Radincon is proud to reflect on a season that highlights everything that makes endurance such a special sport: good horses, thoughtful preparation, resilience, community spirit and a shared commitment to welfare. This year, sponsored rider Susan Woodward delivered a campaign defined not just by results, but by consistency and calm judgement across many different horses and courses.
A Season Built on Steady, Sensible Riding
Across NSW and Tasmania, Susan put together a season that balanced reliability with competitiveness. A vet-clean year is uncommon on its own; pairing it with podiums — and a win with Best Conditioned at Sassafras — shows how careful, welfare-first riding can still produce excellent outcomes.
Endurance has one guiding principle: to complete is to win.
Susan rides to that philosophy. She builds each ride around the horse she’s sitting on, not the clock. That approach kept every horse she rode this season safe, sound and able to come home well – which is exactly what Radincon is proud to support.
The Horses and the Team Behind Them
The season’s highlights were shaped heavily by strong partnerships — not only with Team Neilley Endurance, but also with the exceptionally professional team at OSO Arabians. Susan rode two OSO horses this year, including Silver Oso Solaris, whose successful 1* completion elevated her to 2* status and moved her another step forward in her international pathway. OSO’s horses are always beautifully prepared, and their streamlined professionalism makes every rider feel part of a winning system.
Many of Susan’s 2025 rides were also on Kalody Park White Feather (Fizz), a talented mare who requires thoughtful management. Fizz is prone to tying up, can drop condition quickly, and sometimes approaches competition with more relaxation than urgency — yet she brings generous heart and deep stamina when handled well.
Her owner and trainer, Kirsty Neilley, prepared her with care and precision. The shift to CEN Horse Nutrition across several of Kirsty’s competition horses made a clear difference in condition and metabolic steadiness, something Susan noticed in every CEN-fed horse she partnered with.
The Sassafras win – paired with Best Conditioned – was the product of all that groundwork, thoughtful preparation and team effort long before ride day.
Stepping Into International Endurance
This season also marked an important milestone: Susan completed two CEI 1* events under the FEI banner, riding Brookleigh Matisse and Silver Oso Solaris. These completions mean she begins next season as a 2* rider.
For readers less familiar with FEI competition:
The FEI is endurance’s international governing body. Its star system (1*, 2*, 3*) defines the pathway riders follow as they progress toward higher-level international events. While riders need to reach 3* level to be considered for World Championships, the 1* and 2* levels are key steps in building capability and experience.
Susan’s intention isn’t international selection – but the progression reflects a season of steady, thoughtful riding that stands up on any platform.
Courses, Communities and the Texture of a Season
The 2025 season stretched across a wide range of terrain – from the heat and dust of mainland tracks to the cold, sharp beauty of Tasmania. Sassafras, home of this year’s Tom Quilty course, challenged every rider. The long climbs, the steep Quilty Hill, the deep forests and endless puddles created a ride that demanded smart pacing and real grit. But the rewards were equal to the challenge: sunrises over the mountains, orchards heavy with colour, and trails that reminded everyone why endurance is addictive.
Along the way, Susan travelled with riders who shaped the season with humour, support and shared kilometres. Amelia Heafy steered Princess through a brilliant 160 until an unlucky late vet-out. Shane Neilley and his sensational Indy had their share of bad luck too – a reminder that endurance is unpredictable even with the best preparation.
What remained constant was the community: riders, volunteers, vets, organisers and committees who give the sport hundreds of hours and who make every start line possible. Radincon acknowledges the enormous work behind the scenes that keeps welfare front and centre.
How Results Look When Welfare Comes First
One of the most meaningful markers in Susan’s record is her long-term consistency. Of the 90 rides recorded in her career, only five have ended in a vet-out – a 94% completion rate, counting vet-outs only. This high rate across decades reflects a simple truth: steady pacing, careful reading of the horse, and conservative choices when necessary not only keep horses safe, but also support competitive performances.
Owners who want horses to go faster aren’t disadvantaged by this approach – Susan has shown repeatedly that a welfare-first philosophy can still deliver podiums, National-level wins and Best Conditioned awards.
Radincon’s Perspective
Radincon backs riders and teams who align with the company’s commitment to welfare, diagnostics and long-term soundness. This season, Susan and Team Neilley Endurance represented that ethos strongly. The presence of the Radincon Vets Choice Award rugs across Australia remains a highlight: each rug signals a horse that was cared for, monitored well and appreciated by officials.
Season 2025 showcased the very best of what endurance can be — thoughtful preparation, safe miles, competitive racing, strong partnerships, and a community that shows up for each other.
Radincon congratulates Susan Woodward, Kirsty and Shane Neilley, the owners who trust their horses to the sport, and every organiser, vet and volunteer who shaped the season.
Here’s to a 2026 season built on the same foundation: good horses, good people and the ongoing commitment to putting welfare first.
| State | Ride | Date | Div. | Horse | Place | Distance | Time | Km. | Points |
| TEERA | 2025 Build Tech Supplies P/L & TEERA State Champs | 29-11-2025 | MW | Kalody Park White Feather | 1 | 100.0km Elevator Endurance Ride | 07:29:14 | 100 | 8 |
| NSWERA | 2025 Matar & Bullio State Championships | 05-10-2025 | OP | Silver Oso Solaris | 4 | 100.0km One Star Open | 08:59:17 | 100 | 5 |
| NSWERA | Woodstock | 14-09-2025 | MW | Oso Kayla | 16 | 80.0km Endurance Ride | 07:13:04 | 80 | 1 |
| QERA (NSWERA-aff) | State Championships | 12-07-2025 | OP | Brookleigh Matisse | 10 | 100.0km One Star Open | 09:32:35 | 100 | 3 |
| NSWERA | Neville Endurance Ride | 22-06-2025 | LW | Glorious Me | 11 | 80.0km Endurance Ride | 07:23:47 | 80 | 1 |
| NSWERA | WillowVale Endurance Ride | 01-06-2025 | MW | Brookleigh Matisse | W/D on track L2 | 80.0km Endurance Ride | 00:00:00 | – | – |
| TEERA | Tom Quilty Gold Cup | 10-05-2025 | LW | Kalody Park White Feather | 1 | 160.0km Endurance Ride | 12:19:38 | 160 | 21 |
| TEERA | STER Easter | 19-04-2025 | LW | Shoo Fly | 9 | 80.0km Endurance Ride | 07:54:45 | 80 | 1 |
| TEERA | Kentish | 29-03-2025 | LW | Kalody Park White Feather | 1 | 80.0km Endurance Ride | 05:18:05 | 80 | 8 |
| NSWERA | Mountain Lagoon | 15-03-2025 | TR | Shardell Memphis | – | 40.0km Intermediate Ride | 03:45:31 | 40 | – |
| NSWERA | Scenic City Starter | 02-03-2025 | TR | Shellal Blue | – | 40.0km Intermediate Ride | 04:14:42 | 40 | – |
| TEERA | 3 Rivers | 22-02-2025 | MW | Shoo Fly | 9 | 80.0km Endurance Ride | 06:59:52 | 80 | 1 |
| NSWERA | Neville Trainers | 15-02-2025 | TR | Oxenbridge Invictus | – | 40.0km Intermediate Ride | 03:46:43 | 40 | – |
| TEERA | 3 Rivers | 01-02-2025 | LW | Kalody Park White Feather | 2 | 80.0km Endurance Ride | 05:47:32 | 80 | 5 |