Another Diary entry
from Pippa
Apex - Tall Timbers'
Horse of the Year 2010
Tall Timbers Horse of
the Year for 2011 - Kruger
Our Centre is seeking reli
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JETS DIARY ENTRY (As told to Ch
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Love Jet
ISHMAR’S DIARY
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Love Angel
Dear
Um, Yeah,
Hey! Diaries are for girls so I figured I’d just write a letter. I know you
can’t read this but I really wanted to tell someone about what I’ve been up to
and what’s been going on around here and you were my best friend. I’ve gotta say though, there is this new filly next door who I
think really likes me. It’s a real you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours
kind of relationship but that suits me just fine!
Hey, guess
where I got to go at Easter. The Easter Show! How cool is that? I got to go
with Ishmar and Pippa for some competition against other Centres from all over
NSW. It was a great day but I can’t say I appreciated the bath, or being made
to stand still while they pulled at, and knotted, my mane OR being forced to
look absolutely stupid in whatever
that striped thing they put over my head was. They call it a skinny hood. I
call it embarrassing! But I suppose it was all worth it in the end. I mean, I
did look pretty handsome when they were done.
I must say, one of the worst bits of
the day was being woken up in the dark I had just gotten to sleep and then they
wanted me to stand still in the dark while they put these itchy boot things
around my legs and wrapped my tail round and round and round….. Anyway, it was
all a big adventure, the trip on the truck was fun (I don’t think Ishmar
enjoyed it as much as I did) and when we got there so much was happening, there
were people and horses everywhere, big ones and little ones – even ones that
were smaller than Scooter! Oh yeah, and we had to stand in stables which I
haven’t done in ages. Ishmar didn’t like that either - he wouldn’t settle until
they put a window in between him and Pippa so that he could see her. I don’t
think they’re boyfriend and girlfriend or anything I think he was just a bit
scared and wanted to see a familiar face. The arena was so big and there were
people sitting all around us watching and cheering it was like we were famous
or something, I felt so important. Firstly we all had to line up with our team
mates and then one horse, rider and coach from each team had to step forward.
From our team Pippa, Harrison and Wendy stepped forward along with other
centres while some guy walked around them, writing things down and looking all
official. The rest of us were starting to doze off in the sun and all of sudden
someone announced over the loud speaker that Tall Timbers had won the best
presented! YEAH! Well, back to me, I had 2 riders that day, Desiree and
Natalie, and I was so careful not to do anything silly so they wouldn’t fall or
get scared, after all, we were on show and I could tell they were nervous (so
was I!). We had to do 4 events (all stuff we’d done heaps of in class) and it
was so much fun. Unfortunately we didn’t win but everyone kept telling us that
they were proud of us, so we were happy.
The same went for Ishmar and Susan, and Pippa and Harrison. We didn’t
care; we were getting so many pats and carrots that were having a great day!
But the day wasn’t over yet. After a quick lunch we went back to the arena
where an obstacle course had been set up. It looked pretty scary in places but
I had to be brave – I had to show Pippa that everything would be ok. Susan and
Wendy rode me this time. Susan and I had to go first so that was a bit scary
but I think we went really well, I didn’t jump at the lizards or at the cows
(the fake ones OR the real ones). I looked after Susan just like I did Desiree
and Natalie and I am just as proud of myself as everyone else is. I didn’t win
the obstacle course either but Pippa came second so that’s pretty cool. They
tell me I came ninth, but everyone keeps saying that I was robbed and I
should’ve got more points, but I don’t care I had fun and I hope I can do it
again next year.
After the
Easter Show it was holidays so most of us got to wander around our paddocks
eating grass for a couple of weeks. It was great. The new horses though didn’t
get a holiday. They had to go through that stuff we all had to go through when
we first come here. You know, the balls, the flags, the hoops, the toys, the
ramp and that one where they jump off you while you’re still walking. I’m not
really sure what that one is all about; I think they just enjoy it! I’m sure
that when everyone first comes here they think the people are crazy – I know I
sure did! (Sometimes I still do!)
One of the
new horses, Stormy, is in one of my classes and he’s not doing too badly. He
seems to be enjoying himself most of the time. He just has to get used to the
routine and realise that you use a lot less energy if you walk slowly. He’s still new; he’ll figure it
out soon enough. Stormy and his paddock
mate, Dodger, live next to me. Dodger’s pretty funny. It seems like he’d rather
hang out with people than other horses. I mean, who’d pick a human over grass?
Everyone thinks he’s just gorgeous, personally I think he’s annoying. Sorry, I
shouldn’t say that, but it’s just that everyone used tell me how gorgeous I was but
now there’s this new kid on the block….
I guess there are two people out there who love me even if one of them
doesn’t count cos she’s my Mum! Oh well, at least I
know Pip will always love me, itchy patches and allJ
Hey, guess
what they’ve built since you’ve been gone? Stalls for us to
stand in, so we don’t have to be tied to the rails all day. They’re
really cool and they’ve even got shade cloth over the top to give us shade in summer
but I’m so glad they’re finally finished. Charlie, the guy who built them, was
using a nail gun to put everything together and the sound is still ringing in
my ears, it echoed from under the roof of the arena. Man it was loud. Oh well,
they are finished now and I can’t wait till we can use them cos
then I won’t have to stretch my lead rope to scratch my backside!
Well, I
guess that’s all I have to say really. I just wanted to tell you what a great
time I had at the Easter show. I really wish you could have been there to see
me but I’m sure you were watching me.
From Murphy (as dictated
to Chanida)
ANOTHER DIARY ENTRY FROM PIPPA
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I’ve
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About
Diesel
As told to Ch
Dear Diary,
What a weird few months this has been. This weather is
out of control, one day its 37 degrees and the next I’m all rugged up trying to
stay dry and warm - ridiculous!
I’ve h
About
Near the end of our holidays we decided to splurge and
get a massage. It wasn’t a normal massage, it was something called Bowen. It
was a bit weird at first but once we got used to it, it wasn’t so bad. It’s
alright to do that sort of thing once in a while but it’s not really my thing.
Indi reckons massages are for girls but I think he enjoyed it more than he let
on.
We
Anyw
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Boomer
TALL TIMBERS’ HORSE OF THE YEAR
2009
INDI’S DIARY ENTRY
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday, because I know I did!
So much has happened in the last few months but the best bit came at the end of
last year. We got a surprise day off, I wasn’t sure why but I could see all the
different volunteers had came in on the same day. Anyway, that afternoon I was
told that I’d won Tall Timbers Horse of the Year! I was shocked. I got lots of
pats and carrots and I even got a trophy. They said I won because I ‘do
everything’ but I like mixing things up - it stops things getting boring. So…Thanx everyone for loving me!
I had a good rest over Christmas. It was nice to just sit and do nothing for a
couple of weeks. The only thing that would’ve made it better was if the mozzies had left me alone, I was so itchy! I had rugs
(several because I kept ripping them when I was scratching on the trees) and
put fly spray on but they just kept biting. Why do they do that???
I’d let myself go over the holidays so I new I’d have to start exercising again
soon, but I really had no motivation. The first time the saddle was put on I
was not impressed but I’m slowly getting there. It was all worth it the day the
float turned up and I was asked to get on it. I hadn’t been on a float in 2
1/2yrs but Ishmar and Kruger were with me (I wasn’t
sure I wanted to leave Boomerang behind but I had to trust that the others knew
what they were doing) so I walked straight up just for something different.
Once we were all loaded I was so excited, I had no idea where we were going.
When the doors opened we were in the bush, I couldn’t wait to have my saddle
put on - this was gonna be fun! After a pick at the
grass we had our tack put on and off we went. We wandered through trees,
crossed creeks and I led out in front the whole way, it was so cool. I hope I
get to it again sometime.
We had a new horse come in a couple of weeks
ago. His name is Anchor and he’s huge! Well I guess huge is an overstatement
but he is compared to me. On a sadder note we lost poor old TJ last week. At
his age the hot summer was hard for him but at least he got to live out a happy
retirement, and I know he’ll be watching down over all of us.
Anyway, I hear things are going to get noisy again around here soon. Let the
fun begin!
Love Indi (from Indi’s Diary as told to Chanida)
KRUGER’S DIARY ENTRY (as told to Ch
Dear Diary
Isn’t it
funny how things can be so hectic without anything really out of the ordinary happening?
Things had been so busy lately I was looking forward to the school holidays
very much. It’s kind of sad though, after the holidays there will be a whole
new lot of riders coming to join in the fun. I’ll miss everyone but it’s always
nice to meet new people.
The most
interesting thing I’ve done in the last few months was compete at the Royal
Easter Show. It was the first time for both Katrina and I and I had a great
time. Everyone kept telling me to do what I do at home, so I did, but I wish
I’d listened to Indi about the bath – if you just stand still, it’s over much
quicker! I didn’t win on the day (after Ishmar and Pippa there was
nothing left to win!) but I was very proud to wear TT colours (who doesn’t like
to get told how handsome they look!) and I would like to thank Katrina for
taking me.
We
had to say a sad goodbye to Jet a while back but, you know how it goes, when
one door closes another door opens, or two in our case. We have welcomed Anchor
and
Well, I hope
everyone enjoyed their holidays as much as I enjoyed mine!
Kruger
(As told to Chanida)
Hi
Everyone! I’m fairly new around here so
I thought the best way to meet everyone was to introduce myself. My name is
I’ve only been here for a few months
and so much has happened already. Not long after I arrived I had my birthday.
Even though the people around here hardly knew me they still made me a birthday
cake. It was delicious with lots of carrots, yum! There was a big celebration
here just recently to celebrate Tall Timbers 10th anniversary at Box
Hill. I’m not sure if they had cake but they threw a big party and it was so
much fun. I got to show off what I’ve learned since I came here to all the
guests when they watched Hannah ride me in a class. Everyone said I was so
gorgeous and complimented Hannah on her riding and I spent the whole day with a
smile on my face J
There have
been a couple of competitions too, I didn’t compete in either of them but
hopefully I’ll get to next time. One was a mounted games day which looked like
so much fun. Lots of ups and downs and turns, all as fast as they could go so
that they would hopefully qualify to compete at the Easter Show. How cool would
that be?
There was
also a dressage day. This one was to qualify for the State Dressage
competition. The riders looked very smart all dressed up in their jackets and
they all rode so well. From Tall Timbers two riders qualified. I’m guessing
that since Pippa’s all rugged up and Ishmar keeps getting his tail washed (good luck getting
that thing white again!) that the comp must be coming up soon. Good Luck to Erin and
Natalie, the best advice I can give you is to have fun and don’t forget to
smile!
In the short
time I have been here there have been quite a few horses come and go. It was
really sad to say goodbye to Floss, I only met her a few times but she was like
a grandmother to everyone on the property, she was always prepared to give
advice and hugs when needed, everyone loved her. Savanna
seemed really keen to be moving on to her next adventure. She was talking about
it from the time she found out where she was going to the time she walked
straight onto the float. She loves kids so she was delighted to be going to a
family with young children to teach them how to ride. She writes every now and again and tells us
how spoilt she is, getting lots of brushing and pats and treats. She sounds
really happy.
The newest
additions (besides me of course) are Kahlua, Daphne
and Charlie. Kahlua’s little with lots of attitude,
but in a good way. She likes to speak her mind and I pity anyone that tries to
steal her food but she’s actually quite sweet. Daphne gets lots of attention
because she’s so pretty. I heard today that she and I could almost make pigeon
pair. I’m not entirely sure whether to take that as a compliment or not,
comparing me to a girl, but I certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time with
her! And lastly, Charlie is the newest of the new. He’s only been here a couple
of weeks so I haven’t met him properly yet but I’m sure I’ll get to know him
soon.
Everything I
have mentioned makes me love this place. There’s always something going on to
keep us all busy so I know I’ll never get bored and I can’t wait to get to know
everyone. I spend most of my days when I’m not working in yard number 15 so please don’t hesitate to
drop by and say Hi, I’d love to see you!
Hi,
My name is Savanna and I am
a 20yr old Pinto Mare who used to work at RDA Tall Timbers. I was very happy
working with all the riders and volunteers. Nicole and Chanida thought I needed
a rest so one day I was very surprised when a family came to see me. I was very
well behaved and felt special as I walked up and down like a model. They looked
at my feet and teeth and asked lots of questions about me. I think they liked me
as the next day I was taken on the horse float for a little drive. I knew I was
safe because my friends Chanida and Nicole were with me. When the horse float
opened, I was at a new house. It was very exciting but also a bit scary. I had
a new stable, food and water so I soon settled down. My new owners are Abigail
(6), Bridget (5), Isabelle (4) and Emily (2). They all love me very much. Every
day they come to see me and brush my coat. Sometimes I let them have a little
ride as they are just learning and need someone safe as me to show them the
ropes. I enjoy the fuss and cuddles not to mention the carrots and apples at
the end. I now have a new friend called May, she is a 2year old Australian
Pony, so she has a lot to learn. She is like my little
sister. I am very happy now at my new home. My “Mum” says you can visit me if
you would like to. Some of my other horse friends at RDA will need new homes,
so if you feel you could share your life with one, I’m sure you will be
rewarded. We also need new horses to replace us. Just talk to RDA.
Love
to all my friends,
Savanna
(as told to Sandra)
RDA TALL TIMBERS’ HORSE OF THE YEAR
FOR 2010 - APEX
Hi Everyone! Can you believe its 2011 already? The end of last
year was so busy I was definitely glad to have a nice rest over summer. Firstly, I want to congratulate Pippa & Ishmar on a great
performance at the State Dressage Championships in November. Both of their
riders achieved personal bests & I know Pippa
& Ishmar were very proud of both Erin &
Natalie; they couldn’t stop talking about it when they got home.
I was very
honoured in December to be announced as Tall Timbers Horse of the Year for
2010. I can’t say Thank You enough. My name is now engraved on the trophy &
everyone said heaps of nice things about me. They were going on about me being
so good to all my riders & working really hard but how can I consider what
I do as work when every day I get to put huge smiles on people’s faces. Besides,
I reckon I make my leaders work harder than I do!
Cheyanne came to live with us at the end of the
year. He is a pinto & about 14hh. He’s going to be one that everyone likes
because he’s pretty. He spent the
holidays with Daphne, Charlie & Kahlua learning
how to be an RDA horse. I’m really glad I already know what I’m doing so I got
stand around watching them do all the work while I had a lovely holiday. Kahlua, Charlie & Daphne have all passed their tests
& been given their P plates, with all three starting classes in the first
week of term. It’s great to see the looks on the new ones faces when they make
their first rider smile, how they swell up with pride. I hope they have a long
happy RDA life.
I do feel sorry
for Daphne sometimes. She’s always getting teased about her name. She gets all
shy when people laugh & point at her or say that Daphne is a silly name for
a horse. I think her name suits her, it’s what make her unique(I certainly
don’t know another horse called Daphne) & besides, maybe some others around
here should listen to their own names & see how silly they sound - I mean
who in the world came up with Chanida???
It’s a relief to
have a proper routine again now that school has started back. I think most of
us were thinking the same thing. We have met our riders for this semester &
while it’s always nice to meet new people & teach them how to ride, I am
actually enjoying having some returning riders & am secretly ecstatic that
they remember me. It’s nice to know that I leave an impression on the people I
meet J
Anyway, I hope to
see you all soon. May 2011 be full of fun, laughter, success & most of all
smiles, I love the smiles!
Apex (from Apex’s Diary as told to
Chanida)
As told to Chanida
Hi Everyone! Where has this year gone??? We’re already at the end of semester one
& as sad as it is to say goodbye to our riders it’s been great to see them
improve in their riding skills & confidence. I hope to see them all again in the future.
We started the semester being movie
stars! Well Australian TV stars, but it was fun all the same J
Jamie, from the Kerri-Anne Kennerley show, came with
his camera crew to watch us work & talk to our riders. They were a bit
annoying & I really don’t get why they have to have that big fluffy thing
on the end of the long stick but the riders loved all the attention & I
guess it was kinda cool to get my face on national
TV!
Once again Pippa
& Ishmar got to go to the Easter Show. How come they
always get to do the exciting stuff? Of course everyone was talking about them
& praising them when they got home, something about Ishmar
winning his section of the mounted games & Pippa
winning Horse of the Year. I know Pippa & I don’t really get on but even I have to admit
that winning Horse of the Year 2yrs in a row is a pretty good effort! Well done
to them but I think I’ll stick to the National Park, Denise & I had to so
much fun that day but with lots more laughter & a lot less stress J
We said a tearful goodbye to Bonnie in
early April. She was a truly sweet lady & I am honoured to have had the
privilege of running with her during her retirement. No one will ever replace
Bonnie but we have had a few new faces arrive recently. Sandy doesn’t say much
but I think she likes it here, I did spot that look on her face that we all got
when we had our first rider in our first RDA class, that combination of smug
& proud.... Sheree is my new next door neighbour.
She is much more talkative than Sandy, she’s quite bossy actually. I keep
hearing that she’s still getting used to the place but I reckon she’s just
trying to figure out how to take over! The newest recruit is Sonny (what is
with all these ‘S’ names???), he’s the tall dark & handsome type; I reckon
all the girls will be swooning over him before he knows it.
We’ve all been having fun with our brand
new obstacle course, made for us by YR12 design student, Kylie. I wasn’t all
that impressed at being kicked out of my paddock for them to set it up but it’s
really cool, I just love how colourful it is, the riders -& coaches- are
going to love it! The wooden bridge we have to walk over is something new &
bit scary at first but I’m sure we’ll all get used to it. It’s always fun to
get new toys!
Well, I’m off to start planning my
birthday party! I can’t believe how quickly it’s come around again. There’s so
much to organise & I still have to squeeze in a holiday & meeting a
whole new group of riders. I think I’ll start with the cake....
Love Polly xoxox
(As told to
Chanida)
Wow, what a whirlwind these
last 4 months have been! So much has happened & so much has changed for
me. I’ve had to make new friends & learn
new things, some of it was a bit daunting at first but now I’m in the swing of
things it’s all good!
When I arrived here there was
lots of talk about Regional Dressage. Apparently it had been held here at Tall
Timbers only a few weeks before I came.
From what I hear it was a great day with lots of ribbons & smiles
all round. Well done everyone!
I had my birthday not long
after I arrived. I was very honoured to have ‘Happy Birthday’ sung to me &
be allowed to share in some cake, mmmm apple bread
cake with carrot candles, yum! These people really know how to throw a party J
A couple of my new friends
went to the State Dressage Championships. Ishmar
& Hannibal we gone for two whole days but they came back with great stories
to tell. Hannibal came home with such a big head he nearly didn’t fit through
the gate! Apparently he & his rider
Erin were the section C Champions & he was awarded best RDA Centre based
horse. I suppose that’s a good enough reason to be a bit snobby for a while but
I’m glad he’s back to normal now.
Not long after that Hannibal
had to say goodbye to his best friend, Charlie. Charlie was going to a lovely
new home to have a happy retirement with lots of hugs & brushing. We were
sad to hear of Charlie’s passing a few weeks ago but were happy in knowing that
he greatly loved in his short retirement. I tried to cheer Hannibal up by
sharing my food & taking him out but at the end of the day time is the only
thing that can heal those wounds.
Erin, Kim, Grace & I took
Hannibal out to the Regional Mounted Games competition held at Nepean centre.
It was a fun, relaxed day out & all 5 of us had a great time. Hannibal was
so relaxed he stopped in the middle of one of his races to have a scratch – his
flank was itchy! We all had a good laugh at that one. He made up for it by
looking like a right dressage pony while doing the barrel race but hey, it
worked for him, he won the raceJ
All 3 girls spent the day with huge smiles on their faces & came home with
lots of pretty ribbons. Well done!
While we were at mounted
games I kept hearing people talk about something called Equitana.
They said this was a test for me, to see if they would take me to Equitana with Hannibal. I had no idea what they were
talking about but it sounded really interesting so I made sure I was on my best
behaviour. I wanted to go & talk to all the other horses & learn how to
do reining & campdrafting & dressage &
horse agility & jumping & of course try all of the feed samples.... As
it turns out Equitana wasn’t really for me, there was
so much going on & as hard as I tried I just couldn’t be in so many places
at once to see everything I wanted to. Hannibal said he was happy being a
dressage pony & didn’t really care about what was going on around us. We
both decided not to go back for a second day, we’d much rather spend our Sunday
snoozing in the paddock.
We have a new addition to the
stalls. Her name is Bella & she is a 14.2hh Percheron x who I think will
really like it here (well I do so why wouldn’t she?). I have to say I’m glad to
not be the newbie anymore, not that it’s a bad title, it’s nice to be fussed
over by everyone but it’s time I let someone else have all the attention.
Well, it’s such a beautiful
evening & I just love that it’s still light at 7pm. Hmmm I think I might go
& see if Bella wants any company for dinner....
MR POPPET’S DIARY ENTRY (As told to Chanida)
Hi, my name is Calwalla
Helmsman but everyone calls me Mr Poppet. I am a 22yr young Welsh Mountain Pony
& although I’m only little I like pretend that I’m bigger than everyone
else. My friend Blue & I arrived in November & I’m sure all it’s done
ever since is rain!
It was a bit
crazy when we first arrived, so much was going on. There were a couple of other
new faces who arrived around the same time we did. Jaffa’s pretty cute but she
looks a bit like a spotty zebra the way her mane stands up on end. Then there’s
Bella, she’s pretty laid back but a word of warning, don’t try & steal her
food! I was only dumb enough to try it once....
Apparently
at the end of every year a bunch of people get given awards for stuff they’ve
done during the year & there’s even an award for the horses, ‘Tall Timbers
Horse of the Year.’ I would like to think I could win it someday but this year
it went to Kruger. I might not have known him very long but I can already tell
he really deserved to win.
Things went
a bit quiet for a while, we still did lots of riding & played with toys but
the people seemed to just come a few at a time instead of all at once. It was a
bit strange cos everything was so busy when we first
arrived but I still had fun. Sometimes I’d go out on my own or with Blue &
sometimes, if the people decided I needed to make new friends, I’d ride out
with someone else. We’d ride around the property or play with toys in the
arena. I heard it called ‘training’???? I call it fun J
It seems all
this ‘training’ leads to ‘classes’ where a group of us are led around while kids
ride us. Well I’m only little so I only have children ride me but some of the
really big horses have adults riding them. I’ve done
stuff like this before so it was nothing new to me but Bella took to it really
well when she did her first couple of classes last week. There are lots of
different people who ride us, there are even some so little they need 2 people
to hold them on! Regardless of how big or little they are they all have 1 thing
in common – how much they smile when they ride us! J
Anyway, just
thought I’d introduce myself. Come visit me in yard #10 if you get a chance, I
hope to meet you all personally very soon!
Poppet
In September 2008 a
sweet, toothless, chestnut Thoroughbred came into our lives & we have never
looked back. His name is Kruger & he has been an integral part of the Tall
Timbers team for 3yrs now.
Once upon a time Kruger Rand
was racehorse who was just too slow, though anyone who saw him run up for
breakfast would swear he’d give Black Caviar a run for her money! Now going by
the name Kruger, he seemed too good to be true. He was the perfect size, 20yrs
old, had done everything from PC & showing to pony rides & teaching
beginners how to ride. He was a perfect gentleman during his initial
assessment, a touch on the lazy side but did everything asked of him &
coped with everything thrown at him (both literally & figuratively!)
without resistance. Definitely a horse we could use.
He arrived a few days
later & after a short settling in period it was time to get on with his
training. Well, too good to be true seemed to be right. He was very impatient,
wouldn’t stand to be saddled & apparently he hadn’t been in an indoor arena
before, or at least not for a very long time. He would fly around the arena at
a great rate of knots, would jump from the long side to the centreline in one
flying leap & don’t even think about asking him to go near his ‘monster
corner!’ As usually happens though, one day after about 3 weeks something
clicked & the Kruger we initially assessed came up from the paddock for his
breakfast & his evil twin has never been seen again.
From the beginning he
has been one of the most wanted horses by our coaches for his trustworthiness
& versatility. He is kind to volunteers of all abilities & accepts
riders of all capabilities. He is very patient at the ramp for any nervous
riders or those who have difficulty mounting & he is just as patient during
dismounting whether to the ramp or the ground. He has no problem with side
walkers for those who need extra support or the helpers on the ground offering
up games equipment to the riders. He is mostly used in group lessons for both
led & unled riders & he has also had independent riders in the past.
Kruger has represented
Tall Timbers in Dressage, both in the video competition & at regional level
& he has also represented us at both regional & state level mounted
games. In both class & competition his first priority is always looking
after his rider. Our fear of him remembering his racing days, when he arrived
at the Easter Show, were definitely not realised and he spent the whole day
being our big old plodder that we know and love with a first time competitor
onboard.
Kruger is a horse who
excels at always being there when you need him. He is the horse you wish you
could clone, the one you always find yourself relying on. He consistently has
the highest workload with the largest variety of riders. He is truly a special horse
who deserves all the praise he gets and would be worthy of being remembered as
a Shush Memorial Award winner.