Nicole Blanks' #RoadtoRio after a first place in the 2015 Saddleword Dressage Festival
We have met Nicole at the 2015 Saddleword Dressage Festival, after a win yesterday in the Para-equestrian Grade IV Team Test. Positive young woman despite recent obstacles with her horse injured, she is sharing with us her latest news ...
Recent results
I have had a lot of whack at the last three recent Boneo Para-equestrian competitions. I have won the three star international one in January, the July competition and the spring championships. Every time I go out I am improving in the ring. I have had two different horses for these competitions and it is just good to be able to go out on whatever horse I am riding and get good scores. In September, on a horse I had only been riding for two weeks, I got pretty close to my PB (personal best score) so that’s was really nice.
A horse that will bring her to Brazil
My good horse unfortunately is going to have six months out so he won’t be fit for Rio. At the moment at this competition I am riding a lovely horse, Rangemore Mikardo who has been lent to me by Jenny Johnston, with the help of my coach Maree Tomkinson. I have had only five rides on him before this week so fingers crossed we get improving and then get selected!
Nicole's Road to Rio
My #RoadtoRio at the moment has been quite rocky because I had to find a horse with my 2014 WEG horse, Vledder, being injured. He injured himself, was on the way to recovery but the vets said “look it will be better if you give him six month off so he can get a really got chance of recovering ”. He took me to WEG, he doesn’t owe us anything, we decided to put his welfare first and give him these six month off, he comes first. So the last ten days we’ve been trying to find a horse for the selections event and for the road to Rio. It has made it quite tough but fortunately I got the ride on ‘Mik’.
2015 Saddleworld Dressage Festival
I was really pleased with him on this first day of competition (Nicole finished first with 64.325%). We went round, we did a test with no mistakes, he tried really hard for me … I cannot ask for much more! I would like to get a higher score today. I am hoping that with more technical work today we can increase our marks and … well … we need to get a qualifying score of 67% so if I can get a 67 this afternoon I would be pretty happy!
The Paralympic Dream
I think WEG is incredible but the Paralympic Games is a totally different level. In the equestrian community WEG is huge but the rest of the world doesn’t know it whereas the Paralympics is “Wow”! Being there, representing Australia would be incredible.
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