By Trish Joyce

For the past five months Team Joyce sat down to make a plan we set our sights on the Australian Showjumping Championships coming up next week.....we had meticulously designed our days with entering 4 horses , 3 for Wes and 1 for Tiffany. Wes no longer has the 3 horses that he had campaigned for the Mouser family over the past 18 months therefore has set his vision on producing another Grand Prix Showjumping Champion of his own. Actually it will be an interesting future to see if Wes can actually produce another Performance horse, if so how long will it take him?  This is a time when you re-think all of your options and hash out what it is you are working towards and what it is you hope to achieve. We have Oaks Volta but he is at least two years of being ready and we do not have anything in the paddock older , so do we look to purchase a more mature horse but then you come across the where do I find one they are not just sitting around to snap up! The challenge has been set let us see what fate has installed for Team Joyce. No rides for Wes at this year’s Australian Showjumping Championships this year he is going to be head coach for his daughter Tiffany.

Tiffany has had her heart set on the Ruby Series knowing the riding before would need to be continuous even though her schedule is pretty full already. University studying Law, International Relations and Japanese is 3 days per week and requires a two hour trek each way , work in a Law firm two days a week so riding and gym are mostly early morning at sunrise. Wes gives lessons a few times a week to help with jumping working towards gaining confidence for the pair to easily jump the height required for them to feel confident in the Ruby Series which starts at 1.30m. The shows before were all planned down to the classes picked increasing their poise. His feeding regime has been altered slightly from Barastoc Calm Performer to Barastoc Competitor which has definitely given him more energy. Sadly Wes’s mother passed away last week so the start on Thursday for the Championships will not be happening but we will appear on the Friday to have a start. We shall give the Ruby Series a miss because it starts Thursday, maybe next year or even the Future Stars event? We are altering our goal to the 7yo Young Horse Talent Class starting at 1.25m which is on the Saturday afternoon. 

If you wish to see pictures and read about Tiffany and LH Johnny’s very first Mini Prix start at Boneo Cup last weekend, click here.
 

Tiffany and LH Johnny over the water jump in the Mini Prix

Sarah who is studying up at Wagga Wagga is out competing the same weekend on LH Albert participating at the Wagga Wagga Dressage Championships held at the CSU Equine Centre. Sarah is getting a lot of help from some savy Dressage friends Belinda Flynn and Georgina O’Neill, thank you so much. They will compete in two Official Novice Tests starting at 8.30am so it will be an early morning rise but not a long drive as the venue is part of the Charles Sturt University. During the evening at 8pm Albi and Sarah are participating in a Novice Freestyle Test which is a dressage test to music they have chosen The Lion King, this will be a new experience as they have not done one of these before . We hope to see video of this as Wes Tiffany and I are very keen to watch learn and get excited about the Dressage world Sarah loves to learn about. She is also driving down to Victoria to attend her grandmother’s funeral definitely not the sort of catch up Team Joyce are excited about at all. 

Sarah and Albi

So Team Joyce will be spread out but enjoying ourselves horsin around .Team Joyce are excited to see the new Oaks Volta foals which should start to appear in one week. Then we take the time to inseminate for next season. Oaks Volta will have a short break from showjumping and stay home to collect for outside mares booked in. Wes is very pleased with his start out and about so far his behaviour has been quite nice so hopefully he keeps that up.

Wes and Oaks Volta jumping at Boneo Cup 

Wes and Oaks Volta jumping at Boneo Cup