This time last week owners of off the track thoroughbreds had eyes on the prize at the TSHA National Titles at Stonewall, an event Breednet have supported since it’s inception in 2022.
An all thoroughbred show organized by Krissy Harris and staged at her picturesque Stonewall Equestrian complex at Mangrove Mountain, the event features showjumping, dressage, hacking and led classes with the teams jumping events always a great spectacle for onlookers.
Renowned breeder and racehorse owner Linda Huddy is a big supporter of all things thoroughbreds and all things showjumping, so this show hits a sweet spot for her with Peachester Lodge fielding teams in both the Maiden Teams Challenge (85cm) and Racing Teams Challenge (up to 1.20m).
Her team came away with a win in the Racing Teams Challenge in a great event that featured champion racehorses Nature Strip ridden by Kathy O’Hara and Zaaki (GB) ridden by Shenae Lowings.
While Nature Strip is very much a showjumper in his next life career, Zaaki is destined for eventing in the care of Lowings, who rode in her first Olympics in Paris and that won’t be her last.
The Maiden Teams Challenge was won by Langs Building Supplies sponsored team which featured terrific young rider Evie Delicata, who won the Maiden Grand Prix the previous day on her 21 YO gelding Mr Mungus, a WA bred son of Aly Kingston (USA), who ran last in his only barrier trial at Belmont in Perth before trading the racetrack for the jump arena.
As someone who follows pedigree pretty closely, I just had to have a look at Aly Kingston, the sire of Mr Mungus – to cut a long story short, he was no champion, but he was bred to be one being by champion American sire Alydar from champion Australian mare Rose of Kingston.
Team Breednet had a few last minute changes to our line up with the late addition of Gabbie Mills from Mudgee, who did a super job for us with just an unlucky last fence down.
It was the third year in this team for Frida Contur and I with her horse Van Tango and my beloved Pie now firm friends that look forward to their annual road trip from the South Coast!
New to the team was my new project horse New Mandate (IRE) with my daughter Jas making a cameo appearance to ride him after finishing trackwork at the Chris Waller stable that morning.
Jas rode New Mandate, or as we call him Dan the Man, quite a bit when he was in work and strapped him at his final race start. She believed he was the right horse for me and am yet to be disappointed!
Here’s hoping Dan the Man is the future of Team Breednet.
Caroline Searcy was at Stonewall filming last week, so check out the latest episode of Thoroughbreds are Go featuring my new horse New Mandate (IRE) in Where Are They Now?
All images Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association Facebook.
