar Jasmine) died from a colic related problem.
This was also sad for Larry Hodson of NZ who intended purchasing the
colt to use over the daughters of Cudglebar Rasuli.
(Larry recently exported Rasuli to NZ on a 3 year lease). The second horse that Les lost is Cudglebar Nurmanah (Cairo
[imp NZ] x Cudglebar Gadare) through poisoning. She was about 12 years old and was one of the few remaining
Cairo daughters in Australia. As
she had been used a lot as a saddle horse,
Les had not yet bred a foal from her. When the vet was visiting Nurmanah, Les had Cudglebar
Rabi preg tested. Rabi is one
of the old mares that I have on lease from Les. She missed last year so we were both very pleased to receive
a positive test in foal. Should
be a Christmas baby. J
So that's all the news!
Visitors very welcome here by appointment from October.
Why not come for a bbq and some local red winesˇ¦
Catherine.
'bloodlines
that work'
Debra
Kuhne and Rowallan Mitchell (left)
Splitters Creek Aussie. Yearling
Zoe
Gardner and Cudglebar Tarquin at
Coolamon 80k ride.
Splitters
Creek Jack of Diamonds at the
Splitters Creek Power Play