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[RC] Trens Tesmen (Translation: Trans Tasman) Part 2 - Jay Randle

The Aussie Invasion

Here's a tip for the young player.If by chance you get asked to be a groom for
a rider on the Australian team you say yes.3 years ago a young lass took me on
my 1st 40k.Later that year she took me around my 1st 80.The year after she took
me around my 1st 160.I'd like to think that now we ride together as equals but
somehow I don't think it is the case.It was an honour for me to be able to lend
my support to Tarnia Kittel in NZ.
The team was as follows.
Sonya Ryan. groom, Jo Hamilton Branigan
Adi McIntosh. groom, Anita Lunt
Talea Hasko-Stewart. groom, Fia Hasko-Stewart
Tarnia Kittel. groom, me
Reserves
Linda Tanian. groom Vanessa Crispe
Lisa Stoffel. groom Wade Burgess
Derek Armitage was our "cirque de sole" or is it "chef de quipe" and he was
assisted by his wife Glenda.A pair with much experience and they both did such a
sterling job.Thank you guys.
We had the opportunity to ride/choose horses in NZ 3 days ahead of the
ride.This was a fantastic effort by the Kiwis as I'm sure they could have all
just showed up the day before the ride as we would normally do.The quality of
horse on offer was brilliant as well.They offered us no dungers.Not a bad horse
amongst them.I would hope that next time the Kiwi's come here we can offer them
the same quality and show them the same hospitality.Something for the squad to
consider.
We watched the horses trot out and checked their logbooks.It was then that the
riders could choose a horse for a test ride.So off they went into sheep country
for a spin.
After a couple of rides over a couple of days the horses and riders were all
sorted.Sonya was on a big fancy grey Taralea Sheer Illusion,Adi mounted a very
pretty bay AA Elite,Talea a pretty faced bay Aurora Australis,Tarni a pushy grey
called Rios,Lisa a dappled dark grey called Iti and Linda who hadn't arrived yet
because of work committments was to ride a chesnut called Vigar Hussan.
I managed to wangle a test ride on Hussan and as we took off up the hill I'm
waiting for the inevitable shy.We split herds of sheep and cows all the while
I'm thinking "I know it's coming.There is no way that any arab will tolerate all
these sheep and galloping cows without stepping sideways at least once".It never
came.I was glad as the saddle I was in had the biggest knee pads ever and I
could have passed a Moa egg(extinct flightless Kiwi bird) easily with the riding
position I was in.I had not expected to mount a horse in NZ so I borrowed
Derek's jods and a helmet for the ride.I was in no danger of getting deep vein
thrombosis while wearing Dereks' jods and indeed I could have pulled many a G in
a fighter plane without fear of the blood rushing from my head.The jods were his
from Malaysia and I must say that even though I had to roll around on the ground
to actually get them on it was a buzz to be wearing jods with Australia written
down the side.Hope to wear those again.Well not Derek's but a pair of my own.
The horses were hot.They are fed quite differently to ours which may explain
why they are so hot.Honestly my jaw dropped when I saw what went in the feed
bucket but it is obviously working for them as the logbooks can attest to.They
ride pretty fast too.Steep hills up and down are taken faster than most of us
would here and the horses are so used to the conditions that you can feel the
power from their bums taking you up and they have no problems rushing down.In
fact the slipping going down hill was caused by me trying to hold him back a
bit.Once I let him do what he was used to he was as sure footed as any horse I
have ridden.
So it was all sorted.Riders happy with their mounts and eagerly awaiting ride
start.It is a really big thing representing your country and the butterflies
were a fluttering in our riders stomachs.The next installment Chapter 3"The
pressure cooker" will be out soon.That's where it gets exciting
G




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