In this issue
From Pony Club beginnings to Champion of Champions glory, Karen Blythe’s lifetime with horses is reflected in Stryker K, whose talent and rideability carried them to a 2026 Dressage and Jumping with the Stars victory.
When Will Coleman and Diabolo stood at the top of the leaderboard after the recent CCI5*‑L at the Kentucky Three‑Day Event, it marked a career‑defining moment for the American rider and his team. For Australian equine agent Sharon Ridgway, it was the validation of years of quiet work behind the scenes — work that rarely attracts headlines, but without which elite victories like this are far harder to achieve.
Straight after his HSC he had left home and flown to the other side of the globe. A young rider he had befriended in China had persuaded him to work in Ireland. So Jake Hunter, aged 18, moved from the Hunter Valley to the Emerald Isle.
Now having designed his tenth Adelaide International CCI5* course, Mike Etherington-Smith has certainly had an influence on the sport of eventing here in Australia. From changing formats to growing crowd numbers, the British course designer has watched Adelaide Equestrian Festival evolve over the years and believes the unique event is continuing to raise its standard.
With the chill in the air and daylight hours shrinking, winter is on its way — and so too are the seasonal care changes needed to keep our equine partners healthy and comfortable.
With equestrian syndication still emerging here in Australia, we delve into how shared ownership models work in practice, what attracts new investors, and the critical legal and structural considerations those involved must understand from the outset.
Oddly enough, King Arthur and Michael Jackson have something in common. Both are films directed by Antoine Fuqua. The difference, of course, is that King Arthur has lots of horses in it.
Australian dressage combination Serena Ireland and Royalty R delivered a memorable performance on the world stage, making their mark at the Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas.
It takes a special horseman to personify the unique equestrian hub that is steeped in Sydney’s riding history, and that horseman is Milton John Leckie.
Eighty-four days, 4,300 kilometres, and the Golden Horses of Turkmenistan: the story of the 1935 Ashgabat-to-Moscow endurance ride, told through the riders’ own diaries, Soviet newspaper dispatches, and the archives of a vanished empire.
Stay tuned for additional May magazine features throughout the month.