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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

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 15, 16 and 17

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 13 and 14

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 12

Here's one for the girls who love horses. No, they're not boy substitutes and no, we won't grow out of it.

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 8 to 11

Spending a minute to a couple of minutes on each sketch - eek!

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 5, 6 and 7

Phew, big weekend but I'm back. First page was done without lifting hand. Felt soooo strange. 

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 4

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 3

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 2

twenty dressage sketches in twenty days: sketch 1

It's hard to keep up with drawing when there's a baby in the house so rather than give up I have pledged to do a dressage sketch each day for the next twenty days. They will be quick and unpolished. I will not be a perfectionist. I will not be a perfectionist...

the story of a saddle

Some time ago I received the thoughtful and symbolic gift of an old saddle. I don’t have a horse for it at the moment, but I just love seeing there in the corner of the room, putting me in mind of rainy childhood days cleaning tack with the sound of sleepy horses in the background. 

It has its leather girth with it and is in good condition apart from a rather catastrophically broken tree. I was intrigued to see that this saddle was from the Myer Emporium. In case you’re not a Melbourne person (and you probably aren’t, considering the number of lovely Americans I have visit the site) Myer is a department store in the city that has been there forever. As far as I know. I remember visiting there as a child and being amazed by the billion buttons in the haberdashery section (now closed), not to mention the Christmas windows. I had no idea there was a saddlery there.

A Google later and I found a discussion in Eques where people were reminiscing about the saddlery in the 60s and 70s when it was managed by the awesomely named Bill Bull. Then I found a current story on Kevin Mayne, a saddler at the store for twenty years:

http://maroondah-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/saddler-kevin-mayne-still-has-a-passion-for-the-craft/

I wonder if he had anything to do with saddle no. 356? He might be cross to know I had it close to a window this past year and it started to build up some mildew (been a while since it had any love, what with the distraction of a baby). It’s now been moved, cleaned and conditioned and is looking bright and new.

So, here’s to the lovely feel and smell of an old saddle, and the stories it can tell…

The Eques discussion:

http://www.eques.com.au/EQforum/archive/index.php/t-14453.html