We need your help :)

NCHTA is holding the Canberra CNC Event on the first weekend in November! There is still a LOT of preparation needed.

There will be a working bee over the weekend 5th – 7th Oct 2013 10am to 3pm Saturday, Sunday and probably Monday (the same weekend as the John Twomey Clinic). You’re welcome whether you have an hour to spare between your lessons, or 3 or 5 hours. We really appreciate your help!

Please email canberraht@gmail.com to let us know when you can come.  Refreshments will be provided.

Working bee tasks include: mowing and whipper-snippering around cross-country fences, painting fences, flagging the XC course, bunting, and other odd jobs as needed for the event.

Chris Burton Clinic

We are pleased to announce that Chris is coming back to Equestrian Park in November.

He will be coaching on the 23/24th November, the weekend prior to Berrima Horse Trials end of year competition.

Entries are limited so contact Kate for availability.

 

John Twomey Clinic – entries now open

Entries are now open on Nominate for the SJ and XC clinic in October with John Twomey.

Due to the popularity of this clinic, John will be here for all three days of the weekend, and the clinic is organised so that each horse does showjumping training in the morning, then will have the XC training session that afternoon.  This means for local riders, only one trip onto Equestrian Park!  It also means that 36 horses are able to have training with this exciting coach.  There are a limited number of places left on particular days, so please go to the entries site to see if there is a lesson that is suitable for you.  If there is, contact Kate and she will give you the password to enter.

Due to popular request, John Twomey is coming to Canberra for a clinic over the October long weekend.  This will be the last weekend riders are able to train over the XC course prior to our Event in November.  John Twomey is a 4* Eventing rider, and has also won many titles to Advanced level dressage and in show jumping. He was born and raised in Narangba QLD and returned to Australia two years ago after spending a decade in New Zealand. While in New Zealand John won numerous National Eventing and Dressage titles and was a great supporter of the sport of eventing spending three years as the National Riders representative and the two years on the board of Eventing NZ.  John has enjoyed enormous success this year with his remarkable horse Wade Equine Highly Recommended winning three 3* CIC ‘s at Tamworth , S.I.E.C., and Canberra. This success has been so much more meaningful as it has come on the back of a devasting rotational fall in 2011 that could easily have ended his eventing career.  Today John and his wife Caroline are based at the picturesque Saffron Stables in Arcadia, Sydney. John and Caroline are both professional riders and coaches and Johns days are kept busy with teaching, breaking in and schooling of young horses, and producing competition horses for clients.

Sam Lyle Clinic August 2013

We already put some photos on Facebook, but thought we would give a more detailed review of the Sam Lyle clinic last weekend. Sam Lyle from Fox Hill Farm came and coached over 20 horse and rider combinations over our brilliant XC course.

Saturday was showjumping.  Firstly Sam reminded us all that the rider controls the canter, the line and the rhythm (I hope I have this right as he asks this in every lesson and we always forget!). The horse’s job is to jump the jump. He makes all of this sound very easy 🙂

Next, Sam emphasised the importance of recognising how your ride over one jump will affect the next. We jumped challenging combinations with non-standard striding.  One combination consisted of an oxer, 4 long strides to another oxer, and then 5 short strides to a vertical.

How do you make those 5 short strides a little easier? It turns out that if you aim to jump bigger over the first oxer, you will get a little deeper into the second. The horse’s stride will already be partly condensed from having jumped slightly deeper, and you will have landed closer to the second oxer, giving you slightly more room for the 5 short strides – genius!  Certainly beats jumping enormously over that middle oxer off a long spot, then flying down the 5 strides in 4, only to crash through the vertical!

Sunday was WINDY!  We gathered on the XC course with the wind in the horse’s tails.  Sam did an amazing job at instructing via hand signals and charades.   We were all cutting our corners a bit on cross country, so again Sam emphasised the importance of a straight approach.  This became even more important when jumping several apexes and a ditch to narrow roll-top combination. The 1* group even jumped some fences on challenging angles on the other side of the creek.

Overall the weekend was a great opportunity for schooling.  Everyone is very thankful for the tune-up and now has their sights on Wagga Horse Trials this weekend.  Thanks Sam!

web kate 3

web lauren 2

web linds

Photos taken by John Fitzgerald

NCHTA AGM

A reminder to our members that the meeting on the 7th August is our AGM.

We welcome you to join us and help make the following year a successful and enjoyable one filled with activities that you want to be part of.

Come along to the Yowani Club in Lyneham and have a few drinks with us too!

Sam Lyle Clinic August 2013

Sam is now coming to Canberra on Saturday 17th August also and we will offer SJ lessons also. I have emailed those who have entered already to advise them.  If there are any spaces, those on the waiting list will get a chance for some coaching too.

Congratulations riders and thanks to all our helpers!

Well done to everyone who competed today! The eventer trial was a great success – great weather, no major accidents, and lots of fun! Once again a huge thanks to all our helpers for all the support you give to the NCHTA team. See you all in November at our event which will cater for Newcomers (EvA60cm) up to the 2* level.

20130630-190308.jpg

Weather Forecast

Despite there begin a little bit of drizzle around, we are still holding the working bee shortly, and the Eventer Trial will still be going ahead.  The grounds hold up well to wet weather, and we look forward to seeing you all soon.

 

Â