{"id":22121,"date":"2015-05-27T16:08:17","date_gmt":"2015-05-27T06:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=22121"},"modified":"2017-02-10T10:57:49","modified_gmt":"2017-02-09T23:57:49","slug":"tally-goes-to-melbourne-3de-part-3-more-course-walks-and-more-reality-checks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2015\/05\/tally-goes-to-melbourne-3de-part-3-more-course-walks-and-more-reality-checks\/","title":{"rendered":"Tally goes to Melbourne 3DE: Part 3 \u2013 More course walks&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Part one:<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"BeCB8ERqwX\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2015\/03\/tally-goes-to-melbourne-3de-part-one\/\">Tally goes to Melbourne 3DE: Part One<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Tally goes to Melbourne 3DE: Part One&#8221; &#8212; The Horse Magazine\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2015\/03\/tally-goes-to-melbourne-3de-part-one\/embed\/#?secret=MCcVrLIfbo#?secret=BeCB8ERqwX\" data-secret=\"BeCB8ERqwX\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Part two:<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"MigAmye8Kt\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2015\/04\/tally-goes-to-melbourne-3de-part-2-walking-the-course\/\">Tally goes to Melbourne 3DE: Part 2 \u2013 Walking the Course<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Tally goes to Melbourne 3DE: Part 2 \u2013 Walking the Course&#8221; &#8212; The Horse Magazine\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2015\/04\/tally-goes-to-melbourne-3de-part-2-walking-the-course\/embed\/#?secret=9PnMIelswq#?secret=MigAmye8Kt\" data-secret=\"MigAmye8Kt\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IntroMansion.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22129\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IntroMansion.jpg\" alt=\"IntroMansion\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IntroMansion.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IntroMansion-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IntroMansion-449x300.jpg 449w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a>Story by Chris Hector &amp; Photos by Roz Neave<\/h3>\n<p>Here we are with 19 year old Tallara Barwick and her coach, Christine Bates, walking the one star course at the Melbourne International Three Day Event. We are half way around the track, with Christine keeping up a running commentary as she explains how her pupil should attack the fences. We have come out of the second water and we are heading for some planks in the Camel Paddock:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/1batesWalking.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22122\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/1batesWalking.jpg\" alt=\"1batesWalking\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/1batesWalking.jpg 333w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/1batesWalking-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 13 &#8211; A frame upright palisade<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is quite a nice turn, keep your canter strong. The fence is vertical enough and to the horse, it is another drop landing. You\u2019ve got a bit of a rise up to it before they see it is not a drop. Keep her head up, you want to set up for this fence, but not over-do it. It is quite straightforward, doesn\u2019t have a drop landing \u2013 stay positive coming up to it, because back here, they are going to think it is a drop. Be expecting to feel a \u2018oh oh what\u2019s coming\u2019 and be ready to say \u2018no it is alright, go\u2019. Fang and the horse will leave a leg. You need to organize. Out of the water, and have a forward nice positive confident jump. It\u2019s a bit of a let up fence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And Christine was never going to let Tally forget that the name of the game, was watch your time:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis area here, the log drop, the water, the turn back, the vertical, that could be a little slow. The moment you jump the vertical, GO \u2013 get back to your 520 metres a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 14 &#8211; Big oxer maximum height for One Star<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor this fence you can have a nice good gallop, 20 metres out sit up a little, I want to catch this out of my stride. I don\u2019t want to make it any more complicated than it is. It is a lovely log oxer. So don\u2019t get in her face, just keep travelling around this turn\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Number 15 &#8211; Roll Top<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would get right on your fence line, and probably now I would be just thinking, hey Cruising, there\u2019s a turn coming up, make sure she is with you, make sure she is listening so you don\u2019t have to make it a big thing, so you can get a nice turn. You can put a bit of an angle on the jump, but don\u2019t take a cheap risk. Don\u2019t be disorganized off your turn and then think, oh hell this is too much angle.<\/p>\n<p>You still give it the respect that it needs because you are jumping it on an angle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWalking from this side, I\u2019d say we\u2019ll go to the right, I might change my mind when I get up next to the fence. You walk the course, seeing how you are going to ride each fence, how you are going to set up each fence, know where your minute markers are \u2013 I want you to be able to do your final course walk and it is all automatic \u2013 this is what I am aiming at.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you walk the course you always have a picture of how the fence is going to ride, but I always like to have in my mind, well the horse might do this because of the type of fence it is and I am going to be ready for that reaction. I always have plan A, but I always have a plan B in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor example she could jump into that water and stall a bit, yet I am not going to lose my position. I want you to think as you walk around, how your position is going to be affected each jump, so by the time you ride cross country it is so in your head, that it happens automatically.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/3Bates16.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22123\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/3Bates16.jpg\" alt=\"3Bates16\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/3Bates16.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/3Bates16-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/3Bates16-449x300.jpg 449w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 16 &#8211; Left corner Apex<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is always good when you have a long gallop to a related fence, to have your marker. Say to yourself &#8211; I am going to that tree to set myself up. Here is where I need to be thinking \u2018organize\u2019. I would keep galloping to this tree, as I go past the tree I would be thinking, \u2018come here, sharpen, there\u2019s my line\u2019 Right I am going to jump straight down there \u2013 she has plenty of time to see the line, and you have also given her plenty of time to get a good distance to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s two apexes and so it comes back to the whole technicality side of riding. If you get too in-their-face and backward, you take her eye off it. She\u2019s great with apexes, she is always good with the accuracy fences but it is the same thing \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have good distance, good canter, and you must be straight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 17 &#8211; Left corner Apex<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you jump the first apex very big and a bit open, this is going to ride a bit short on the five strides, this far round the course they are going to be taking a bigger stride, so be aware of that. Being her size, it is not going to ride short but it is certainly not going to ride long either. It depends how you jump in, how your five is going to come out. You are going to jump this middle to middle. You are not going to put a curve on it. This is not how you should jump this apex correctly, you should be jumping across the middle of the apex, but we are actually jumping quite straight. It is not tall, it is not wide, it is just a matter of holding the line and getting the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 18 &#8211; Log oxer, maximum height<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cLand after that oxer, don\u2019t waste time, get motoring again, watch this turn it is really clayey, it\u2019s a fence that is in the trees, it could be a bit darker depending on the weather. Sunday morning on your last course walk, be looking where the shade is, where it is slippery \u2013 you need to know that like you know your fences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a straight forward oxer but it is going to be a little in the shade, make sure you get her eye on it. Before the turn, and as you are coming through the turn, you will be balanced and able to ride forward to the oxer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you measure your course, you are not measuring how you would ride it, you are measuring it how the course designer has designed it. Melbourne is renowned for having tight cross country times, so even if when you are measuring you think, this is an impossible line, you\u2019ve got to measure it like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 19 &#8211; Ascending oxer, house<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a very straight forward fence but in saying that, don\u2019t gallop like a banshee and have a big miss. It is still a fence, you are still not through the finish flags, as far as I am concerned, each fence is given respect until you are through the finish lines. Golden rule, no matter how straightforward it is, give it respect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/7TallyMansion5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22124\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/7TallyMansion5.jpg\" alt=\"7TallyMansion5\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/7TallyMansion5.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/7TallyMansion5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/7TallyMansion5-449x300.jpg 449w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 20 &#8211; Roll top wagon<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s relatively straight forward, same sort of advice as the last fence. It\u2019s still a fence. Make sure it\u2019s jumped well, but don\u2019t waste unnecessary time over setting up. Organizing through your turn then you should be able to keep travelling to your fence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Through the trees to Fence 21a, roll top, and curving line to 21b, another roll top<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Suddenly in the beautiful setting of the Mansion formal garden we have what is probably the trickiest fence on the course, a related pair of fences, on a curving line, and under the trees\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does the distance walk? I would imagine that we are going to have to be out quite wide. Before we go to where we\u2019ll set up, I want to walk the distances. If it was on the right rein, I\u2019d say you can\u2019t curve it, but being on the left, she does turn well. So we jump it right of centre, it\u2019s very jumpable, if I was on her I would jump it on the two, but I don\u2019t think you have jumped enough of these in training or competition. We are getting to the end of the course, you would be very disappointed if you had a silly 20 here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere I would rather play safe. You\u2019ve got to get to this fence and give her the feeling that you are landing and going left. If you are too straight and then go to turn, she is sometimes a little slow to react, or she does the opposite and over-reacts. I\u2019d go to the rider\u2019s rep and ask if the tree can be tied up or something to get it out of the way. It probably won\u2019t happen but there is no harm in asking. I\u2019d say they have left the tree like that for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d probably want my left shoulder brushing under the tree, you need quite a short, connected canter, a canter where she is thinking what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go? Be careful with that because she can in that situation get aggressive, I don\u2019t want her landing and grabbing the bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/8Runoutaftermansion.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22125\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/8Runoutaftermansion.jpg\" alt=\"8Runoutaftermansion\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/8Runoutaftermansion.jpg 333w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/8Runoutaftermansion-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTry and have her as relaxed and rideable as possible at the first part. If you ride on that line, the three won\u2019t be short. You probably won\u2019t end up putting as much curve on it as I just did walking it. Remember how we jumped through the angles at home \u2013 the first time, you really had to ride, whereas the more you did it, it came easier. This should give you the same sort of feeling, that you are going to set it up, and you will probably land, take a stride, and think \u2018there it is\u2019, GO.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is imperative that at the first one you get the pace right, and the line right. You\u2019ve had three very simple straight forward fences, now you have a combination, make sure you set her up to read those two logs. The three straight forward fences can put your horse in the mind set, oh we are cruising along, travelling nicely, then all of a sudden \u2013 bang \u2013 you\u2019ve got quite a technical fence. So don\u2019t get caught ou\u00adt being disorganized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/9RoseGardenBrush.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22126\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/9RoseGardenBrush.jpg\" alt=\"9RoseGardenBrush\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/9RoseGardenBrush.jpg 333w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/9RoseGardenBrush-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 22 &#8211; In the Rose Garden, Paradubice, brush with big apron<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy now she may be tired. She shouldn\u2019t be because she has done a lot of miles. Be aware that when they are tired, their reaction time is not as quick as it should be. The horse is probably not as on the job as when you first started. This is another beautifully presented fence, nice brush steeplechase fence but don\u2019t get long and flat to this because they are getting a bit tired. It is more important now to have them a bit organized and hold them together. Don\u2019t get long reins and start losing your position.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Rose Garden is always very slow on your time, you ride as quickly as you can, but I guarantee you\u2019ll come out of the Rose Garden a little down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWatch your turns, especially through gates, keep your outside rein, keep balanced, but stay travelling. Don\u2019t get into the mind-set of \u2018I\u2019m down on time\u2019, and start flapping reins and legs, you\u2019ve got to keep them together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have done a really nice job with the course, it definitely encourages the horse to stay jumping, to stay confident. Certainly there are a few fences that will catch out a green rider or a green horse, but overall for a three day track it is brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/10Table.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22127\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/10Table.jpg\" alt=\"10Table\" width=\"334\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/10Table.jpg 334w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/10Table-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 23 &#8211; Tabletop<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a right turn, make sure you don\u2019t let her drift left over it. You want to make sure you jump this and land heading towards the gate. Don\u2019t cut the corner so you are heading to the left when you need to be going to the right. Get the turn and set her up, then you can ride straight and land and go. I think the little slope makes a difference.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 24 &#8211; Big log<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is a straight forward log, it is near the end, they are going to be tired, still give it respect, set up for it, don\u2019t just come hooting around the corner and go \u2018oh that distance is good enough\u2019 \u2013 you\u2019ve got to have good jumps right the way through the course.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/11LastFence.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22128\" src=\"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/11LastFence.jpg\" alt=\"11LastFence\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/11LastFence.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/11LastFence-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/11LastFence-449x300.jpg 449w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fence 25 &#8211; Weatherbeeta ascending oxer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Land, turn, and the same to the last, it is a straight forward fence, but it is not over until you go through those finish flags. Don\u2019t spoil a good round with two shockers because you are going for time, and you end up flat out and not riding professionally at the end of the course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the end of all that, with her two runouts for 20 jumping penalties and her 3.6 time, Tally had slipped down the leaderboard, but she was able to come out the next morning and jump clear with just two time faults to finish her first One Star Three Day Event in 34th place.<\/p>\n<p>Not that Christine was giving her pupil any less of a hard time:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe actually show jumped clear and the mare jumped well. I think Tally was probably quite disappointed with the way she rode. She got a little backward but that\u2019s a trap of riding indoors for the first time, usually the first thing that happens is that you start to get backwards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe pulled off a clear round, purely because the mare is careful, and Tally did try to resurrect what was going wrong. I was probably tough on her when I said at the finish \u2018good thing your horse is careful\u2019. They\u2019ve got to learn that it is tough coming up the grades and there is no point in my being nice to her, she\u2019s here to learn. I think she has probably learned more in the last week than in her whole riding career, about how to ride at a three day and the professionalism and dedication that it takes. It is quite different to a One Day Event, there\u2019s a lot more pressure, and she came here off a win at Coffs Harbour and that put on a bit more pressure, plus the fact she is riding one of my horses and I came to coach her. It\u2019s a big ask for her, but she\u2019s got big shoulders, she always has a smile on her face and that\u2019s what makes her such a great kid to teach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And I hope by now you will have some feel not just of Christine Bates and her insight and coaching style, but something of Tally\u2019s good natured determination. She realises that if Christine gives her a blast, it is to teach her something, and that the way to the top is not an easy path.<\/p>\n<p>Still\u2026 that\u2019s pretty rough \u2013 you jump a clear round showjumping and you still get bawled out?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe is good, I guess I just got what I deserved, Christine just wants me to ride the best I can, and even though the horse jumped clear, I didn\u2019t ride it as well as I should have. You\u2019ve got to be happy with that I guess \u2013 people say, well you left all the rails up and that\u2019s what counts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So how do you feel about Melbourne 3DE 2005?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it was the most successful weekend I\u2019ve ever had, but definitely, big learning curve. It\u2019s the first big competition I\u2019ve been to. I finished and I didn\u2019t fall off or do anything too wild, so I\u2019ve got to be happy with that \u2013 but better luck next time. The worst thing is the thought of doing it in front of all The Horse Magazine readers!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I am prepared to bet, that our readers will be seeing more of Tally in the future, because she has what it takes to make the grade, and the help of one of Australia\u2019s smartest trainers. Our thanks to both Christine and Tally for their patience and kindness in letting us intrude on a fairly stressful few days. I hope our readers get as much out of this series of articles as we have all put into making them.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Christine\u2019s Story: the journey to the East<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When did you decide to move from Western Australia?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had done a couple of trips east \u2013 Naracoorte Young Riders when I was fifteen, the Pony Club champs, in \u201893 I went to Gawler and Werribee. At the beginning of 94 I bought Masterprint over for the one star at Lochinvar and decided that this is where I wanted to be, drove the truck home, and a month later packed the truck with all my gear and drove back to Sydney and moved to Prue and Craig Barratt\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore I went to Prue and Craig I probably had good jumping basics from Fiona Johns, then later I had a few lessons from David Dobson, always attending showjumping clinics \u2013 Chris Chugg, Gavin Chester, Colleen Brook. One thing about Perth, they are always able to get good people over to teach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a lot of showjumping experience, but I could not ride dressage to save myself. It was a running joke at Prue and Craig\u2019s, for the first six months I was there I was not allowed to do any rising trot because I was so bad, I could not sit the trot. If it wasn\u2019t for those two, I wouldn\u2019t be able to ride dressage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom that it has grown. Being based at George Sanna\u2019s for seven years, and for the last couple I\u2019ve had Rachael Sanna to ask lots of questions and watch her \u2013 and having Roger Fitzhardinge there was always a huge help. More recently there\u2019s been the squad schools at Horsley Park. Much as I would have liked to get back to Prue and Craig more, at least I\u2019ve had a little bit of straight dressage influence. I always felt that was my weakness, dressage, whereas now it is probably one of my strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom a coaching point of view I love teaching the dressage especially when it gets to this sort of situation \u2013 a week out of Melbourne, and really being able to focus of riding the test. A lot of people won\u2019t teach you that, it is all very well to teach classical riding, and I am sure there are people out there who ride and school their horses better than me, but I\u2019ve learnt to train my horses in a way that I know I can get maximum marks out of them in the test situation. I think that\u2019s probably where a lot of people will let themselves down \u2013 actually riding the test.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Are you a coach or a rider these days?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really would like to see myself as a rider, but with the new property move, we really wanted to get this set up and running. Tally really wanted to come and work with us, and a bit of an incentive was that I would give her Devine Story to ride, which has taken away my intermediate ride, and because of the move, I\u2019d given I\u2019m a Skite to Chris Burton to compete, so all of a sudden I didn\u2019t have any horses, but I didn\u2019t really have the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince Tally started I\u2019ve been back into it, but I am just a bit horseless at the moment. I don\u2019t see the point in competing in this sport unless you are sitting on something that is really really good, it\u2019s too expensive, it\u2019s too time consuming, I\u2019m looking for horses to go eventing again because as much as I love coaching, I really want to be a rider.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first published in THM December 2005.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>There are more articles with Christine right here:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Y2OJTqXK77\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/whos-who\/bates-christine\/\">Bates, Christine<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Bates, Christine&#8221; &#8212; The Horse Magazine\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/whos-who\/bates-christine\/embed\/#?secret=SK4vhkGG66#?secret=Y2OJTqXK77\" data-secret=\"Y2OJTqXK77\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eventing trainer Christine Bates walks the cross country course with her pupil, Tallara Barwick&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[962,816,73,1140],"class_list":["post-22121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eventing","tag-christine-bates","tag-cross-country-training","tag-eventing-training","tag-tallara-barwick"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22121"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32481,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22121\/revisions\/32481"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}