2022 was endurance rider Susan Woodward‘s first season being supported by Radincon, and she did exceptionally well.
The very first ride of the season in January was the Scenic City Starter, organised by the ACT Endurance Riders Association in Canberra. Susan rode this eventful 40km training ride for Castlebar Endurance Team on their stunning youngster, Castlebar Conquistador.
Fast forward to March and it was off to Victoria to ride for LN Arabians on their beautiful chestnut mare Alzarah for a 13th Lightweight Place in the 80km. Susan met with Ellen, owner and principal trainer at LN Arabians, which resulted in an invitation to campaign Ellen’s experienced 160km mare Castlebar What’s the Goss (“Goss”) in an attempt to complete Susan’s first Tom Quilty Gold Cup event.
The Quilty is Australia’s premier endurance riding event. Susan needed to complete a 160km ride before she could even qualify to enter the event. Luckily, the Facebook endurance network came to the rescue. She scored an invitation to Tasmania to ride the unusually coloured horse – Kalody Park White Feather (“Fizz”) – a cremello part bred Arabian. It was the first attempt at the championship distance for both horse and rider. Not only did they finish – but they were first Lightweight and judged Best Conditioned in that event! The photo at the top of this post, taken by Jon Marriott of Radincon, shows Susan with Fizz, who is wearing the ‘Best Conditioned’ rug.
The big test for the year came in July when Susan partnered with Castlebar What’s the Goss for the third time, trying for Susan’s first and Goss’s second Tom Quilty buckle. Central Ranges Endurance Club hosted the race at the Tooraweenah Endurance Club, and set a challenging, but fair championship course. After a nail biting wait for the nod from the vet, Goss was given the thumbs up for a successful completion, becoming the 10th Lightweight over the line.
The season ended on a high with another trip to Tasmania, this time to ride Fizz’s stablemate Woodsong Princess Barbie in the Tasmanian State Championships. Once again Susan and her horse achieved a successful completion. They also took the 2nd Lightweight position.
A record of 100% successful completions made 2022 Susan’s most successful endurance riding season since she started competing in the 1980s.
Results
National AERA Competition
13th Lightweight points and distance rider with 963km and 53.50 points
NSWERA Competition
- 15th Lightweight distance rider with 563km
- 19th Lightweight points rider with 20 points
Photo credit Jon Marriott