Sport
24 September, 2024
International equitation success
East Greenmount equestrian instructor Linda Shore, alongside her student Nicola Saunders from Toowoomba, have just returned from spending a week training and competing in Working Equitation in Canada at the 2024 Cross Nations Cup.
This event is run every two years usually in the United States or Canada.
This year it was run in Moose Jaw, Canada from August 26th to September 1st.
Working Equitation riders from all over the world are invited to attend on a borrowed horse against local riders on their own horses.
Working Equitation is a three-phase discipline incorporating a dressage test, obstacle course judged on style, and obstacle course judged on speed and accuracy.
Working Equitation is currently one of the fastest growing new equestrian disciplines in Australia with one of the largest clubs in Queensland based in Toowoomba.
Linda and Nicola were joined in Moose Jaw by two other Australian riders, from Victoria, Christine Staats and Kerry Bryant.
The Cross Nations Cup consists of a four day training camp followed by a three day competition.
Linda Shore and Christine Staats were also coaches, presenting training sessions to international riders at the Camp.
Linda and Nicola were fortunate to be able to source two fantastic western performance trained horses from Melissa and Emily Rowe, local residents of Moose Jaw.
While neither of these horses had ever done Working Equitation previously, their prior training was such that they were able to put in a solid performance for Linda and Nicola after training with them for five days leading into the competition.
Linda and her horse, Taxi, competed at the second highest level, level 6, which required all phases of the competition to be ridden one handed, and came away with Level 6 Champions.
Nicola and her horse, Krikit, put in a solid performance in Level 4, to finish 8th in a large, strong class.
Of the other Australians, Christine Staats finished 7th in Level 4 and Kerry Brant finished 8th in Level 2 Amateur.
Nicola and Linda are now back in training for the three final working equitation competitions of the 2024 season including the Queensland Championships at Nanango in September, regional championships for the Darling Downs at Toowoomba in October and the National Championships at Tamworth in November.
At the 2024 National Championships, Linda will be aiming to achieve a qualifying score to be considered on the Australian team for the 2026 World Championships in Spain.
Linda has been running an equestrian coaching, training and breeding business from her East Greenmount property for the past 22 years.
