I am 20 years old and am studying a Bachelor of Social Science, Society & Politics at the University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. I started riding about 9 1/2 yrs ago but the first year didn't really count because the horse wans't mine and I didn't really ride all that often.
I got my first horse just after I turned twelve. She was an untrained, unregistered QH X chestnut mare named Honey. She couldn't even walk a circle. The first time I rode her she bolted on me. I decided then and there that I wanted her so we sort of leased her. There was no contract, we just did everything for her and the lady said she was ours.
I started Pony Club and together we learnt. Our first gymkhana we only got over one jump in our jumping and it was only about 20 cm high. We also did our first dressage test and got 88 out of 210. We got an encouragement award for that and that started me on dressage. We were terrible at it for about 18 months but then we came fifth in one of our tests and from then on the ribbons just rolled in. We came from a combination who couldn't turn or stop to competeing in elementary dressage.
Our jumping improved too. After many embarrassing rounds, we finally got the points to move up into C grade. Our first comp was a six bar. I had never done one before and had never jumped over 3'. It went up to 5'3"! We didn't jump the last jump. We were going too fast and she refused it. I don't blame her. I was terrified. We did jump the one before it though and it was 5'. We won that comp. We even won champion senior girl pointscore for our PC in 1995.
I was trying to sell her because by then I had Brett and Shane and I couldn't afford to keep the three. However she never was sold because she died of heart faliure when she was only 13 years old. I miss her terribly but somehow I think it was for the best because I don't think we would ever had found a satisfactory owner for her.
I am also into singing and playing in orchestra's. I have sung in the Syndey Town Hall and Opera House with a mass chior and performed works such as the Messiah, Belshazzers Feast, Te Deum, Missa Kenya, Lux Eterna and others. I also love being in musicals. I have been involved in a school musical every year including lead roles :)
I like to muck around on the piano and am intending to learn guitar this year. I got a lovely handmade Spanish guitar for my birthday last year and I'm slowly starting to get the hang of it.
I spent 10 1/2 months in America in 1999. Originally I was an exchange student, but after that fell through I went to live with relatives in Atlanta, Ga. I took a summer class in Ceramics at Georgia State, and worked in the family business making and selling sprinklers which involved a lot of travelling to craft shows. It's hard work but great fun!
My family consists of Mum, her partner Lindsay, younger brother name Tim, Cat called Jeph, 2 dogs called Mouse and Shadow (porker), Brett, Shane and mum's horse Ellie. Dad lives on the Gold Coast with his girlfirend.
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