Delivering Dreams

We received some exceptional applications for this year’s Delivering Dreams Scholarship. Selecting a recipient proved difficult, so much so that our judges have chosen two particularly outstanding applicants: Jamie Hocking and Luke Purtill.

The HorseVibes Delivering Dreams Scholarship is something of which I am extremely proud. It has been a long-held dream of mine to help equestrians of all ages and abilities move closer to their own dreams. And that’s exactly what the scholarship is designed to do: to motivate its recipients and assist them in removing any barriers that might be holding them back.

This particular scholarship round has been outstanding. We introduce Jamie and Luke to you on the following pages, along with our nine wonderful finalists. And I would like to personally thank everyone who has made it so very special, our applicants, our very generous sponsors, our panel of expert judges, my family, and my many friends, all of whom have helped in so many ways.

With much gratitude,

Jamie and his mare French Kiss at CHIO Aachen in 2019 (Image courtesy CHIO Aachen). INSET: Jamie and French at their training facility in Jelling, Denmark (Image courtesy Jamie Hocling).

Jamie Hocking is a 24 year old rising star in the world of equestrian vaulting. He’s been an Australian High-Performance athlete since he was 12, and is absolutely passionate about his sport.

Vaulting greatly improves rider balance and coordination, foundational skills for all disciplines – and it was Jamie’s mother, once a keen eventer herself, who encouraged him to begin vaulting at the age of six because she wanted him to learn to fall safely and stay balanced on his pony, who was prone to pigrooting!

But Jamie, who loved the gymnastics and music involved in vaulting, never returned to the more conventional riding disciplines.

As you might imagine, it’s very costly to fly an Australian horse to competitions in Europe or the USA, so from the tender age of 12, Jamie left his own horse at home with his vaulting club coach, and competed in Europe and the USA on borrowed horses. During his junior high years he often spent eight to ten weeks training in Vienna and competing in France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. By the time he reached senior high school, he was training in Jelling, Denmark, his home away from home, in order to compete in Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

But Jamie’s life is a balancing act in more ways than one! In order to be able to spend most of the year with his Danish trainer, Lasse Kristensen, and his beautiful 17.2hh Danish mare French Kiss, he raises money by selling wool and sheep from his flock on the family farm at Woolsheds in South Australia. To help make ends meet while he’s in Denmark, he lives at the barn with French and does stable, maintenance and farm work, as well as coaching a team of Junior Danish Vaulters.

The mark of a well-rounded sportsperson is their desire to give back, which Jamie certainly does. When he’s home in Australia, he coaches at the National Workshop in Canberra, as well as coaching at the Acacia Gold Vaulting Club in Springton, where Charlie, his exracehorse still helps to train new Aussie vaulters. Additionally, in 2019, Equestrian Australia announced that Jamie had been appointed as Chef d’Equipe for the FEI Vaulting World Championships for Juniors, an experience that he says was a privilege.

Jamie’s list of achievements is impressive, and includes, among other accolades, holding a 17th place in the World Rankings for Equestrian Vaulting, winning 16th place at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, 4th at the 2017 World Cup in Germany, and 3rd place in the 2017 World Cup in France. He’s also the current Australian NationalChampion.

Currently in his sights are the 2020 World Championships, which have now been scheduled for 2021. “Lasse, French and I are refocussing for that one, and hoping it will come off next year. It only comes around every four years so it’s a big deal.”

And refocussing includes a significant amount of hard work. “I average up to 18 hours training a week. Vaulter’s don’t really get a long break after competitions

finish, maybe a short vacation and then it’s back on the barrel to work on routines for the next season,” Jamie explains. “Most people think that all our training is done on the horse, but we only work with our horses for around 20 per cent of the time.”

Also part of the package for vaulters are gymnastics, stretching, practicing routines on the barrel, and mental training. And the horse? “To keep French fit, healthy and happy she has her own training program. She does dressage, free jumping and trail rides in the forest, plus the odd dressage competition with a friend who is an experienced dressage rider – and that’s not me!” Jamie laughs.

Being awarded the Delivering Dreams Scholarship means a lot to Jamie. “I was really honoured to be selected, especially as joint winner alongside fellow Aussie equestrian athlete, Luke Purtill. I really appreciate every bit of help I can get. I don’t have a sponsor and sometimes it’s a challenge to support myself so winning something like this is a real leg up. At the moment I’m a bit stuck in Denmark due to COVID and sometimes I feel far from my Aussie home, but this has really helped me to feel connected again.”

Luke Purtill doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the way he feels about horses: “They’re the best thing that I’ve ever done,” he says.

And that’s perhaps a bit of a family trait. Luke’s grandmother loved horses and taught her daughter, Luke’s mother to ride. Then his mother taught him, and at a very early age too: “I can’t remember not being able to ride,” Luke says. “Mum first started sitting me on horses before I could walk. I first fell off one when I was 18 months old!”

Fortunately that didn’t deter Luke in the slightest, and he’s now making his mark in the world of dressage with the courage and determination that would

put many of us to shame. “I am a rider with a disability and I have had lots and lots of health problems,” he explains, “but there are lots more things I can do than things I can’t do. Many people who know me say what I achieve is inspirational and a good example. But I think that’s funny because I just try my best and give things a go. I like to show everyone that having a disability doesn’t have to stop you from reaching for your dreams and doing amazing things.”

Luke, who lives near Darwin where no Para or Special Olympic events are held, has to travel south for competitions. “I compete mainstream in dressage. At the moment I am riding in Prelim and usually score in the low to mid 60s. I also like to do Western Pleasure and trail riding. I’ve joined the Special Olympics in Queensland and have been flying to Brisbane to train and compete. I won two firsts and a second

at my last competition,” he says. For Luke, a good dressage horse has little to do with looks: “Much more important is that they’re kind, sensible and trainable. For dressage they need to have good movement. I’m lucky that my dressage horse Eureka is beautiful as well as sensible, and she moves really well.” With a keen interest in Australian history, Luke enjoys participating in Light Horse re-enactments. “Our horses are Walers, an Australian breed that was used in the Australian Light Horse, including the charge at Beersheba on the 31st October 1917. Many of my ancestors were in WW1 and WW2 which is one of the reasons I’m interested in Light Horse re-enactment. It is important for people to know our history and our heritage.” swing, Luke trains anywhere from five to ten hours a week. He also works in a furniture factory and enjoys ten pin bowling, which helps him with his fitness. Currently he has two horses, a mare and a stallion. “The stallion is going to be gelded soon. I have been riding him but I can’t compete on him until he is gelded. Mum is working on him now so he’ll be ready for me next year, by which time my mare will hopefully have had a foal!” Luke’s major goal for the future is to be chosen to represent Australia at the 2023 World Special Olympics in Berlin. “To do this I need to win gold at state level to be eligible for the state team,” he explains. “I then need to win gold at the Australia Special Olympics to be eligible for the Australian Team.”

Luke with his stallion Mt Weld Resilience (Image by Darwin Photography Professionals). INSET: Preparing to participate in the ANZAC Day Light Horse Re-enactment with Willing Noble Eureka (Image by Darwin

Photography Professionals). an admirable philosophy when it comes to competition success. “I always believe in looking after my horse before myself,” he says, “and Mum has taught me that being a good sport is the most important thing of all. You win every time you get on a horse. A ribbon is just a bonus.”

It came as a bit of a surprise when Luke learned that he had been awarded the Delivering Dreams Scholarship. “I was shocked and didn’t know what to say. Mum cried! She said it was because she was so proud of me and what I have achieved,” he says. “I am just so excited and want to say a huge thank you to HorseVibes and all the wonderful sponsors for allowing this opportunity. I’d also like to say a massive congratulations to Jamie Hocking for sharing this scholarship with me. I can only hope I can be as amazing as him!”

ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD

Antonia with her OTT Charlie (Image by Kia Loveday of Spirit Fire Photography).

Some people expect good things in life to land in their lap with little or no effort on their part – Antonia Bearda is not one of them.

Originally from New Zealand, her first equine partner was Gem, a 27-year-old paddock pony who was very selective about who rode her. However, she introduced Antonia to Pony Club and the pair subsequently became the six-bar champions, clearing 1.30m.

Antonia says she’s never had a ‘push button’ horse, but has managed to bring out the best in every one she’s owned. “I’ve turned horses no one else wanted, even horses that people were scared of, into horses who competed at the Horse of the Year in New Zealand, and won Pony Club championships.” Charlie, the pair have progressed from their first ever 60cm jumping round in 2019, to competing in a 1.10m event earlier this year. “We’ve jumped a 1.30m oxer with ease a few times at home, so I know he has the scope and talent,” Antonia says.

On the dressage front, learning together has been “slow but steady” and solid progress is being made.

Not surprisingly, Antonia has more than a few goals currently waiting out COVID-19: “I want to compete in the Jump Off Ex-Racehorse Series B Class. I also want us to be achieving higher than 65 per cent in our dressage tests. My long term goals are to compete for Australia or New Zealand in the World Equestrian Games or even the Olympics. And a huge dream of mine is to one day compete in the Al Shiraa'aa Hickstead Derby in the UK.” Kasey, Starbar Tassas Oakie and Kasey’s grandfather Rick Sciberras (Image by Ken Anderson).

KASEY BOGIE WESTERN REINING

Ever since she can remember, horses have been an essential part of Kasey Bogie’s life. She comes from a Western riding dynasty, and trains, travels and competes (she first rode in reining competitions at age 10) with three generations of her family. Her grandfather, Rick Sciberras, is her coach and mentor, and Kasey has learned much from him.

Passionate about her sport, Kasey is very focussed. “Hard work in conjunction with some incredible horses has enabled me to win four National Champion titles and three National Reserve Champion titles,” she says. “In 2019, I was placed 1st in the Non-Pro Top Ten Standing of Australia,” she says. Another long-held goal achieved through focus and discipline.

On the subject of goals, Kasey has been working hard to secure a position on a National Collegiate Equestrian team in the USA. COVID-19 has added another layer of complexity to the process, but she is keeping her hopes high. “It would be a dream come true to have the opportunity to compete in reining whilst earning a degree in Animal Science,” she says.

Many Australian reiners have fine-tuned their skills in the US, and Kasey knows that to achieve the best results, you need to learn from the best. But while the knowledge gained from college coaches and industry professionals would greatly benefit her, she also has a goal of sharing those skills with others.

Kasey’s passion for her sport begins and ends with her love of horses, and has done much to shape who she is today. “They teach you invaluable life lessons such as how to take care of others, respect, kindness and patience,” she says.

Michaela rides a dressage test with Flowervale Florenz (Image by Gone Riding Media).

After learning to ride as a child and later progressing through Pony Club with the usual assortment of equine companions, Michaela Bray finally found her place in the world of dressage. “For me, dressage was an easy choice,” she says. “I thrive on the challenge of building and maintaining my horses’ fitness, elasticity, enthusiasm and strength. I cannot imagine a life without dressage, and more importantly, without my horses.”

Michaela currently has two horses in work: Flowervale Florenz (Floz) and Ellanbrae Benito Gold (Ben). Partnered by Floz, she earned a place on the Victorian High Performance Dressage Squad, the National Young Rider Squad, and was awarded Australian CDI-Y Champion in 2018. Meanwhile Ben scooped 4 Year Old Champion at the 2020 Boneo CDI, which included an invite to the Ingrid Klimke Masterclass, which Michaela says was “a truly once in a lifetime experience.”

With two talented horses in her life, Michaela has set some exciting goals. “Ben is just beginning his dressage career, so training goals take priority over competing in specific events. I would love to have him confident with the elementary movements by the end of the year – and I’d be ecstatic to be able to attend the 2021 Dressage with the Stars and finish the year with a start at Medium. With Floz, I’m now looking at pushing his work to the next level and consolidating the Medium Tour movements.”

Whilst talent is essential, Michaela recognises that dedication, passion and hard work are equally, if not more important. Dressage, she says, is a long-term pursuit, and she’s strapped in for the ride! Claudia and Sordena Park Rhythm N Style (Image by Grace Watt, Geosnapshot).

Claudia Brodtke has been obsessed with horses her entire life. Much to her parents’ dismay, the obsession started early: show jumping over broomsticks, lunging the family dog, and 'Why You Should Buy Me a Pony' PowerPoint presentations were a regular occurrence.

When she was 11, Claudia had her first riding lesson, taking any opportunity to work with horses that presented itself. Later, she competed in hacking and show horse events on ponies she’d broken and trained with a friend before turning her focus to dressage when she was gifted Style, a horse she’d been leasing.

At the end of last year she acquired her second horse Arnie, a young 17hh Arabian Warmblood who she’s training up for dressage. She was also competing in Prelim tests with Style towards the end of 2019.

Claudia has her sights set on being the best athlete she can be, and to give herself every chance of equestrian success, she’s learning about nutrition, mindset, rider-orientated workouts, sports psychology, and equine alternative therapies. Additionally, she’s begun teaching and is studying for her Equestrian Australia Instructor’s Certificate, an avenue to sharing her passion for all things equestrian with others.

Determined to succeed despite more than a few setbacks, Claudia’s main goal is to one day become a professional rider. But in the shorter term: “I want to have Style competing to Medium by the end of 2021, with the aim of competing at State Dressage, and to have my young gelding Arnie confident in his work and progressing up the FEI levels.”

Kelsie and Showtown at the 2019 Toowoomba Royal (Image by Oz Shots Photography).

Although Kelsie Cranston is an accountant by day, her real passion is for horses. Unfortunately, working 8:00 to 5:00 with an additional two hours travel (she lives on a cattle property) doesn’t leave much time for riding. However, she makes it work with the help of arena lights and a very supportive partner.

Kelsie owns two Thoroughbreds: 14-yearold Alice who has been successful in classes up to 1.20m; and Rick, an OTT who after a recent start to his jumping career is showing plenty of promise.

Working for Vicki Roycroft for nearly a year was a high point horsemanship and dedication will stay with me for a lifetime. I also worked for David Goodwin who instilled in me the confidence to set goals and chase them,” she says. Kelsie grew up with horses, but it’s in the last few years that she has become serious about her riding ambitions. “I’ve very proactive about improving my skills and grasping every opportunity to have lessons with professional riders and coaches,” she explains.

Often competing all over NSW and South East Queensland, her long term goal is to compete in a World Cup qualifier with Rick. For Alice, Kelsie’s plans are to win a State Amateur title: “Alice is my heart horse and I cherish the years I have left with her before she starts stepping for Kelsie. “Her knowledge,

down the grades and moving to retirement.”

But there’s another dream: “My long term plan is to produce a horse from scratch, and to compete with them up the levels to World Cup and possibly even beyond,” she says. Annabel in action with Dynamoey (Image by Elizabeth Borowik).

Annabel Cusack has been riding since she was three-years-old. Once a keen show jumper, she made the switch to eventing four years ago and hasn’t looked back. Her dedication to her discipline is such that, pre-COVID, she was happily driving six or more hours every weekend to compete.

She bought her current horse, Dynamoey, in September 2018. Although he had experience in the show jumping ring, he had never been around a cross country course, but like Annabel, he’s taken to eventing like a duck to water. Consistently competitive in Open 1* classes, the pair are now qualified 2*. Annabel says she feels extremely lucky to have a horse qualified at this level, the first she has produced to that particular FEI standard. has been challenging on a number of levels: “It’s been nothing but knock after knock and very disappointing. But I’ve overcome many mental challenges and continued to push through and remain focussed on my goals.”

With her resilience and commitment tested and proven, she is now more determined than ever to make her dreams come true. In 2021, she’ll be taking up a place in the Australian Catholic University’s Elite Athlete Program, and has high hopes of being in a professional eventing stable in Sydney while she completes her degree.

Annabel’s next major goal is to compete at the Australian International 3 Day Event. “And Dynamoey is the horse with the talent to get me there,” she says, “he’s more than ready to take the eventing world by storm.”

ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD

Pearl and Ruby training for the 2019 Cummins Trek (Image by The Dapper Crow Photography).

PEARL DESSART WORKING EQUITATION

Pearl Dessart’s love affair with horses started early and reached critical mass when the The Man from Snowy River travelling show came to town. It was then that she lobbied her parents in earnest for a pony. One eventually arrived in the shape of an on-loan Shetland.

Several other horses followed before Ruby came to stay. “She was sold as a children's pony,” Pearl explains, “and was anything but!” But Pearl persevered and she and Ruby now have “a unique bond.”

Pearl is a member of the Wudinna Team Yarders and Southern Eyre Team Penners, and has been competing in local inter-school gymkhanas since 2014. Ruby enjoys games and the pair frequently bring home ribbons. In 2018 Pearl competed on a friend’s horse in the Lower Lakes Stockman’s Challenge in Strathalbyn, SA, and against an experienced field was delighted to be presented with an Encouragement Award. She also won High Points (Junior Team) for Southern Eyre Team Penning in the same year riding Ruby.

Last year was yet another good one for Pearl. Accompanied by Ruby, she was the only junior rider to participate in the 250km fiveday Cummins Trek, a fundraiser for a regional mental health program. She was also nominated for the Lower Eyre Peninsula Junior Sport’s Person of the Year Award in acknowledgement of her equestrian achievements.

Pearl is currently focussing on completing a Certificate III in Agriculture. “Then I’m considering a career in either animal health, or the animal behaviour field. But one thing’s for sure, my life will always involve horses in one way or another,” she says. Poppy and Get Rhythm in a Phase 4 Cattle Test (Image by Renee Muller).

POPPY DOUGLAS WORKING EQUITATION

When it comes to blitzing Working Equitation competitions, Poppy Douglas does it well! She was the Australian Junior Champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019, scooped the 2019 Consagrados 1 Horse of the Year, an event ridden one-handed, and is the only junior to have qualified for the NSW State Team.

In 2019, she won the Open Company Maneability, an obstacle course ridden with dressage-like precision (and on that occasion presided over by an international judge), and in the same year, was both the dressage winner and runner-up at Mudgee Show on two different horses.

Poppy’s riding career began early. Perched on a horse’s back before she could walk, she comes from a horseloving family: her mother, who also competes in Working Equitation with both a Master’s and a Consagrados horse, her step-dad and her sister all ride.

One of the secrets to Poppy’s success is her attention to detail. “None of my wins could have been achieved without a great deal of dedication to dressage training,” she says. For her, that’s key. She trains daily and often spends a solid week working on dressage movements with her horses, followed by roll backs, fast work, cattle work and trail rides for variety.

Self-motivated and driven, Poppy’s committed to competing at the highest levels, and wants to turn riding into her career. And she says a move Stateside isn’t out of the question: “I’d like to go to the US basically to train and learn from some of the best clinicians there so I become a better rider. It probably won’t be for some time, so I’ll just see how things play out.”

ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD

Madison and Little Gem eventing in the rain (Image by Mane Memories Photography).

Madison Doyle had an amazing run in 2018 and 2019, achieving a personal best of 125cm, a string of show jumping successes, and qualification for State Level C Grade competitions.

One of her long-term dreams with a Brumby cross to promote the breed and help save their lives. Late last year, she tamed a Brumby through the Victorian Brumby Association (VBA). “That was certainly a very big and special moment in my riding career. I also adopted him and he’s now mine,” Madison says.

But there are more immediate goals: “I’m aiming to improve my dressage to a Grade 1 level, so I can compete in Grade 1 horse trials. I’m currently Grade 3 due to dressage difficulties, but I’d really love to compete 1* in eventing and show jumping,” she explains.

Madison also hopes to enter the Australian Brumby challenge once she leaves school, and would like to become a trainer in the VBA's training program, so she can is to compete in the Olympics

tame and re-home Brumbies.

While life hasn’t always been easy for Madison, she’s anything but a quitter: “When I first got my mare three years ago, an instructor told me she would kill me,” she says, “and sure enough, the first five or so rides all ended in tears and sometimes blood. However, I persisted with her because I knew she had talent. Thankfully, our rides no longer end badly, and the horse that was going to kill me now jumps up to 120cm, can be ridden at liberty, has been trick trained, and visits residents at the local aged care home!”