When I am
not showing dogs I am blessed with the time and good
luck to be riding horses. Being a member and riding
with the Melbourne Hunt is a passion that once wholly
consumed my life. I was lucky enough to have
had three very wonderful horses on which I
rode out to hounds and competed at Royal Melbourne
show upon. these were "Harry" (courtesy of Ian
Diamond) "Rocky" (Raquar Bay Courtesy of Pam Carvill
and Mark Budgeon) and "Almamana" Pictured
bottom centre jumping at the old Horse Arena at the
Royal Melbourne Show, he was given to me very kindly
by Mic Fox
and Leanne Pelling. For a season I was kindly loaned
"Captain" courtesy Of Helen & Peter Mc Donnell. After
having our two beautiful daughters Lauren and Maddy, I
drifted away from the club. It was much easier to
show dogs than ride horses with two small children
but after the tragic death of my friend Pam I
returned to the fold so to speak and am once again
enjoying my days out on the beautiful properties we
are so
privileged to ride across. Since returning to the
hunt club I spent the 2008 season alternating
between
"Rocky" pictured
below left and then Bruce &
Diane Crowther's kindly let me hunt "Cordelia." she is pictured
on the right
jumping. You can visit the Melbourne Hunt Site and
all the beautiful hounds and read about the
interesting history of the hunt and those involved
with it by clicking here
www.melbournehunt.org.au




The
2009 Season I was fortunate to acquired "Barney.....race
name "Jimob" from
Paul Cofield of Hume hunt. I am very pleased with
Bananas I have had a wonderful season 2009 on him he
is a lively mount between the panels but gets me
over everything safely which is a blessing. So far
this season barney attended at least 20 meets safely
carting me around. Lauren my daughter came out
at the intro and Longford Hunts on her Pony "Hope",


Very kindly loaned to us by Dorothy Alexander. Our 2009 season finished at Tarwin on Laurens new
Mare "Cheeky" we were lucky enough to acquire from
Nicci Foster. Cheeky was bred by Tara Gordon Editor
of the Horse Down Under Magazine and was brilliantly
found for us by Kylie Griffiths.
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During the 2009 season I was lucky
enough attend meets with my eldest daughter Lauren on Horseback and my Husband
and youngest daughter Maddy in the car as well as being able to ride across Jeff
and Jill Bates beautiful property with one of my oldest friends Nikki Lillaligan
pictured Left on her beautiful Quarter Horse Coady.


My pyres love having the horses
around. They love the daily chores associated with
looking after them and enjoy the interaction and the
entire farm
dog scene. It is what they were bred to be farm
companions, the interaction of the big dogs
constantly with the horses benefits me because my horses are not frightened of dogs
because of our Pyres, so if a dog runs out to have a
go at the horse whilst riding down the street the
horses are not frightened of many dogs after putting
up with the pyre pack. We hope had a wonderful 2010
season with Lauren attending nearly every hunt with me on her mare Cheeky.


Many thanks to Laurens instructor
Rosemarie Thiele for all of her help preparing Lauren for the 2010 hunt season
and grateful thanks to Douglas Isaccson (NZ Showjumper) who assisted both Lauren
and I greatly mid year by getting our horses jumping much better over panels.
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Lauren is pictured Below on Oopsa Daisy who
we purchased off Cheryl Bunting in 2009. If all goes well hopefully we may be
able to hunt Oopsa in the 2010 season.



The picture below was My self and Lauren
hacking home at the Opening Meet at Tarwin 2010.
