PROFILE OF THE MONTH

Sasha Adams

Questions

Q..1..How long have you been involved with horses, how long doing the ultimate sport of "Eventing"?

Well, I have been riding since I was about 7 or 8, when I started on my first pony Peter who was 32 at the time.

I didn't start any kind of eventing until much later when I was about 11, when I did my first ODE on my Gymkhana pony Jack

and lets just say it didn't go as smoothly as hoped but we have persevered and has out fair share of placings and wins. These days

I have a more successful mount named Fairy who I went on to win the State ODE on in 2008.

Q..2..Who or what has influenced you along the way. for your riding?

There have been HEAPS of people who have influenced me over the years. The most influential would most likely be my mum

because she taught me how to ride in the beginning and who has funded my riding over the years. I should mention also the masses of

pony club instructors who all gave me heaps of advice. Then my most recent instructor Lyn Moore who I was a student of for the last two years.

She helped me bring my horse Fairy along from an un-educated, un-balanced 'off the track' thoroughbred.

Q..3..So tell me, how are you going to fund your expensive sport, once you have been kicked out of home?

My mother loves me, so of course she will help me with some things. For example she will keep my horses on her land until I get a good

enough place to live. Considering I want to be a vet, which entails a 6 year minimum Uni course it might take me a while to rake in enough

money to independently pay for my horses.

Q..4..What are your aims/goals for 2009?

This year I'd like to get a better go-on with the Eventing, I'm starting more EFA competitions so hopefully I can try and suss out some different courses. Once again I'm going to try my hardest at the State Championships, in the ODE, combined training and the dressage but other than that I just want to have a year where neither Fairy or I get badly injured and where I can still enjoy doing it without too many expectations or unwanted pressures. Plus the added fun of Hacking fairy at some local shows and the Toowoomba Royal Show at Easter

Q..5..What vital tips have you taken on board from Rebels Lessons?

There's so much stuff I have to try to remember that Rebel has told me that it's hard to think of anything. The advice that has really noticeably helped my jumping (cross country and show-jumping)  is that I have to ride confidently without over-riding, I remember that and I pull less rails in show-jumping and very rarely have stops at fences. Also, that being left handed makes me so much stronger in my left hand that changing the way I use it when I ride completely alters how the horse goes.

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