have moved to a new blog site

I'm now posting my horses from http://hercoronetweeds.wordpress.com/

ponies from today

it's Cup Day!

It's the Melbourne Cup, and the streets of Victoria are strangely quiet, save for those in silly hats or lugging large quantities of beer barbeque-wards. Here's a happy photo of a former Cup Day, the only one I've made it to, thanks to my lovely friend Giovanni.  

And a portrait of the amazing Makybe Diva, who won the Cup three times - watching the third win I thought my heart was going to burst. So wherever you are in the world, pop a strawberry in your champagne (unless it's a really, really nice champagne in which case nooooooo) and switch the race on and enjoy. Will Americain do it again? Who knows, but that is one good looking horse. Let's say Americain, Red Cadeaux and Dunaden. Those pesky raiders. Don't forget race-day etiquette people. No spewing in hats (so sad that needs to be said) and ladies, keep your shoes on, I don't care how much they're hurting. Note my heels above. They did not leave my feet until I was home! Happy Cup Day!

polo pony from the archives

her heart beats

imaginary journey

Have you ever imagined yourself in a different world, journeying with your horse through vast forests and deserts that you can only cross at night, by the dazzling starlight? Well, now you have!

first posted at http://opheliasfiction.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/imaginary-girl-and-her-horse/

olympic eventing and dressage

Eventing over and Australia had some falls but overall did a good job. Wonderful result for NZ's Mark Todd. Boy is Germany looking good in eventing these days. We're going to have to get our skates on before they're dominating all the equestrian disciplines. Maybe that ship has sailed.
I once saw an eventing rider get into lots of trouble online after calling the Grand Prix dressage the 'fat horse' dressage. But here we are - ready for the real dressage horses. Here's to the classicists out there and those doing their best to ride and train with feel and sensitivity in the cut-throat world of top level competition.

Olympics equestrian - eventing dressage

Congratulations to Lucinda Fredericks on Flying Finish for a lovely dressage test (the first one I managed to watch on the Olympic channel too). All the riders did a great job in the dressage. Here's to some brilliant and safe rides on the cross country phase from the Australian team (safe for all the riders and horses, one hopes!). We're in the team silver position but so much changes over the jumps. Fingers crossed for a fairy tale year for Andrew Hoy. Congratulations to NZ's Mark Todd (can we claim him too? Like Pharlap??). What a rider. I think he might still be competing in his nineties...  

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 19, 20 and beyond!

Ooops - have been offline a few days but the sketches continued...

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 17 and 18

Will is helping me meet my quota