Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Everyone at Glen Haven Park!

Caboolture Indoor Training Show

16 and 17 December saw everyone at Glen Haven Park loading up all the Singapore horses into our two trucks and taking them to Caboolture Showgrounds Indoor arena, for a two day training show. It took the two trucks three trips to transport all the horses from Kilcoy to Caboolture. The horses did themselves proud and behaved really well in the new environment of a strange arena. The riders were also thrilled with the way the horses handled the different courses, constructed to test their ability in a show type situation. All horses were jumped around several different tracks of varying heights, depending on their level of training at this stage. This proved very successful and all horses adapted well, not worrying about the loudspeakers with commentary and music or the different feel of jumping indoors. It was a very full on two days and at the end of the second day horses, grooms and riders were all happy to make the trip home to Kilcoy!

(left) Roxy Girl and Olivia (right) Travelling Soldier and Paula


(left) Chloe and Mr Sheen (right) Emma and Lenny Hayes

November Team Member of the Month - Nyssa Carter

(left: Proud Nyssa, centre, with David and Paula after being presented with her certificate)

All the grooms and riders here at Glen Haven Park put in a huge effort in their various roles, whether it be training the horses over a line of fences or making sure their water troughs are sparkling clean - everyone in the team ensures the Team Singapore horses is their number one priority. Dedication to horses is a way of life around here. Of course, with so many wonderful and dedicated staff, it is always a hard decision to choose one person who stands out from the others, when considering the perfect candidate for Team Member of the Month. In November, after much deliberation, the perfect person for the award was a very deserving Nyssa Carter, one of the Team Singapore grooms. On Nyssa's certificate we printed the words 'For being highly dedicated, working so hard in her role as groom and literally running after the Team Singapore horses!!' Unusual wording for an an awards certificate but very appropriate in this case, because run is what Nyssa does! Possessing an enviable work ethic, Nyssa carries out all her tasks with purpose and determination and doesn't waste time walking. When Nyssa is working, she's working the whole time! She is very quick in her duties but still manages to be efficient and careful, always mindful of the needs of the horses. A big thank you to Nyssa for all her efforts here at Glen Haven Park!


Nyssa with two of her adoring charges, LE Lucky and CP Rosie

Equestrian Queensland Awards Night

The prestigious Equestrian Queensland Awards night was held on Saturday night at Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast. Olivia was nominated for the Junior Sports Star of the Year and the Glen Haven Park team were out in force to support her. Olivia didn't win the award, which included nominees from all equestrian sports, the winner was Alexandra Toft, but it was still a thrill for Olivia to be nominated. Congratulations to Alexandra! All was not lost, however, as Olivia and Randlab Nero were awarded runner up in the 2009 Future Stars Series, which was very exciting and caused much cheering from the Glen Haven table! More to cheer about - an unexpected formal presentation to Paula was held, for winning the Barastoc Young Horse of the Year Series with GH Avion (Billy). Go Paula and Billy!! A wonderful meal was followed by plenty of dancing to the fab band, with everyone from Glen Haven cheering loudly (again) when Paula and Billy's picture was displayed on the big screen above the dance floor! Thank you to Equestrian Queensland for putting on an excellent night. We especially liked the little bay horse toys in our sample bags. These have now been named after the bay geldings we have on the Singapore team!


Equestrian Queensland Horse Toys - representing members of the Team Singapore BTGC (Bay Thoroughbred Gelding Club) Teddy, Hugo, Astro and Links (we need more to represent Lenny, McGyver, Tom, Buzzword and Villarni! so many bay Thoroughbred boys!)