OXNEAD SUNLIGHT

Sunlight gained her place in the Lifetime Ridden Performance Awards by gaining:-
Category 1 – a win in the ridden.
Category 2 –a win in show jumping.
Category 3 – a win in RDA.

Sunlight’s sire Alpine was imported from Tyrol in 1989.  He has sired numerous performance horses.  Her dam Sapphire is a daughter of Oxnead Signorita, who has been a successful performance horse.  Sapphire was injured early in her life and remained un-ridden.

Sunlight’s story
Oxnead Sunlight or ‘Crabby’ as she is called at home is 14.31/2 h.h. mare and is my horse of a lifetime.  She was awarded 78 points at the inspections, and was the first name to appear on the Simon Shield. 

She has a very strong character, and it has been that character, that got her through her ordeal after the 2004 breed show, when she became quite ill.  She was admitted to Rossdales in Newmarket, as they thought that she had got ‘Wobblers syndrome’, which if that was the case then she would have to be put down.  She had a lot of blood tests taken and then had to have a bone scan, which resulted in her having to stay a week.  The result was that she had got a hot spot in her neck, probably arthritis and that she had contracted a virus which had attracted Crabby’s nervous system so much that she had lost all her co-ordination.  She was on box rest for a total of 8 months, before the vets thought she was safe enough to go out to graze.

Never once did Crabby show any signs of nastiness, whilst she had to have her daily medication of antibiotics and steroids, the virus has still left her with a wired gait, which is hard to describe.  I still decided to take her to the 2005 Breed Show, in which she did quite well in her classes, and even got the Young Riders Ridden Reserve Champion.  I will admit a few tears were shed in the stable with Crabby.  She also got the same award in 2006, but in 2007, she managed to get the young riders Champion. 

Crabby was on maternity leave last year, which she gave me a very special filly called Bembrook Sunrise, or ‘Missy’ as she is called at home.  My life has changed a lot last year, when I lost my ability to walk, so have had a long road ahead of me, learning to walk.  I am having lessons learning how to ride again at my local RDA centre, and if things go according to plan, and hoping to bring Crabby to the Breed Show in 2009.

I hope to see everyone there.
Tanya Ellis

PHOTOS

 

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