Friday 13th August
Sue has just left with the caravan..... must be something special happening as I have been getting heaps of feed and lots of riding in the last few days, Pashi is still grumbling about how hard Freemantle was and I just tell him that one day he may get to do Shahzada and then he will have something to talk about!!!!!
Monday 16th August
Sue has just come back without the caravan and hooked up the float so there is definitely something exciting on the agenda. Pashi and I are in for a meal and the others are all going in next door..... mmmmm, August.... I wonder????
Tuesday 17th August
In the float with a few stops and then we meet Ian Dix at Windsor Downs for new shoes plus an extra set. Next stop St Albans where there are lots of hugs and happy people - I go round to my usual spot and yep, there is the van and my yard set up and by the time Sue has the float and truck in place we are in a cosy set up a bit smaller than normal but apparently lots of riders are coming.
Wednesday 18th August
Out for a ride down to Word of Life.... no arrows up yet but I recognise the turn off.... more food and walks and Sue keeps racing around mumbling something about people not fitting in but people are arriving and everyone is happy.
Thursday 19th August..
Out for a ride to Joe's Crossing, stop to talk to Kate who is letting us ride on the Common this year instead of those long treks down the Common Road. We go through the water (no quicksand...what a relief) and back to town on the other side of the river.
Friday 20th August
Down to Word of Life again this morning but now the arrows are up, crosses too, lots of different colours - hope Sue is concentrating next week. More people arriving, St Albans is buzzing!
Saturday 21st August
Ride out to Joe's again, this time with Maureen and Malali.... he is starting tomorrow and doing 100kms extra - we go back to town again on the other side of the river. Jan and Martin arrive with Leonie and set up next to us...looks like we are riding together.
Sunday 22nd August
Ride out to Word of Life again but further down the road this time and then home..... St Albans is starting to look pretty crowded as we return. Sharon May Davis and Mimme are here and seem pretty happy with me..... lots of talk about being in season but what's a girl going to do with all these cute stallions around. Sue weighs in and enters and then we go to the vets. Kym is standing in for the vets who haven't arrived and I meet Monika too. All A's and 1's but I haven't done anything yet - "great trot" comment.... we have been working on that - Sue just needed to get her act together but she was good at the Quilty and didn't let me down. There's a party - I wasn't invited - but all early to bed.
Monday 23rd August
Up at 2.45 and lots of activity.... Cuddles sleeps in, this is his first Shahzada and he is having a ball. Marlee bought him some pig's ears and toys and he plays most of the time. Anyway, Leonie and I set off on the first leg.... slow and steady up the Common Road and the 30th Shahzada begins. We talk to lots of different horses along the way but pretty much keep to ourselves. Walk down Blue Hill and give Sue a bit of a hard time but she undersands.... I feel great and just want to go!!!!!! Back to town and vet through with all A's and 1's and "terrific trot" and we get some rest. Out to McKechnie's in the afternoon.... Sue rides up - she has this "dicky knee" so it's better this way. Along the Woomera back to Jack's and then home..... so much water in tubs everywhere..... Haydn and his crew really know what is important to us horses. We vet - A's and 1's and "excellent" so the first day is over and we have a rest. Anthony tells Sue that my gutsounds are fantastic..... bit personal, but last year Rochelle gave us some great advice and Sue finally found some stuff that she could squirt down my throat that actually was almost acceptable.... lots of it but if it keeps everyone happy and me feeling good, I can cope.
Tuesday 24th August
Up at 2.45 and out at 4 am as usual.... we go down to Shepherd's Gully.... love this part and we trot along towards the sunrise.... the moon has been blood red and huge reflecting in the dams and river. Down 8 mile to the Meadows... what a hoot, great stretch out back to town. SMD and Mimme are checking me over and then to vet..... A's and 1's "very good".... everyone is happy but the best part is I am getting a hot shower every time I come in courtesy of our new hot water unit.... makes me feel so good. Out to Careflight Hill in the afternoon (went up here on my first ride out of novice) but the track clearing and marking is fantastic and we scoot up there pretty easily and then a lovely trot along the ridge, down Shepherd's and home. Leonie is not feeling so good and we walk most of the way. We vet through with A's and 1's and "excellent" but my mate Leonie is not going so well.
Wednesday 25th August
Up and out at 4 and up Boyd's - this is such a good track now with the reflective tape and we get a drink at the top and off to McKechnie's. The National Parks have made these tracks along the top of the ridges so good and they are quite soft after all the rain.... perfect riding. Sue gets off for the tricky downhill and then we are off to Prestons. There are just three of us on the steep part - Kym walking and Shelly behind me so we are spaced out and all very easy..... we make Kym stop for breaks on the little flat parts so we can get our breath back and then we walk down the other side. New track through the Common...... we are flying!!!!!!!!! We trot back conservatively into town on the road and vet through all A's and 1's and "terrific".... what a great leg. Have a rest and then out to Blue Hill and down Short Wellums - what a great ride around the lake and home. All A's and 1's from Monika and she said "going strong".... I feel great.
Thursday 26th August
Out at 4 again and off to Blue Hill, the Transmission Road and then down the Steps..... easy for me but Sue slips in the mud right at the bottom... we trot back to town, all A's and 1's and "absolute trooper".... don't know that my ancestors would have liked that one but it was meant as a compliment and taken that way. We have a rest and then out to Jack’s and down Boyd’s and back over the Word of Life and back to town with A's and 1's again and this time "going great guns" - does this man know how many Appaloosas were shot because the cavalry could not catch us!!!!!! PS story goes that I am a direct descendant of Chief Joseph's favourite mare!!!!!!
Friday 27th August
Out at 4 and up Jack's and out to Boyd's turnaround.... Sue loves this part as we are near the front and it means you get to see and slap hands with everyone else who is left in the ride and wish them luck.... I just keep going to McKechnie's and then down again and back to town.... all A's and 1's with "great trot out as usual! entertaining!" - Sue is growling at me to keep me motivated, love to watch her make a fool of herself!!!! Then it is out to the Steps again and we take it easy while Sue walks up and down Brown's and then a lovely trot through the common again and back to town. All A's and 1's - "what a ride - awesome"..... we finish our fifth out of five Shahzadas - with a book this good, I might get another sash tomorrow.
Saturday 28th August
Up early for a bit of a wash and even got some glitter on my rear end. Sue tried riding me without a bit yesterday and I was so good it looks like we will be in a halter from now on..... better behave. We get our buckle and mug and yes, we get called up for Best Conditioned/Managed horse with five others.... we have to do a trot/canter thing and we go out on the road to warm up. My turn and I canter, trot, stop, canter and out we go..... we line up for our sashes and the next thing I know we have won the Shahzada Perpetual Trophy for the Best Managed and Conditioned horse, we have this monster cup and a rug and people are taking photos. What a year - I have just received a lovely rug for my 5,000 kms in competition from the AERA together with a great clock, a Quilty buckle and now this...... Sue must be so proud of me!
Monday 29th August
We are still in St Albans, everyone has left but we were too late to drive all the way home last night after all the clean up and work with Ross on accounts etc yesterday..... we leave soon - it will be wonderful to get back to our lovely home in Glen Davis and see the other horses, even Pashi.
Thanks to everyone who came and made the 30th Shahzada a special one to remember........... Shakista 2010