Just like legendary jockey Glen Boss and Makybe Diva, Pakenham 14yearold Katherine Stewart shares a special connection with Splash, her showjumping horse.
So intimate is their understanding of each other, Katherine and Splash combined to win the children’s Australian category A Final at the Australian Youth Showjumping Festival.
But, unlike Boss and Makybe Diva, Katherine and Splash share at least a moment of every day, more often a number of hours, with each other, perfecting transitions between fences and nurturing a friendship that will land Katherine in California later this month.
The victory at the Australian Youth Showjumping Festival, held in NSW in early October at the Worrigee Equestrian Common, near Nowra, proved to be just a stepping stone for Katherine, who has qualified to represent Australia in the 2005 World Children’s Final.
Unfortunately, half of Katherine’s talented jumping team, Splash, won’t be able or allowed to make the journey halfway around the world to contest showjumping’s top children’s event.
All 32 competitors must leave their horses behind, and are randomly drawn a mount from a pool of trained jumpers.
But, with the bond of trust between riders and horses taking years to develop, Katherine said it would be difficult to simply get on and jump with another horse.
“There is a special relationship between rider and horse and it won’t be easy, although I’ll have a day to get to know the horse I’m given.
“If I draw a horse I don’t get along with, or one too big, things will be tough. You can’t prepare for the unrideable,” she said.
Katherine’s love for equestrian events, and in particular showjumping, was sparked from a young age after mum, Sue, spent many years riding and competing in the sport.
“Katherine was sitting on ponies before she could even sit up,” Sue explained.
“I always knew she would get involved, she was very interested in horses from a very young age.”
Katherine over the years has had 10 horses including her first, Taffy, but has found a special friend in Splash, the keen jumper she has spent the last twoandahalf years with.
Her Pakenham home is equipped with a large jumps’ course, allowing her to work Splash without travelling to a paddock or training ground.
Katherine and her family made the journey to Nowra with plenty of diesel in the truck, and all the hard work and dedication paid off.
Contesting the threeround event, Katherine and Splash jumped every round cleanly, with no refusals, runouts or costly knockdowns.
The first round was not timed, so competitors could take their time navigating the jumps.
The clock was set for the second round and the course had changed, and a number of competitors could not adapt, knocking down fences while trying to set a furious pace.
Katherine and Splash set the benchmark again and, after a clear final round, Katherine had booked herself a trip to California.
It was Katherine’s first appearance at the Australian Youth Showjumping Festival.
“We knew about the competition last year, but only found out two weeks before the event, so it was too late to enter.
“But it is definitely the biggest event I’ve participated in. I was thrilled to win,” Katherine said.
The event attracts the best young riders in Australia and more than 300 competed, the youngest seven and the oldest 21.
International course expert John Vallance designed the course, and he will design theone Katherine will navigate in California.
Sue said the John Vallance courses are the best, and are always challenging.
“The height of jumps, the distance between each obstacle can change. There is a lot of things for rider and horse to think about,” she said.
Katherine said Splash had thrown her off more times than she caould remember, but it’s just a painful part of relationship building.
“When I first got Splash, he was new to competition and was a little touchy.
“He is a bit temperamental and occasionally throws me.
“But the best thing to do is get up and back on,” Katherine said.
Interestingly, Splash has a serious dislike for ribbons, especially the ones draped over him after a competition win.
“He doesn’t like them tied around him. They catch his eye and annoy him. He tries to get them off,” Katherine said.
Despite his eccentricity, Sue said Splash showed talent from the time he was broken in.
“The handlers tried to capture him in the paddock, but he kept running away.
“They eventually backed him into a corner near other horses, so he simply leapt over the other horses to get away.
“It was after I saw that I knew he had talent,” Sue explained.
With less than eight weeks to prepare a family of four for a trip to California, the organisation has been hectic not to mention expensive.
Luckily, the sports governing body will fly Katherine to and from the event but the rest of the Stewart family, including dad John and brother Hamish, will have to pay their way across the Pacific.
In a generous show of support, Don Mattson from Cranbourne Horsepower, has donated a number of items to help Katherine, as well as helping out financially.
Don also said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the star jumper win the event.
“Katherine is a very talented rider, we are more than happy to help out,” he said.
Horsepower, at 1495 South Gippsland Highway, will give Katherine riding boots, jodhpurs and gear bags. “Katherine will represent Australia well, I’m sure of it,” Don said. And although Splash won’t be jumping with Katherine in California, he will no doubt be in the paddock waiting for his next chance to jump with his best friend.