Rider selected

Press, 9 March 1984, Page 8

Rider selected

Jane Cullen, of Christchurch, has been selected to attend an intensive horse riding seminar in Melbourne for equestrian competitors aged 17-21 years later this month. Four New Zealanders have been chosen for the clinic, from March 26 until April 4, but Miss Cullen, aged 20, is the South Island’s sole representative. The other three are Judith Charleston of Waikato, Trudy Boyce from Tokoroa and Karen Tweedie of Feilding. The seminar will be held at the Victorian State Equestrian Centre and will cover a wide variety of topics ranging from feeding and veterinary care of the horse, to dressage demonstration, to coping with cross-country and steeplechase phases, preparation of the horse, and stable management.

Dressage and show jumping events are also listed in the programme.

Riders from 14 countries within the Asian region of the International Equestrian Federation (F.E.1.) will be attending the course, which will conclude with a threeday trial. All the horses will be provided. From Melbourne, the New Zealanders will travel to Brisbane where they will compete in an international show jumping competition on April 10-11. Accommodation, transport and horses will again be provided by the hosts. This event will be held at an indoor complex, 70m x 30m in size, which could present a new, testing challenge for the New Zealand contestants more familiar with outdoor courses.

Indeed, Miss Cullen has never competed indoors, and should certainly benefit from the experience.