Wilga Park River Gum has done very little liberty work but today we went out into the big arena for a play & Riv smashed it. There's nothing this boy can't do.

The weekend of 16 & 17 November saw Wilga Park River Gum & I in our last competition of the year at Toowoomba

Our Dressage leg of Working Equitation Prelim Participant was on Saturday. This was our best effort for dressage so far & I was very happy with how we finished, coming out with a 3rd placing.

Sunday morning was our Maneability obstacle section. River did a great job with a very nice round. Sunday Arv was our Speed obstacle round. Both of us love this phase with a bit of a speed demon coming out in us. River gives his all & listens to everything I ask. This was only our second attempt at the speed round but we worked as a team & had a very smooth round.

Overall we were out of the placings but I could not have been prouder of my River Man. Not once did he question what  asked of him or make a mistake, which is more than I can say for myself. Rider error was our only downfall.

The object of the weekend was to further our skills & partnership & have fun. Wilga Park River Gum & I accomplished this beyond expectations. This was a fantastic finish to our first year of competition. We achieved everything we set out to for the year and more. The sky is the limit for us, can't wait to see what we do next year.

So Proud of Cockatoo Park Playboy aka Romeo. Romeo is doing great in his new home, learning lots of new stuff & just soaking it all up. Playboy is starting his new life as a jousting mount by learning all about the sights and sounds of a suit of Armour.  Seems growing up here with all kinds of things going on around him has paid off!
Can't wait to see him as a fully fledged jousting pony with Chris, his Knight in Shining Armour.

March for Aussie was quite busy with Cowboy Dressage at the Somerset Spectacular and Working Equitation at the Logan River Redlands Working Equitation 2/3 Phase Competition.

We rode 5 tests at Esk for the Cowboy Dressage Comp coming away with a 1st, 2 x 2nds, a 3rd & a 4th, as well as Highest Score for the Comp and High Point Amateur. Very happy with my boy Aus, he just gets better & better and has a long way to go yet.

Then we tried our hand at our first Working Equitation comp at Chambers Flat. Here we competed in three Phases, Dressage, Maneability & Speed. We came 3rd in the dressage , were eliminated in the maneability by the scary gate and came 5th in the speed phase to end up 5th overall.

Saturday 16th February saw Wilga Park River Gum & I travel to Gatton to get together with friends for a nice social weekend. It was so nice to get out & have fun with our ponies. This was River's first visit & he was a true gem & took it all in his stride, strange place, strange paddock for the night, didn't worry him at all.
We had some fun in the arena working around in trot & canter & even throwing in a few gallops. Riv loves to gallop, but will stop on a dime when I ask him to. Then we practiced working around our friends while they relaxed, Riv still worked nicely & listened to me even though everyone else was doing nothing.
Sunday saw us racing home to meet new visitors for the babies. Cockatoo Park Saffron & SonicSilver were very happy to give everyone hugs & kisses & get their piccies taken. Cockatoo Park Dream was not going to be left out either making sure she got her fair share of cuddles.

I January 2019 Cockatoo Park Morgans ventured into the sport of Working Equitation. Aus has been to a couple of lessons & is doing very well already trying cantering in some of the obstacles. His first comp is in March which will be very exciting.
River attended a 2 day clinic in WE with day one being dressage & day two being obstacles & really did very well. He is coming along is leaps & bounds working among other horses & handled the obstacles with ease especially being his first time seeing them. He is proving a natural at dressage also which will make his Working Equitiation, Cowboy Dressage & Western dressage a piece of cake. Can't wait to get him out competing as well, he is really going to turn some heads.

November 12th 2018 was a big day for Cockatoo Park Morgans with the birth of not one, but two foals. Fernleigh Creek Scarlett gave birth to a leggy buckskin colt by Wilga Park Silver Sabre at 2am, then at 7.30pm Red Bluff Paprika gave birth to another leggy buckskin colt by Ranchboss Cortez (IMP). I couldn't believe it. Two buckskin boys the same day. Just what the doctor had ordered!

Both boys love attention & both are very cheeky although Saffy is the cheekiest.  They are so much fun to have around and love playing up to their visitors every weekend. Training is coming along very nicely with neither one worried about being rubbed all over with hands & the rope, having the halter put on & feet picked up. Both just take everything in their stride. These two will make the most loyal partners to their new best friends in the future.

These boys will be available to go to their new homes once they are weaned & gelded at around 8 months of age. If you are interested in either please don't hesitate to contact me.

Here's a link to their pages:

My very special partner in crime, "Oz Hicountry Mitch"
Pulled Aus out of the paddock last Tuesday to head to Cowboy Dressage Champs. He thought he was in retirement.
Oz Hicountry Mitch really tried hard for me & gave me truly awesome tests. We came away with one 1st & two 4ths from five tests. So very proud of him.
Thank you Lyn Ringrode-Moe for all your words of wisdom in the clinic. It helped us immensely. Thank you to my besties, I could not have done what I have this year without you. And special thanks to Brent Bowles for making it all possible. What a way to finish 2018 off. Thank you Trapnell Creations for the awesome photos & your great company on the weekend.