Category: Roughy

Well, this was a very interesting, stressful but entertaining weekend!

Firstly, do not trust Google Maps through Melbourne at 6.30 am in the morning – or at least study your maps completely and decide on the route.

We left Yarra Valley at 6.30 am Friday to drive 7 hours to Naracoorte, SA. Pre-travel, we gave the horses their breakfast, wrapped up their legs to prevent swelling and gave them hay in the floats. Given the long travel, we wanted the horses to be eating to keep a lining on their guts. They were also able to drop their heads in the float to digest the food properly. Roughy does tend to get some swelling around his fetlocks when standing for long periods, so keeping pressure on his legs assists with this.

Google Maps, unfortunately, took us right through Melbourne suburbia, on very narrow roads next to tram lines at 7.30 am in the morning. If that wasn’t enough, maps took us on a beaten down, one-lane-should-have-been-gravel road for over an hour instead of keeping us on the A8 – with no reception. The horses thankfully arrived fine and had an hour’s grazing once in Naracoorte to fill their stomachs and clear their airways.

Roughy competed in a Dressage Jackpot on the Friday, in the Novice 2.1. His training had paid off and he scored a 66% to place 2^nd in a field of 15.

For the Trials, it was a ‘pat-the-horse’ ‘slap-the-rider’ scenario with the wrong dressage test learnt. When the rider before me was in the ring, I realised I had the wrong test. We learnt a completely new test – the FEI CC1* Test A – in around 1 minute. Roughy was an absolute gem, staying cool and calm while I learnt the test and then followed the movements with no issue. It was a very tight test, with short turns and 10m circles which Roughy isn’t brilliant with yet. However, he stayed in his frame, worked nicely and calmly and scored 63% to place 5^th.

The show jumping course was nicely flowing, however, many riders dropped rails. To my surprise, Roughy was the picture of confidence and cruised around dropping two poles.

Cross-country was at the historic property of Strathayre and on the gorgeous ground. Again, Roughy had grown in confidence and cruised around the course clear but added 6.8-time penalties – I swear I’m going fast on him, but it’s deceiving as the stride length is long, but the tempo slow. Roughy finished the competition in 8^th place from a field of 21.

I am so extremely happy with the development Roughy has shown since being over here and how his confidence has grown. The next event and last one for Roughy is Albury this weekend.

On the 14 May, we took the team to Tonimbuk Monthly Jumping Competition for an easy outing. This was Roughy’s first time jumping, let alone competing, in an indoor and also his first time at 1.10cm.

Again, he was a little sticky for the first few jumps but grew confident throughout the day. He was super in his 1.10m round, just getting two poles. I find a lot of horses (and riders) jump better when the jumps increase slightly – this is because there is less margin for error and the rider has to be more assertive and accurate about their decisions and this will normally create a better jump from the horse. Even though there were a few poles, the quality of jump and learning from going up to 1.10m for Roughy was absolutely beneficial.

Roughy is such an easygoing, ‘take everything in his stride’ type nature (which most thoroughbreds are), which makes progression and challenges much easier.

Ballarat was our first competition on the mainland, and Roughy’s first CCI Competition. He competed in the CCI1* OTT section, thanks to Racing Victoria.

Being a CCI event, there was a lot of atmosphere at the competition and warm-up areas. Roughy completed a commendable dressage test, with 63% which I was happy with for a new test.

Sunday was Show Jumping and Cross-country events for Roughy. The show jumping was a little sticky, with Roughy looking at the fill a little more than usual so resulted in 2 poles.

I was not sure how Roughy would react to the small Ballarat cross-country course.  It is a tight course with lots of twists and turns and back and forth from the float areas and many jump types he hadn’t yet seen or trained over. Again, we started out a little sticky but with support he grew confidence and flew around the remaining course without looking or questioning anything.

I often find with younger or green horses, while they are still learning, you do need to nurse them over the first few jumps. You need to be supportive and encourage them, but getting forceful can stress them, and doesn’t seem to help them down the track.

Roughy completed the cross-country with some time faults but no jumping penalties, to finish 22^nd overall. After cross-country, there is a quick vet check which I find interesting to gauge their fitness and recovery level. Thankfully, I find the Thoroughbreds recover extremely well with cross-country and Roughy had no problems.

Back at Yarra Valley Eventing, we had a few lessons with Emily Anker working on Roughy’s dressage. I have found his dressage to be the hardest to develop on him, as he is a little laid back and seems to ‘coast’ through the work – he holds a nice frame and moves well and does everything you ask of him and averages a low 60% in dressage. While he does like to sit in his frame, there’s been a lack of energy or sit in his work that’s been preventing him from scoring a high 60% or 70%.  We will continue to put in work, and thankful for Emily’s teaching and advice.

For our trip, we are based with Yarra Valley Eventing with Emily Anker and Will Enzinger.  Roughy will compete at Ballarat International, Naracoorte and Albury Horse Trials in the CCN1* Class. Emily coaches me on my other ride Bronson and was a huge part of our success at MI3DE last year.

Also helping Roughy out with his development has been Sonja Johnson, who comes down for regular clinics and Elsie Lindsay who kicks me into gear on a regular basis.

Roughy is also assisted with PEMF Therapy from Elite Equine Pulse Therapy which has made a huge difference.

I believe Roughy is a great example of our Tasmanian Thoroughbreds and the success Tassie riders can have with them. There are plenty of resources available to retrain them and they consistently prove how competitive the breed is.

I thank Tasracing for their support of Off the Track thoroughbreds and look forward to sharing our adventures.  Today we are departing Tasmania for our interstate adventures. Watch this space!