Highlights from our July 09' magazine It’s cold and wet outside, but our mid-winter issue has plenty to keep you busy. Firstly, we cover all the action from the Bell Tea National Eventing Championships in Taupo, then Helen meets a quartet of amateur riders who have taken on the big names in the sport – and won! Dr Lucy Tucker explains how you can get the best out of your pasture this winter, and Julie Harding profiles British-based Kiwi event rider Tim Rusbridge. Annie Studholme meets a film and TV stunt horse trainer, Wayne MacCormack, and Fiona Cameron gives a practical guide to trouble-free float loading. And finally, if you’re interested in dressage, don’t miss Jean Llewellyn’s interview with French classical master Dominqiue Barbier, who’s suggesting a radical overhaul of the sport. Happy riding. Features for July Read online: Mud ’n’ glory. How to get the best out of your pasture over winter. READ MORE Read online: It’s anti-dressage! French classical dressage master Dominique Barbier suggests a radical overhaul is needed.READ MORE Also in this month’s issue 2009 Bell Tea National Eventing Championships Virginia Caro reports from Taupo Beating the Big Names Helen Firth meets some amateur riders who have beaten the biggest names in the sport Tim’s tunnel vision July Harding profiles up-and-coming Kiwi eventer Tim Rusbridge From Hokitika to Hollywood Annie Studholme meets film and TV horse trainer Wayne MacCormack   PLUS ALL THE USUALS Letters Including One in a Million and Letter of the Month Experts: your questions answers by our experts Jumping Clinic with Dale Pederson Mountain Horse Ones to Watch Pony club AND OUR REGULARS People & Places Jump-off with Claire Wilson Equiscene Showscene with Kevin Cholmondeley-Smith Equestrian diary What’s in store – product news Pony Pals Bulletin board Shop direct RIDER OF THE MONTH The Fiber Fresh Rider of the Month for July is Pukekohe-based eventer, Kirstin Kelly. Kirstin has been concentrating over recent seasons on building her up-and-coming young team, and one of the indisputed stars of that team is the utterly gorgeous Good Charlotte, who at just six won the CCI* at the recent Bell Tea National Three-day Eventing Championships in Taupo (above). ‘Sweetie’ is a very well named mare, and she capped the win at Taupo by taking out the NRM High Performance Challenge (which is awarded to the combination with the most points at 1* or 2* level at both the one- and three-day champs. Kirstin also had a third placing in the 2* at Taupo with Just Fred, a great achievement given that the big Anglo-Arab has spent much of the season out of action with an injury. But Kirstin’s achievements are not limited to the saddle by any means – she is a busy trainer who coaches riders of all levels and takes in horses for re-schooling, and is always willing to lend a hand or a word of advice to her many students at events. Congratulations Kirstin, from everybody here at NZ Horse & Pony, and we hope that  Sweetie, Fred and the gang enjoy munching on their Fibre Fresh.

From the Editor's Desk The photograph above was taken just a couple of months ago, but it feels like a hundred years since I’ve been able to ride in a t-shirt, let alone raise a cloud of dust behind me! It’s been nothing but rain, wind and more rain in this part of the country, and I know I’m far from alone in being HEARTILY sick of being cold, muddy and wet (and often all three at once) twice a day, every day, when I venture out to take care of my horses. In fact I reached new sartorial heights in the office just this week when I came in with the entire lower half of my body splashed rather artistically in mud. I turn my horses out in the morning, you see, on my way to work, and generally find that a pair of gumboots and a Drizabone over my office clothes is enough protection. This particular day, however, Vinnie decided to jump over the large gateway puddle rather than slosh through it, and as he landed, I caught the backwash. Rather than take the 15-minute drive home to change again, I figured it would soon dry and brush off – but much to the amusement of my colleagues I spent most of the day looking like some kind of vagrant. But I am trying not to get too down about the weather, especially seeing we have a good couple of months of winter to go yet, or as my friend Ange likes to tell me, I have gone to the fridge and got myself a can of Harden-up! After a short holiday each, Jet and Vinnie are now resuming work and if that means forgoing full-on training and instead just hacking on the roads for a while, so be it. Please drop me a line and let me know how you are coping with winter riding and schooling. Anyway, this month’s magazine, at least, should help take all of our minds away from winter for a while. I hope you paused long enough to admire the cover photograph, which was taken and sent in by keen reader, Sue Schultz, of Karaka. Sue sent me the photo, plus another she had taken, of Jess’s Pride, who is owned and ridden by Laura Daly. “This lovely English girl, who is groom to Ross Coles (Sue writes), has trained a green young horse with very little financial means to be a champion at the Royal Easter Show. “She won Champion Working Hunter and Champion Newcomer Saddle Hunter at the show, and also did very well at the Horse of the Year Show. “Don’t you think she would make a fab front cover?” I thoroughly agreed, and here is the result. Photographic contributions from readers are ALWAYS welcome, but please, please, please take some time to study the composition of magazine covers before taking your shots. We need reasonably plain backgrounds, the photograph needs to be in focus, and it just doesn’t work when noses or tips of ears are cut off. The composition of Sue’s shot was pretty close to ideal, and it helped as well that Jess’s Pride has a very appealing face. Sue’s photo was a super-sharp print, though electronic files are also welcome, but they must be high resolution files – the bigger, the better!