Going the distance
Twins, Rachael and Sarah Rogerson and their mum, Mary, are very much a team when it comes to Endurance riding – although all three are very competitive! Follow Sarah’s blogs to find out how their season goes, and share their highs and lows
Meet Sarah
Sarah is 22 years old and comes from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. She has just finished a degree in Zoology at University of Leeds and is currently working in California, training endurance horses. When she returns to the UK, she is hoping to work towards a career in renewable energy, conservation and self-sufficiency. Other than the horses, her family has a small holding, with sheep, pigs and chickens. In any spare time she does have, she enjoys going out with friends, travelling and spending time with her family. So, what’s happening in her life right now?
“I’ve been crewing for my mum and her friends from as soon as I was tall enough to reach up with slosh bottles! Crewing involves being on the ground and meeting your riders at points along the way to provide drinks to both horse and rider and to slosh water over the horse – hence the name slosh bottles! This helps to keep the horse’s temperature down which will reduce his pulse rate. Being part of the crew means helping care for the horse after the ride, too, with the aim of reducing his heart rate as much as you can for the vetting.
“Right now, however, our own horses are on holiday and so are we! Well Rachael is on holiday but will be back soon to help Mum with the horses, while I currently have a winter job here in the USA working for top endurance rider, Dominique Freeman, training and competing in several rides."
Home sweet home
“Back at home we currently have 14 horses (three are competing) and another due to arrive for training when the weather starts to break. We have Rachael's horse Gryphon (Lori) who is very talented but accident prone; my horse CS Kabira who is currently working her way up to the senior team and international; my mum's horse Marlak Silver Flame who will start FEI this year after a rather late start in life; Tarkah who is a just backed 5yo and Faretta bint Chatanz (Alia) who we will have for training from Susan Mears. Other than that we have a 4-y-o filly (Amala), a 3-y-o colt (Warrens Hill Rubyn), a 3-y-o gelding (Indygo), three 2-y-o fillies (Azaleah, Sacchiya, Benjana), a yearling filly (Chernushka) and three broodmares (Warrens Hill Chanda, Magnolia and Sorrell, the latter two are in foal for this year).
“Our aims in endurance are to compete at the top level and to raise the youngsters with this in mind, either for ourselves or for sale at a suitable age. Our aims for this year are to qualify Lori and Kabira for the senior squad – Kabira maybe for Kentucky and Lori for another one closer to home – and hopefully either or both will go on a trip to France later in the summer. We hope Flame and Alia will work their way through some of the FEI qualification system and Tarkah may do some pleasure rides by the end of the year. The other hope is that I get selected for Kentucky on a horse that I have qualified over here in America, I will be riding him again at the end of the month in another 160 in Florida.
"That’s all for now – speak to you in a few weeks!"
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