KATINA SMITH, WARMBLOOD DYNAMO

A realist and perfectionist, Katina Smith’s dedication and level-headedness has paid off not only in the dressage arena, but also at her boutique stud, Bangalow Creek Warmbloods.

“Her love of dressage and her
horses is obvious to everyone.”

Katina Smith is a quiet achiever who has taken the deliberate and steady approach to life, her horses and her competitive career. Fiercely competitive while also in no way stable-blind, Katina is a super-hard taskmaster on her riding, training and breeding.

She leaves no stone unturned, be that in organising her life around her husband and son or in riding and coaching. Her love of dressage and her horses is obvious to everyone, and she is worldly and a wonderful sportswoman and role model.

Although having lived in the country some distance from the top competition and from the higher-level trainers, she has never allowed that to get in the way of her passion. Travelling is part and parcel of what you have to endure if you want the lifestyle and property that she has. She won’t have that others in the country miss out on good dressage exposure, so not only does she travel huge distances to compete and train, she has a great interest in coaching students. She arranges visiting instructors not only for her own betterment, but to lift the interest and knowledge of all who choose to take up the opportunity.

Not one to sit back and wait for things to happen, Katina just gets on with her logical and well-calculated tasks within the realms of her life and international dressage. She has organised several open days and dressage coaching days with a judge, coaches and riders to show what can be achieved with coherent and positive input. She is a country girl at heart with an internationally competitive streak. Her humble and accepting attitude is a complete delight and she is passionate not only about her own adventures in training and competing, but in others and all those she coaches.

SEEDS OF A BEGINNING

Katina’s parents, Ray and Coralie, were not involved with horses. They lived in Sydney but also had a passion for the country. Ray’s father worked in the vegetable seed industry and his first jobs were in the agricultural industry. After they were married, Ray and Coralie followed their dreams and moved to the NSW mid-north coast, buying acreage to produce vegetables, vegetable seeds and raising cattle. Coralie was also a teacher at the local school. Over time their business developed into Sunland Seeds, which is now one of the country’s leading importers and distributors of vegetable seeds.

Katina was born and went to school in Coopernook. She lived on the property and was one of those children who just wanted to have a horse. Her parents gave her a Shetland when she was four and so began a procession of ponies and horses. All of a sudden, the family was horsey. Ray and Coralie took up riding and Katina’s childhood was full of trail riding, horse camping trips to the beach and up into the mountains, and some Pony Club and showing.  There was nowhere Katina wouldn’t go on a horse and nothing she wouldn’t have a go at jumping. These varied experiences developed Katina into a very bold and capable rider.

At the age of 12, a raced thoroughbred, Boden Sun, was bought for her and they attended Pony Club where she was steered towards dressage, as that was what he appeared most suited to. Katina was always interested in learning better ways and the structure and discipline suited her. When Katina left school she was encouraged to go to university; it was obvious that her bent was towards horses BUT she also realised that it wasn’t cheap and she needed to pay her way, so she studied accounting at Lismore University.

Her parents said she was not to take a horse with her, as it would be too distracting. However, after months of nagging and begging, she bought another off-the-track thoroughbred and started its training, keeping him at the Lismore Showgrounds. He was such a trainable one she bought another and, as Katina says, “You can take the horse away from the girl but you can’t take the girl away from the horse!”

“The stud is in the
most beautiful wooded,
rolling grassy hills.”

FROM TRAINS TO TRAINING

She trained the two to Novice/Elementary level and they were both sold on in the area to budding young riders. On completing her degree, she gained a position as an accountant at a train manufacturing business in Taree. Very convenient! She moved back to the farm where by now there were stables and a grass arena that became a sand dressage arena. She then bought Richmeed Wintergold, the first Warmblood to come into the area, at Ryans Auction. He turned out to be an absolute gem that she trained and competed successfully to Inter II level. Back then she started training with the likes of Nicola Pfaff, Bonnie Holstein, Caroline Begg and Shaun France.

Wintergold did very well at the NSW State Championships in 1999, but on his return was found to have a virus. This took its time to resolve and left him with a slight heart murmur. Despite the vets being of the opinion that it was mild, it would cause some problem with his career as getting him fit was difficult. Katina took her time and monitored him very closely and was able to get his fitness up, persevering until she got him to Inter II. During these uncertain times Katina was transferred with her work to Newcastle, which was where she met Chris, who also worked there as an accountant. They were engaged and married in 2003.

Chris was looking for a change at a time when Katina’s father was thinking of getting out of the seed company. He offered it to Chris who, after a three-year apprenticeship, took over Sunland Seeds.

During this time still battling with Wintergold’s fitness, Katina decided to buy another horse. Through the Oatleys, she bought a Duntroon x Don Ramiro mare, Balmoral Dreaming, as a two-year-old. Katina had her broken in and then she had her son Josh. She didn’t have the time to ride and work and look after Josh, so the mare was put in foal to Wolkentanz. The resulting foal was a filly, BC Willow — ‘BC’ standing for Bangalow Creek, which runs through their property. Bangalow Creek Warmbloods had no idea how successful they would become… and partly due to this mare, BC Willow.

TIME TO EXPAND

It was around this time that the property opposite Katina’s father’s became available and Chris and Katina bought it. It was a vacant lot of 20 acres. It was all starting to become overgrown and there was not a fence in sight. They built their house there and started on the fencing. The stud is in the most beautiful wooded, rolling grassy hills and superb country to grow foals.

During the stud’s developmental stage, Katina used the facilities next door, which worked perfectly well. (Josh had a few ponies and become a competent rider, but his passion was not really in the horses and he eventually took to cricket). It was also in the year that Josh was born that on attending the Ryans Auction, Katina and Chris bought the cutest ever foal by Jive Magic from a Duntroon mare, and he was named Just Dance. With his white stockings and the cutest face, JD as he was known, joined the crew at Bangalow Creek.

“Katina loves to compete,
especially with her own
bred horses”

Willow was broken in and Katina rode her for a while; she was second at Manning Valley Dressage to a very good horse Ecclesbourne before being put in foal. Katina was always logical when pressures mounted and something had to give; often this meant it was a good time to put the mares in foal. Just Dance was broken in and stole the hearts of the judges and received great scores and accolades. He was Elementary Champion at the State Championships in 2012 and the following year was Medium and Advanced Champion… quite a feat. He is now competing at Grand Prix and scored 67% at his last outing.

A few other horses along the way around this time were the black Regardez Moi colt, Raven Leigh, that was a seriously good horse showing a lot of potential. However,  several weeks after successful surgery for a minor wind operation, Katina found him dead in his box one morning and it was attributed to a heart attack. Hazel Coates-Jobson, a friend who lived in the area, offered Katina her big black gelding that had grown too big for her — Shockwave by Swarovski.

Katina fell in love with him, albeit that he was huge, gangly and leggy. He too placed well in young horse classes and is now well on the way to Grand Prix, winning with great percentages on the way.

A mare by Prince Noir was bought in foal to Jive Magic and the result was Just Magic, who placed as a four-year-old at Dressage With The Stars in 2014 and then third at Sydney CDI the same year, and is now competing Prix St Georges. The mare had four foals before she was sold in foal, as again Katina kept her accounting eyes on to keep the stud business under control.

Katina suddenly found herself with a few competition horses and several up-and-coming horses she had bred. Given the workload, it was time to employ a working student to help with the grooming and getting the young ones going under saddle. Katina took on Jessica Bergantin to help with Saturday feed runs; she became full-time and stayed for three years! During this time there were many horses broken in and prepared for young horse classes.

Katina, being who she is, didn’t just go to the country comps but would travel to get good scores to qualify and was always seen at the State and National Championships and the CDI competitions in NSW and interstate. She is a believer that you need to put yourself up against the best to see where you really fit in, and to be around the best always makes for keenness to better the schooling and the test riding.

“Bangalow Creek Warmbloods
had no idea how successful they
would become… and partly due
to this mare, BC Willow.”

Jess had several rides and competed on several horses under the watchful eye of Katina and took BC Romanov from Prelim to Medium. She became a top young rider before leaving for university to pursue a teaching role. She was encouraged by both Chris and Katina, as they understood there is also a life away from horses… and to pursue the sport you need an income.

Shania Madden stepped up to the block to “stay for a few months” and, lo and behold, it’s been nearly two years. Taking over the reins from Jess with Romanov, Shania has him now at Inter I. In 2019 she won the CDI-Y Freestyle class with him at Willinga Park with big scores and also the Advanced Freestyle (Open) at the State Championships. What is amazing is that before coming to work for Katina, Shania was working and competing stock horses. She had only ridden a few dressage tests at stock horse events.

Within three months she was riding Medium tests in competition with great placings and looked totally at ease with every movement and preparation and corner. Her ability to ride a test and to train dressage was incredible. Her talent, coupled with Katina’s coaching and ability to instill such a correct way of preparing for movements, showed and Shania was a few months later competing at CDI-Y competitions and winning!

BC WILLOW’S LEGACY

Talking of success, the mare Willow has had eight foals, all highly successful. Amongst these is Romanov that Shania is now riding; BC Sangria by Sandro Hit, who was the 2019 NSW Advanced Horse of the Year, and is now PSG with Katina and will be a super horse for Grand Prix; BC Summer, by Sir Donnerhall, who was extremely beautiful and successful as a young horse, coming fourth in the four-year-old class at Sydney CDI before being sold on; and BC Firefly by Fürst Romancier, who grew very large and very fancy and has been retained as a broodmare.

There is also BC Chilli Pepper by Charmeur, who is now winning at Medium level with over 72% and was a good young horse with loads of pizazz and is retained as a competition horse for Katina. BC Tiger Lily is by Toto Jnr and has been retained as a competition horse; Katina says she is the most exciting one she has bred and is now four and under saddle. BC Furstin Jazmine, by Fürst Jazz, was sold to Victoria as a foal, and the latest is BC D’Vine by D’Avie, who is growing up in the rolling grassy hills at Bangalow Creek. How amazing that this initial foal produced so many amazing offspring and all super types. Under the watchful eyes of Katina, they are always in the peak of health and education for their ages.

Katina loves to compete, especially with the horses she has bred. She knows their genetics so well and the traits are familiar with all the foals from the various mares. In Katina’s band of progeny there are lines such as Quando Quando, 007, Riverside, Sandro Hit, Sir Donnerhall and Toto Jnr, Morricone, Maracaná, Don Martillo, Jive Magic and Prince Noir, and Walt Disney.

Katina does not always follow a trend but researches the stallions’ pedigrees and types and matches them to the mares she has and knows well. It’s about complementing types and temperaments and knowing what traits are strong in the mares and always looking to complement these with the stallion. She also realises that many need to be sold on, so trainability is of the utmost importance. She will sell foals but prefers seeing them grown out a bit to see if the match of genetics is good.

“To be able to hold my own
on my Australian-bred horses,
it’s a very good feeling.”

THE STUD TAKES SHAPE

As for the property, it was eventually time to bite the bullet and build an indoor arena, and what a stunning arena it is. The surface by Equestrian Services Australia is sand, fibre and wax. It has stables across the short side as well as a tie-up area under cover and two outdoor washes, plus plenty of yards down the long side across a road for clients who come for lessons. There is a great lounge and sitting indoor area adjacent to the stables under the indoor roof that contains a small, self-contained unit with a bathroom and small kitchen.

The arena nestles into the hillside and the view out the open end is spectacular, looking down over the grassy green paddocks and forest beyond. The five-bedroom double house sits above the indoor almost out of sight with spectacular views over rolling hills. The property has forest on all sides so the serenity is extreme.

Still utilising her father’s 100 acres and then the 20 acres adjacent, the stud farm has plenty of room. There are eight stables, an outdoor 60x20m all-weather sand arena and a round yard. There are many large paddocks for mares and foals as well as yearlings, and then for the individual competition horses once broken in. In addition, cameras have been installed on the property so all of the horses can be seen in the stables and paddocks day and night! It is the most wonderful boutique warmblood stud.

The main focus on producing good competition horses sometimes comes with a down side in that the best are the ones that everyone wants. However, Katina is in a position now where she doesn’t have to sell her own competition horses… unless the ever-mindful accountant in her head overrules her heart. The other down side is that Katina can’t ride so many horses, so she needs to sell sometimes. That is the heart-breaking part, but to know they go to keen and inspired riders is always a plus and she still considers that part of her life’s ambition!

So what is it like producing horses from an idea and dream, to embryo to foal to yearling to breaking in, from that first competition to big wins and then FEI? Katina, with a wry grin and that very proud look in her eye, says: “Really exciting… truly exciting in fact, and it’s something I don’t think of really, but now you ask. To be up there and competitive with horses that are imported with great breeding, paces and schooling is amazing.

“To be able to hold my own on my Australian-bred horses, it’s a very good feeling. It’s fun and I love the fact that the horses I ride have been dreams in my mind from even before the mare and stallion were joined. It gives me great satisfaction to ride my dreams and hard work and then on top of that to be up with all those imported horses that are wonderfully produced.

“My horses make me feel proud. I am living a great life and it’s thanks to my family’s encouragement and acceptance that makes it this way. I wouldn’t trade it for the world — but don’t believe there are not heartaches along the way… that comes with the words ‘breeding horses’.

“I am so excited to continue the search to produce better progeny, better training and better riding. I will always learn… in fact, I do every day!” EQ