As I opened the float doors at Warradale Park, Ocean’s lead rope flicked through some fresh green Lucerne poo and splattered all over my clean white breeches. I scrubbed madly with some wipes but nothing was going to be getting those marks out of my pants.
Despite this shitty start to the day I had a magical hunt at Warradale Park, our final run for the year. Ocean wasn’t the easiest to ride today, having only ridden him lightly this week due to my leg injury, he was quite a handful. We were a bit off our game and some approaches to the jumps were shocking. We did have some wonderful ones but we weren’t quite as in sync as we were some other weeks.
Quite a lot of horses in the field were running out on jumps or stopping or being a bit out of sorts. We put it down to end of season tiredness for horses and riders and we all do the best we can!
It’s our most picturesque hunt of the year. Some beautiful views and amazing countryside. We really are very lucky to have the landowners who allow us to ride through their properties.
Just before stirrup cup we came down a big hill and towards a few portable brush jumps strategically placed there by hunt club members to allow our teams to practice for the section fours at Royal.
Ocean and I won’t be competing. I have a healthy fear of competition and prefer to stay well away! Ocean hasn’t seen these particular jumps before and decided there were scary boogey men hiding behind them, one of which shouted “don’t run me over” as he tried to hind behind the camera lens 😂 We had a few shots at these and actually managed to get over a few, with what sort of style is anyone’s guess but we did it. After stirrup cup they were just as scary as they were before so we unintentionally bypassed them.
Stirrup cup is always a breathtakingly beautiful event overlooking Waitpinga beach. Today was made even more special for me with my Mum, my Nan and Kaz making the trip down for the day. My Nan just turned 91 this year and I was so happy to have her come and watch me!
After stirrup cup we head down onto the beach for a drink and a splash in the water. Ocean’s first time at the beach with me and a few jokes were cracked about Ocean being scared of the ocean. Apparently waves were going to eat his toes so he ran backwards a million miles an hour the first couple of tries but then we managed to walk in the water quite successfully. I can say though, that it luckily wasn’t Ocean who stopped, dropped and rolled fully saddled in the wet sand today!
On the homeward stretch now including a downhill cap fence followed directly by a stone wall and a downhill cap. Thought we might have trouble but he did these well.
Threw a shoe trotting home up the road but Shauna rescued it for me and stuck it in a car. The last few jumps Ocean was keen as a bean and we flew over them all at breakneck speed. Made it home safely with poo on my breeches, a missing shoe, a few nicks and cuts, a tired horse and tired but happy rider.
It’s been a huge journey, getting out almost every weekend this season to hunt. Ocean’s last race was Australia Day so to have him ready by April really was a huge effort! Most of the hunts have been team Kel and Ocean but there were a few other horses in the mix too. Donuts had his debut hunt then buggered a tendon. Rode the stunning warmblood Red in the state hunt. Hopped on Lies the grey to finish a hunt for Cathy. But overall most weeks my faithful friend Ocean carried me safely around our adrenaline filled hunt fields.
Ocean will spend the next three months resting in a grassy paddock. He’s really deserved his time out. When he comes back in at the start of December I’m planning many trail rides to chill him out in mind and body ready to enjoy our next season of hunting beginning April 2020.
I look forward to meeting many of you over the summer months and recruiting as many as I can to get fit and join us for the season of 2022 on the hunt field!
🌊🌊🌊🌊Kel and Ocean 🌊 🌊🌊🌊