September 09

Well the later part of August and certainly up until mid September has been filled with plenty of excitement, action and interest at the club. (Mind you isn't it always , it's just that the last 4 weeks have been more hectic than usual!!!)

Overseas visitors, coaches & trainers from a number of differing Wellinton region disciplines joining with our club coaches to train horses, dogs and vaulters. Top international Dressage Coach Bill Noble visited and held a two day coaching course and as can be seen above, all the way from Argentina, two very talented acrobats have joined us for a few months. Virginia & Rodrigo (see pics above & below) are staying with us at the club to assist in developing and broadening the vaulters skills in preparation for the clubs 31st October Halloween & Circus show and will also perform with our vaulters in the show. Ultimately we hope this extra specialist training will help increase skill levels to enhance the clubs team chances at the World Equestrian Games next year in Kentucky USA!!! 

Viginia Molina is from Buenos Aires and did in fact vault for three years before starting her career in Circus acrobatics. Virginia trained at La Arena circus school for three years, participated in various shows and in 2003 travelled to Belgium to study at the famous Circus School "Esac' where she specialised in trapeze work. After two years in various roles in different theatres, cities and countries she met Rodrigo and they formed their own company and decided to travel to NZ. They have performed with the Loons Company in the Chrischurch Arts Festival and Circus Proms with the Wellington Circus Trust.

Rodrigo Oses is from Heuquen in Argentina and also trained at La arena, specilising in the "Chinese Pole' Rodrigo's first show was "Carambola" in which he performed and travelled for 2 years in various theatres,cities and countries. 2006 saw him in the show "Sanos y Salvos" directed by Gerardo Hochman and again spent two more years touring in various countries. 2008 he performed in the show "La Vuelta Al Mundo" and in the same year set up his own company in partnership with Virginia and travelled to NZ!

Fortunately for the club, Debroha Pope an enthusiastic club supporter and well known Wellington coach & organiser in the acrobatic performing arts and entertainment area introduced us to Virginia and Rodrigo and here they are!!! Thanks again Debroha they are just fantastic.

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  Learning these extra skills isn't easy as most of the vaulters will attest to, but everyone is enjoying the experience. Virginia and Rodrigo teaching trapeze, rings and pole and Mason from Wellington's Circus trust teaching silks and acrobatics. Mason has been a constant supporter of the club, is an excellent coach and has continued during the year training acrobatic skills more aligned to vaulting. So it has been a pretty full on few weeks and add to that the pressure of knowing that in 6 weeks the club will be putting on what we hope will be a fantastic 1.5 hour Circus and Vaulting Halloween show!!! you will get a fair idea that some are feeling the heat...............

So let's have a look at some of the early attempts at the "pole"

 Getting the feel of the trapeze!

Silks are a bit more of a challenge! 

Mason passing on his skills working with "Silks" and tumbling.

BILL NOBLE Coaching Clinic

One of the real highlights for Dressage competitors in our region was the visit by "Bill Noble" one of this countries best known Dressage competitors and coaches. Bill held a two day coaching clinic at the club and riders from as far afield as Masterton and Palmerston North took the opportunity to gain the benefit of his knowledge & skills. Bill Noble was born in Herefordshire in the UK and moved to New Zealand in 1998 after commuting between the two countries became to much to bear. Bill currently lives in Hamilton. Bill competed Internationally from the Uk, has trained 15 horses to Grand Prix standard, trained "Wily Imp" for the British Olympic Team for  the Seoul Olympics riden by "Trish Gardner". He has been four times winner of Dressage at the Horse of The Year Show in Hastings and currently continues his insatiable interest in the sport, training and coaching in the UK, Australia, Spain and of course here in New Zealand. The two day clinic was fully booked and proved to be a real success. The club will arrange further clinics and will advise interested parties when dates have been finalised. Should anyone wish further information or to be included in the mailing list contact Catarina 021 464009, Lyn 04 9048495 or call down to the club.

WHAT ELSE?? 

Well there is more, but time and patience has all but run out, but I will add just a couple more pics as they are deserving. 

Anne Barton from Germany came and stayed for a couple of weekends as she, like so many others who have passed our way "just happened" to know someone who knew someone, who knew someone in Germany who knew of our club and as Anne (who is a Vet) was attending a veterinary course at Massey University in Palmerston North for a couple of weeks thought it was a great opportunity to contact us and did so and as is always the case we were able to learn a little more from yet another European vaulting contact. Thanks Anne great to have met you, safe trip home.

      And last but by no means least....George Goldie 

The club was very lucky last week to have had a huge number of plants gifted to it by "Liddles" a local Waikanae garden centre and for their generosity we are extremely grateful.  However the next problem was getting them planted as the land at the club is almost 100% river bed rock and digging by hand almost impossible....so to the rescue "George Goldie and family" with their specialised digger and man and woman power within two days we had most of the main trees, shrubs and hedges in the ground!!! 

The grounds as a result are looking superb and when the trees get established they will afford some protection from the wind  and certainly make for a really neat place to enjoy the summer evenings over a lemonade or two.

Great effort the Goldie family your support and involvement with the club is really really appreciated. Thank you again.