Avoca Black Saint
Avoca Black Saint (or Ziggy as he's known to us) was purchased in 1991 as a 5yo. Initially he had been bred to showjump and that is also what we were purchasing him for. At that time we were members of the HRCAV and he was to begin his competition career with us there. He started in level 4 making his way through the grades in all three disciplines of dressage, showjumping & eventing. We put our 4 feet forward for all, but his talent ultimately lay in his dressage.
During this time we had also progressed into some EFA competitions we found the showjumping to be a little boring with just 1 horse so tried out eventing.... this also proved not to be his forte as it was just to difficult to get the time on the cross country on a horse with feathers. In 1995 he completed Wandin 2 day event and that was the last time he ever jumped. So dressage was to become his new career.
During the next 12 months he moved through the EFA grades quite quickly, in 1996 he was graded medium but just couldn't get his head around flying changes..... this took nearly to years. Once these were mastered he was once again on his way and in 1999 was graded FEI - Prix St george. In 2000 he represented Australia in the World Dressage Challenge and also represented Victoria at State and National level on a number of occasions.
In 2001 he made the final move to Grand Prix..... this being the ultimate of all rewards. By this time he had his own freestyle and he had learnt how to show off and he LOVED his job. He spent the next three years consolidating the Grand Prix movements and giving many people apart from myself much pleasure. In that time he competed at Equitana, the Sydney CDI, Dressage with the Stars and all State & National Championships. His final one being the National Championships 2004 at Werribee, at this competition he was placed Reserve Intermediare II Champion & Reserve Grand Prix Champion and also doing the best freestyle he had ever done.
This was to be his last competition..... He was ranked 6th in Australia and 131st in the World after this competition. What an achievement.
He is now 21 and retired, living the life of a gentleman out with all the babies...... and what a great uncle he has turned out to be.