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The name Skybury
was inspired by a favorite pony bred by my family. Skylight provided
much enjoyment and countless memorable experiences for both my sister
and myself and no doubt for the riders that followed us. From eventer
to showjumper Sky was the epitome of boldness, pony scope and smarts
and this accumulated later in his career with wins in Puissance, New
Zealand Pony Derby, Grand Prix series and Showjumping Pony of the
Year.
Skylight with Michael
Weston – Photo: B. Thomson
2009 Results
Tauranga – Sherwood
Small Talk Champion Novice Show Pony under 14.2hh
Rotorua – Taratanui Sir Ivor Champion Novice Saddle Hunter under 13.2hh
Horse of the Year – Taratanui Sir Ivor Rising Star Champion Saddle
Hunter Pony of the Year
News - Summer
2009
Unfortunately
almost all of the ponies were hit by a horrible cough which meant
no shows for us for rest of 2008. Small Talk came back into work just
before Christmas and her first outing for the season was Tauranga
in the New Year. She went Champion Novice show pony under 14.2 and
then proceeded to try and shake her lovely sash off while doing her
lap of honor showing an absolute lack of decorum for such occasions.
At an incredibly hot Rotorua a week latter she behaved exceedingly
appallingly having fallen in love with  Sir
Ivor on the trip down. Our Australian judge for the day was very complimentary
about her potential and very understanding of her young pony antics.
Sir Ivor of course didn’t put a hoof out of place and went Champion
Novice Saddle Hunter under 13.2hh under judge Alan Windle. Premier
Show at the end of January and Alexandra Troughton did a great job
in riding Sir Ivor in the Newcomers, they placed 3rd in the 13.2 Saddle
Hunter and 6th in the Title class – a super effort considering with
a limited lead up time to get used to a new pony and he was feeling
abit out of sorts on the day. We had to scratch him from the open
classes as it was discovered he was very uncomfortable with and an
extensive skin irritation. Thankfully it is restricted to his undercarriage
as its resulted in a fair amount of hair loss, so I guess it could
have been a lot worse.
Taratanui Sir Ivor
Premier show 2009 with Alex Troughton aboard.
Small Talk had
the occasional indiscretion however placed in her height division.
Sherwood Small
Talk – Kinder Ward Photography
Fantasy
has had some time off after a bout of colic. Do seem to be seeing
more than my fair share of the vets of recent times! Horse of the
Year came around very fast as it always does. Felt we were a little
under prepared with our lack of shows this season.
Horse of the Year was only Sir Ivors fourth registered dressage competition
– he ended up 13th overall, felt it was a great effort for a 13.2
making the top 15 in the Preliminary Dressage Championship, in a field
of over 40 horses, the vast majority of which were Warmbloods – some
very fancy ones at that!
 
Taratanui Sir Ivor
at HOY Dressage 2009
I
was a little concerned about keeping energy levels up as he is a bit
of a laid back sort of character and he had to do two dressage tests
on the Thursday morning and then trek directly over to the show ring
for his saddle hunter classes. He did manage to leave his best extensions
over in the dressage areans but won both his Rising Star 13.2 classes
qualifing for the overall Championship, where the age group, 13.2hh
and 14.2hh pony winners were all brought out infront of international
judge Paula McCarthy, Northern Ireland. He then proceeded to give
me a superb ride in the overall Championship, winning the Rising Star
Saddle Hunter Pony of the Year, which was a huge thrill and a fabulous
way to end the season.
  
Taratanui Sir Ivor
at HOY wins Rising Star Saddle Hunter Pony Of The Year 2009
2008 Results
Pukekohe – Taratanui
Sir Ivor Champion Best Paced and Mannered Novice Saddle Hunter under
14.2hh
Morrinsville – Taratanui Sir Ivor Champion Novice Pony under 14.2hh
NZ Royal Easter – Taratanui Sir Ivor 1st Newcomer Saddle Hunter pony
under 13.2hh
Kaurilands Winter Dressage Special Series – Taratanui Sir Ivor Champion
Matamata – Taratanui Sir Ivor – Champion Novice Saddle Hunter pony
under 14.2hh
Clevedon Dressage – Taratanui Sir Ivor qualified Horse of the Year
2009 Level 1 69%
News - Spring
2008
It was a very expensive winter keeping everyone in hay after the drought
left us with just dirt, so lovely to see the spring grass making an
appearance.
Orlando and Giorgio
(above) looking innocent but they have in fact just spent the previous
10min ripping up their paddock at 100mph.
Northbridge Nobility
Max (SF Rascalino)
has been weaned after annoying his long suffering Mama all winter.
SF Rascalino
Soleil d' Or keeps
her broodmare status. Have decided 3 ponies to ride is enough at this
stage!
Matamata
was our first show for the season. Sir Ivor still hadn’t shed all
his winter woolies however worked well to take out the Novice Saddle
Hunter Championship 14.2 & under judge Natasha Otto. First ever registered
dressage show was Clevedon and delighted with him placing 2nd 69%
and 3rd 68.55% and thereby qualifying for HOY. Sir Ivor at Clevedon
Taratanui
Sir Ivor doing spring home work
Small Talk continues
her tradition of managing to be involved in a series of unfortunate
incidents which result in her yet to make the starting line up at
any competitions.
Sherwood Small
Talk schooling
Sir Ivors full
sister Taratanui Fantasy has been backed and its a bit of a shock
to the system to be back aboard a real "greenie"!
Fantasy is showing
lots of natural elevation in her movement and hopefully she’ll be
every bit as successful under saddle as her siblings. Devorow Loving
Memory has had a name change and is now Devorow Leilani. She went
to the ever bustling Waikato show and placed in her Warmblood and
Sport Horse classes in quality fields. This will be her only show
for this season, she was so well behaved at Waikato I felt it wont
do her any harm to let her enjoy her 2 year old year in the paddock
while I concentrate on the more exciting stuff – like riding!
News - Winter
2008
Winter has well and truly arrived. We recently had a horrendous electrical
storm. The ponies had a dreadful night with most of them being found
in different paddocks to the ones they had been residing in on the
previous evening. Huge amount of damage to fencing however we can
count our blessings as nobody has been seriously injured so much to
be thankful for considering several horses were killed in nearby Cambridge
on the same night. All the same both Loving Memory and Small Talk
were left with injuries which will probably require a month or two
for recovery. Twist & Shout on the other hand, managed to make it
from the back paddock to the front paddock with not a scratch, was
very pleased with the change of scenery and increase in rations.
SF Rascalino -
winter 2008
Sir Ivor hasnt
had quite as much attention as planned with all the unsettled weather,
however delighted with his progress and he managed to win his section
in the Waikato Equestrian Centres unregistered winter dressage series
and notched up several wins with percentages in excess of 70%.
News - Autumn
2008
One
of the advantages of showing is that you get to catch up with relatives.
Sir Ivor meets big brother Craighall Sir Ivor finished his first show
season under saddle at the Auckland Easter Royal by winning his height
division. Can't wait to get him out in Spring 08 once he’s had the
benefit of continued education over winter. April brought the rain
- which was extremely exciting after having none since prior to Christmas
next best buzz was Sir Ivors’ first day out at our local dressage
comp. Because I'm an adult he has to compete against the horses and
although the first time in the arena included a couple of second takes
at the bright white arena rails, he finished a very creditable 7th,
second time in he was more at home and worked incredibly kindly to
place 2nd with 69%. Max is developing well showing lots of personality,
but with the drought and being a late foal he will stay with his mum
over winter. Small Talk has come back into work so hopefully we'll
keep her busy with lessons and a few winter dressage outings. Everyone
is now busy growing their winter woolies and the clippers will be
having a busy time over the forthcoming months.
Sir Ivor meets
Craighall Sir Ivor |
SF Rascalino
and his dam |
News - Winter
2007
Twist and Shout has been kept in work and we’ve been keeping up with
our lessons and our first start Medium which she placed 5th so very
pleased with her. With help from my father there is a new addition
here at Skybury. She’s a weanling by the gorgeous Holme Park Flute
who is by Caprimond one of my all time favorite Warmblood sires. I
hope she will be my dressage horse of the future.
Devorow Loving Memory
– by Holme Park Flute – photo: S Rowson
News - Spring
2007
The 2007
- 2008 season started well. Having kept Sherwood Twist and Shout in
light work over the winter she was progressing well with her level
four work and placed several times at Elementary at our local Waikato
events.
The big decision
to geld Taratanui Sir Ivor was carried through. He was still looking
mighty amorous at anything within his constituency so instead of coming
back into work, he was turned out with a friends retired 16.2hh eventer
to reset his social expectations which worked wonderfully.
Sherwood Small
Talk has been dodged by incidents and dramas ever since her arrival
here over 4 years ago. However hoping that at 5 years old her misfortunes
are behind her and we will finally get into the show ring. By the
end of October I was on her back and considering her 12 month hiatus
after her float accident she took reintroduction to ridden life quite
kindly. However it soon became apparent that the biggest hold up in
getting her into a show ring was her difficulty in travelling. Prior
to her accident she had been a dream traveler, now she is a panicking
mess and it was a very time consuming and nerve wracking experience
endeavoring to get her back to the stage where we can travel faster
than 40km - with out sending her into a severe fall over scramble.
Exciting news though, she did get a height certificate for 148cm -
a minor miracle because it was a very tense trip there - it wouldn’t
surprise me if she measures smaller next year!
So the show scene
highlights have been left to Devorow Loving Memory. She was very exuberant
at her first show Waikato - and not assisted at all by supposed nursemaid
- the very noisy and badly behaved spectator Twist & Shout. Cambridge
a month later with nursemaid left at home she showed much improved
behavior and again sashed Reserve Champion Youngstock from a lovely
big field of young sport horses.
Twist & Shout
provided another highlight in the dressage arena with placings at
the Taranaki Championships including 4th in a Medium class, the lowlight
of this show was me losing my way in our Elementary freestyle - still
managed 5th despite missing a compulsory movement, tsk, tsk.
 News
- Summer 2007/2008:
Waikato Dressage Championships were early December - Twist and Shout
remained very consistent and her percentages qualified her for NZ
Nationals and Horse of the Year. Then prior to Christmas there was
huge disappointment when she injured her suspensory in a paddock accident
and devastation at the end of January to have it confirmed by a leg
scan that her riding days are over.
However is this
the face of a person that’s depressed by retirement…? (See photo right.)
I think not.
Rotorua Show was
Small Talks debut - just driving down there and having her stand quietly
was a major triumph! Unfortunately she was the only one in two of
her classes, in her other class she placed despite being most distracted
but no major diva moments so well pleased with her efforts.
At the NI Premier
Championship show a week later she warmed in beautifully, however
during the class she had a couple of very naughty outburst totally
out of character and in taking the saddle off as soon as we finished,
revealed a significant swelling had come up under her saddle so scratched
from all classes. Really not sure how, why or what was the cause as
both her and saddle have been fully  checked
out with no confirmed diagnosis. Anyhow true to form she’s now idling
her time in the paddock recovering from another minor misdemeanor
so I’m almost resigned that’s it for her for this show season and
well try it all again for her in 2008 - 2009!
The one redeeming
equine for the summer has to be Sir Ivor – although he did think he’d
join in with the girls and give himself a vet visit in the New Year
missing his first scheduled comps! But we were back on board beginning
of Feb and debuted at the Franklin / Pukekohe show mid Feb. What a
little star, 2nd in his 13.2 class and winner of his P&M and went
on to take the P&M Championship for the Novice Saddle Hunters 14.2
and under - if only he were 16 hands my dream dressage  horse
... alas he’s not and he’s going to have to find a home where a smaller
rider can enjoy his many talents.
Soleil d' Or gave
birth to a upstanding chestnut colt - so much for my pre ordered dark
brown filly, this is Sir Ivors first foal via frozen semen, conceived
on the first dose – big thanks to the team at Equibreed. He’s got
his Dads fantastic canter and high set neck, so once I got over the
mortification that he was orange with white socks I was well pleased.
Soleil d' Or will hopefully be coming out under saddle next season
as my Park Hack as the broodmare assignment at Skybury has been re-deployed
to Twist & Shout.
2007 Results
- Taranaki Dressage
Championship - Sherwood Twist and Shout Toklat Prelimary Challenge
5th
- NZ Hack and Pony
Council Premier Show - Taratanui Fantasy Movement Inhand Pony 3yrs
and under 2nd
- NZ Hack and Pony
Council Premier Show - Northbridge Nobility Inhand Show and Saddle
Hunter Inhand Pony 3yrs and under 3rd
- New Zealand Horse
of the Year - Northbridge Nobility Saddle Hunter Pony Inhand 3yrs
and under 2nd
- New Zealand Horse
of the Year - Sherwood Twist and Shout Preliminary Championship 7th
- Waikato – Devorow
Loving Memory Sport Horse Reserve Champion Youngstock
- Cambridge – Devorow
Loving Memory Sport Horse Reserve Champion Youngstock
- Taranaki Dressage
Championships – Sherwood Twist and Shout 4th Medium, 4th Mathews Hanoverians
Challenge
2006 Results
- NZ Hack and Pony
Council Premier Show - Sherwood Twist and Shout, Champion Newcomer
Paced and Mannered, Champion Newcomer Pony under 14.2 hh (148cm)
- New Zealand Horse
of the Year Sherwood Twist and Shout, Rising Star Division First Paced
and Mannered 138cm to 148cm, Rising Star of the Year 138cm to 148cm,
Rising Star of the Year 148 and under
- New Zealand Horse
of the Year Taratanui Fantasy, 3rd Two Year Old and 5th New Zealand
Riding Pony Youngstock Sash Three Years and Under.
Sherwood Twist
And Shout
2005 Results
- North Island
All Breeds Show - Taratanui Sir Ivor, Champion Youngstock, Supreme
Champion Saddle Hunter Pony
- Rotorua - Sherwood
Twist and Shout, Reserve Champion Ridden Novice Pony, Champion Adult
Inhand
- New Zealand Horse
of the Year - Taratanui Sir Ivor 4th New Zealand Inhand Pony Championship
- Royal Easter
Show - Sherwood Twist and Shout, Reserve Champion Paced and Mannered
Novice Pony, Champion Novice Ridden Pony
- Royal Spring
Show - Sherwood Twist and Shout Reserve Champion Ridden Novice Pony
- Royal Spring
Show - Northbridge Nobility, Reserve Champion Yearling
- Royal Spring
Show - Taratanui Fantasy, Reserve Champion Two Year Old
- Royal Spring
Show - Taratanui Sir Ivor Reserve Champion Pony Stallion
- Cambridge - Taratanui
Sir Ivor, Champion Adult inhand.
Sherwood Twist And Shout |
Taratanui Fantasy |
2004 Results
- Cambridge -
Taratanui Sir Ivor, Champion Youngstock, New Zealand Pony Breeders
Youngstock Sash, Supreme Champion Inhand Pony Exhibit.
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Skybury
Farm