How quickly did the summer break go? Maybe something to do with the extra long holidays we took this year! Regrouping the family- Jaymee had a big year with her HSC, which is a drain on all- but she is now accepted into her first choice – double degree in Commerce and Arts. We are very proud of her achievements and happy she is now riding again! Not sure Gemma is though - the wonderful KING is back with Jaymee in the saddle and Gemma will concentrate on WOODY and hopefully her school work!
Jaymee and Stuart had the best ‘schoolies’ together in South America- how awesome for them both. This was the first holiday Stuart has ever taken overseas without horses! Following this we all went away north and spent Christmas and New Year at the beach (Blueys) south of Forster- this was right up there with lots of rest, good food and some ocean swimming!
Stuart and Jaymee in Machu Picchu- located in the Cusco Region of Peru, South America, Elevation 2,430m above sea level
Alas all good things come to an end and suitably refreshed Stuart and I headed off to the annual Coonabarabran clinic mid January- with the fires! We were all so lucky to be able to have three days and complete the clinic with firefighters all around and helicopters landing next to the cross country training area. We left after day three and were so dirty and dusty we looked like we had been fighting the fires - we aptly named the three days- ‘Survivor Coona’ !
The Team of instructors from the Coona clinic- after the last day and showered!
Thank you to the organizers for your hospitality under such disastrous circumstances – plus our HATS!
So home to start the horses in work – with a complete down scale of horses we are now concentrating on the horses that are being campaigned for the World Championships in 2014 and then to the RIO Olympics.
We made the hard decision and have placed Orchard Hill with Dave Cameron to sell as a show jumper as we felt he would suffer at 4 star after 2 wind operations- Our team now consists of: Tim Game’s Panamera, John and Jane Pittard’s Pluto Mio and Annapurna, The Huskinson family’s War Hawk and our own Sydney.. Plus we have 2 young horses, Forest (Panamera’s surrogate son) and Cheryl Sing’s ‘Sena’.
Tex, pictured here at Badminton in 1999, was recently put down
Finally a very sad ending to our summer holiday with ours and Sue Walkers amazing TEX being put down on Sunday 27th Jan- At the age of 23 he had been retired for 7 years. Tex was reserve horse for the Sydney Olympics and The World Championships in Rome- always in the shadow of Jeepster he followed him round the globe! Tex was also infamous for jumping into the crowd at Badminton- which made him a media icon all round the world. We were all so fond of this bold and scopy horse – He will be dearly missed.
Our thanks go to Sue for having him over the past years.
Calendar for Tinney Eventing
Wallaby Hill 9/10th FEB- War Hawk, Annapurna, Jaymee and Gemma
SYDNEY 20/21 and 23/24th FEB- War Hawk, Annapurna, Sydney and Gemma
ALL the best TE
