Honour and glory, joy, pain and sacrifice – Team Australia gave it their all at Paris 2024 and we congratulate all who represented us on the world stage. We’ve held off this month’s issue until the equestrian events were completed so that we could bring you our comprehensive wrap of the XXXIII Olympiad.
Coordinated by our Content Director Adele Severs, our experts Heath Ryan, Roger Fitzhardinge and Martin Gostelow provided running commentary on Equestrian Life’s newly upgraded website to keep us all in the loop. Heath and Martin follow up in this month’s magazine with expert analysis of what unfolded in France. Relive Chris Burton’s stirring Silver Medal win and absorb the colour and occasion of how all our team members gave their best against the best in the world.
Cover image: Chris Burton and Shadow Man. Image by Digishots.
The Games also heralded the retirement of the great Destano, who over his career partnered with Simone Pearce to claim all three Australian Big Tour records and represent Australia at two Olympics. Simone reflects on the stallion’s career, from first impressions to the final centreline.
Paris aside, resilience is one of the many qualities you need to get to the Olympics and is somewhat of a theme this month. University scholar Dr Georgina Downey was so inspired by Shane Rose’s resilience in overcoming injury that she delved into how equestrian riders develop it and how it stands us in good stead elsewhere in our lives.
Para Equestrians already know this, of course, and Bridget Murphy brings us her preview of the Para Dressage team – which includes herself – who are next up to represent Australia at the Paralympics next month.
In Lifestyle, Adele Severs introduces an artist who has used her love of painting horses to regain the courage to ride again after a serious accident; and Suzy Jarratt previews a remarkable new Australia film, Take My Hand, about how love and horses proved a resilient lifeline for a rider dealing with MS.
We also meet Pony Club Australia’s latest Leadership Certificate Program graduate, Natasha Schilling, who is dedicated to understanding our horses better so we can better care for them.
In Dressage, Adele talks to Bridgette Dalmau, the newly crowned Australian U25 Big Tour Champion on Bon Jovi MH; while in Training, Jenny Gehrke opens up to Dana Krause with her views on Australian dressage and coaching – you have to love a coach who says she genuinely enjoys coming second to someone she has trained!
Breeding, as we well know, is a huge factor in developing successful horses. We salute 50 years of the golden Haflinger being successfully bred in Australia, while their ancestors in Europe mark their 150th anniversary. We also look at the role of bloodlines in racing, where the Griffiths de Kock Racing team have proved so successful this past year, and Kristen Manning offers her in-depth analysis of the horses that stood out at the yearling sales.
And lastly, our horses don’t go anywhere without reliable and safe transport. Gary Lung covers thousands of kilometres a year with his horses and says he was “looking for a horse box truck that was well designed, well made with quality materials, safe and had a history of customer service”. Find out which one ticks all the boxes for him!
Happy travels and happy riding,
The EQ Life Team
Contributors
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HEATH RYANNational equestrian personality, international dressage and eventing rider, Olympian, judge, coach and breeder, Heath is never backward in offering his unique insights into the sport and industry.
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MARTIN GOSTELOWA leading coach and expert in the field of show jumping, Martin was the official Olympic commentator for Channel 7’s TV coverage of the Rio Olympics Games and regularly commentates at jumping events around Australia.
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SUZY JARRATTSuzy has a rich background in newspaper journalism and radio broadcasting in NSW and nationally, and last year won an international award for equestrian journalism.
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DANA KRAUSEAn EA judge and FEI-level young rider, Dana Krause is currently undertaking an Arts/Science double degree at Monash University. When she’s not studying, she spends every moment she can with her beloved Prix St Georges level dressage horse, Taittinger.
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BRIDGET MURPHYBecoming involved in Para Dressage in 2018, Bridget and her equine partners have achieved much success in a short space of time. A keen competitor, her long-term goal is to represent Australia on the international stage.
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GEORGINA DOWNEYDr Georgina Downey is an art historian and Visiting Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Integrating her academic life with her ‘horseperson’ identity, she also contributed to Animal Studies as well as numerous articles on horses in art for magazines and journals.
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