Having just competed in the Carnivale  Australian Yabusame Tournament placing 3rd overall and 1st for Australia, Sophie prepares for her next Port Douglas event the inaugural Beach Picnic Races to be held on the 8th August on Four Mile Beach.

The Beach Picnic Races, the first of its kind for Port Douglas, will feature eight rounds across four horse breed categories with the top two place getters going through to the Cup Finals.

In between shifting boxes and furniture while relocating to her new home in Mowbray, Sophie Horman found some time to talk about her love of horses, show jumping, Grand Prix World Cup Level goals and how local horse events like Yabusame and Beach Picnic Races are important for our community.

“I have lived in Port for 9 years now and we’re building a house in Mowbray on 6 acres with plenty of room for the horses,” she said.

With a career in riding spanning 26 years, she recalls how from the tender age of four it was hard to get her off a horse.  “I learnt to ride in England in Pony Club and doing hunting and show jumping.  I have grown up with horses and the one time when I didn’t have a horse was when I first moved to Port Douglas and it felt like something was missing,” she recalls.

“I currently have 4 horses. My daughter has her pony, I have my grey Mare Asher, whose show name is Cool Cruising and comes from incredible breeding from Sydney.  I have a legend grandsire’s younger half brother who is two years called Cruise and his show name is Cruise Director but he won’t be broken in for a couple of years.  And then a young warm blood horse called Foxtrot. I am creating a performance horse team,” she comments.

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Reflecting that her Yabusame third overall placing and first placing for Australia wins were very proud moments, the overall Yabusame experience was “such great fun, it’s a great sport and a great group of friends.  Everyone is encouraging.”  Having competed only in the Yabusame Tournament in Port Douglas the last two years she has no immediate plans to compete elsewhere “but if the opportunity came up it would be awesome,” she said excitedly.

Sophie gives credit to organiser Katrina Kruse for bringing competitors from across the world to come together to compete here in Port Douglas. To prepare for such an event Sophie explained the training required in order to be ready to compete in the Yabusame competition.

“Katrina holds camps and competitions in archery practice to improve your skills against other riders.  Three weeks before the event we have intensive training on the horses to get them fit and also one week before, when the international riders arrive, we train together.  The day before the event we have practice runs on the beach so that the horses get use it.”

In between Yabusuame and the Picnic Races Sophie competes in FNQ show jumping which is her main focus while she creates a performance team and then would like to head south next year where there is huge potential for her favorite grey mare Asher with bigger runs for the horses. “My goal is to build my horse up to Grand Prix World Cup Level,” Sophie said.

With the Beach Picnic Races just around the corner Sophie expressed that it was her close friendship with organiser Katrina that influenced her to become involved.  “As a rider in the Mowbray area it nice to have these types of events going on otherwise you have to travel to different areas to compete.  It is great that Katrina brings these events here,” she said.

Sophie said the horse community have embraced these events with such enthusiasm. “It is great to get out for the day and have fun and show off your horse and it brings people in the area together and it is a great great day out for all.”

Sophie will be competing in the Beach Picnic Races but not with her beloved Asher.  “She is still in full training for show jumping and I want her to focus on that, otherwise she will get too excited.  Show jumping is calm and collective.  I will be riding in the Heavy Horse Breed Category on Kim Joseph’s black Clydesdale called Nigella Lawson, she loves to eat,” Sophie says with a laugh.

“Training is required for this event and the idea is to build up the horses stamina by riding and galloping on and off over time to get the fitness up of the horse,” she said.

Sophie’s love and connection to her horses is evident. “They are my best friends, my world.  I live and breath for them, they are what I have based my whole life on and they bring so much joy and peace and it’s a very special connection with such an amazing animal,” she says with such sincerity.

They plan to extend that love of horses to all animals on the new property. “Animals have been a part of our life,” she says.

With the Beach Picnic Races are just around the corner be sure to mark 8th August into your calendar.  Tickets can be purchased on line.

http://beachpicnicraces.com.au/