A challenge of note
The 2007 Sanef dressage competition recently came to a close with Vicky Mostert on her horse Ferrangamo from KwaZulu-Natal taking the final win in the Adult FEI Level. The competition was a nationwide dressage tournament.
The two judges, Bev Franklin and Gill Pater, travelled around the country to judge the same tests for all the competitors in each level. Vicky took the highest adult division with Callaho’s For Joy, with Jaco Fourie in second place.
This is an extremely challenging compe-tition as it is a purely “technical” championship: tests are ridden from memory, without a whip, and riders may only ride one horse per level. Congratulations to all the participants for accomplishing this difficult task!
Temperament vier hoogty
Die feit dat nie minder nie as 19 Friesperde met dames as koetsiers op die jongste streekkampioenskap van die Friesperd-telersgenootskap van SA om die dames-siertuigkampioenskap meegeding het, was seker van die beste getuigskrifte ooit vir dié ras se buitengewone temperament.
Met Christie Fraser as koetsier het die hings, Kjerst, dié kampioenskap ingepalm. Hy is die eiendom van Tiny van Rooyen van Viljoenskroon – ‘n perd wat hy en Piet Botha van Lichtenburg verlede jaar ingevoer het.
Die skou is in Bloemfontein gehou en 120 perde het daaraan deelgeneem. Die bekende Wietze van ‘t Sonnis uit Dawid le Roux se Friesenbergstoet by Hartbeespoort, het hom eweneens laat geld. Teen uiters kwaai mededinging is hy as die grootkampioenhings aangewys, terwyl hy (met Elsabé Crous as koetsier) die reserwekampioen in die dames-siertuigklas was.
Erwin, uit Liesie Potgieter se Perdepragstoet by Kinross, was nie net die grootkampioen in die enkeltuig nie, maar ook die reserwe grootkampioenhings in die hand. – Hennie Basson
South African rides in Italy
After winning the South African Championship 2007 over 160 km at Loskop earlier this year, Peter Chantler represented South Africa at the Bab Al Shams endurance ride in Assisi, Italy and ended 20th out of 78 riders.
"The horse I was to ride, was one of an entry of eleven horses. When I watched these animals being off-loaded I thought: There are ten good horses here, but the little grey gelding doesn’t appeal to me very much,” says Peter.
"So imagine my shock and dismay to discover the little grey gelding was the horse I was to ride! Not only was I, at 1,82 m, too tall for Dravic’s 14,2 hands, but the thought of the small horse, which weighed no more than 300 kg having to carry my 90 kg weight on a tough endurance ride in the blistering Italian summer heat of 36-40˚C ... a daunting task indeed."
On Friday Dravic was highly excited and it was only at the third attempt at passing the pre-vet check, that he was at last found to have an acceptable heart rate. For this 120 km event, the “Formula One” rule was implemented as an experiment. Basically this means that one hour after the leader crosses the finish line, the vet-out gate is closed to all still participating, determining their positions at that stage.
"Despite our initial problems, Dravic and I soon forged a bond as we rode through the magnificent Umbrian countryside and the game little gelding and I proudly accepted twentieth position. Of the 78 riders, 13 contestants completed the ride within the parameters of the Formula One rule, while the other seven were placed according to their positions without starting the last 11km leg of the ride.
Peter also thanks the Norwegians, Ellen and Katrine, for their kind and friendly assistance.
