Most people who know me realise that a large chunk of my time is spent riding horses rather than writing about them and with both of my children now left home I need a challenge and Racing NSW has come to the party with the inaugural Equimillion on the September long weekend and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.
Having been involved with NSW based Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association since it’s inception, I know all too well how hard it is to get traction for new endeavours for off the track thoroughbreds and acceptance within the equestrian community, but all things have to start somewhere and this is ground zero for Equimillion.
It has copped an avalanche of criticism through social media and some of it justified, but there are also some myths about it that should be debunked.
Eligible horses need to have raced or been trained in NSW or in the case of unraced horses they need to have been bred here with the intention to race. This event was conceived by Racing NSW and they are putting up the money to showcase NSW thoroughbreds, let’s not forget that fact.
My horse is a Kiwi bred 16 year-old gelding that came to Australia named Piazza San Pietro (NZ). He arrived here after three starts in New Zealand and then raced very successfully for the late Bede Murray winning five of 21 starts and earned over $118,000.
A bowed tendon curtailed his career in 2015 and he’s been with us at Daybreak Farm ever since.
Bede Murray gifted him to us with the promise he would be the best horse I would ever own and my old boss has been proven right time and again.
We changed his name to Daybreak Del Pietro and Pie as he is known at home has become a local legend.
He and Jasmine learned to jump together rising up the ranks through Pony Club and interschools before Jasmine’s desire to jump seriously big fences led her to a warmblood and Pie found himself on the back burner.
The rise of TSHA classes put Pie back in centre stage and with Jack riding him as a second string horse at the big shows, Pie has acquired a wardrobe of TSHA rugs and ribbons earning him a shot at the Opal Series (1m) at Boneo Park in Victoria last year at the Australian National Showjumping Championships.
Competing over four days in a field of 99 starters, Jack and Pie finished fourth overall to be the highest placed thoroughbred in that open class.
And so to the Equimillion.
Jack and Jas have flown the coop, so I’m going to take the reins this time and trust Pie can bring his magic to SIEC for the big one!
Footnote: Having done my entry today it would appear camping and stabling for this event at SIEC is free.
