Vinny is showing he is just not your one-trick pony.
In his life after racing the now Art Major nine-year-old started out as a dressage horse, then moved into eventing and most recently he’s been displaying his skills (and stamina) in CTR (Competitive Trailing Riding).
Vinny started life as Dream Major, a half brother to such stars as Amazing Dream and Chase The Dream. He won his debut in 2018 by three lengths and had one more start before retired with a knee injury.
Kat Gardiner acquired Vinny as a four-year-old after thinkin he looked “cute”.
A truck driver by professional, Gardiner has had upwards of a dozen standardbreds over the years and lives on a four hectare block at Cust in North Canterbury.
Dressage was where the duo excelled initially.
“At the Festival of Future Stars in 2020 we competed in the five-year-old Young Dressage Horse classes and had lots of lovely comments from the judges,” says Gardiner.
“We also competed level 2 at that event where we finished Reserve Champion Non Graded.”
After that it was onto eventing.
“We managed some firsts and seconds in our first season against all breeds, after that we stepped up to 65cm where we managed to place in most of our starts the following season.”
Now they have gone to 80cm.
Over Easter this year they competed at the National Jones Steel Ltd and Hinterland 3DE (Three Day Eventing) Championships at the Dunstan Horsefeeds National Equestrian Centre at McLeans Island in Christchurch.
“Vinny got really excited on day one as he anticipated the jumping so our dressage test suffered quite badly. But my goodness did he make up for it in the jumping. By day three we had climbed 14 places after a lovely clean, clear, inside the time on the cross country round.”
She was in the 80cm Open and of the 34 starters she finished 21st.
As well as their efforts in the show ring Vinny and Gardiner have also branched out into doing endurance events.
“We stepped up to 40km rides where he’s been doing really well. And then I was talked into doing an 80km endurance elevator ride.”
This is designed to test endurance through a series of efforts at different intensity.
“Our ride was one 40km loop then two 20km loops with 40 minutes between.”
“It was an amazing feeling crossing that finish line and getting him through his final vetting. And the support and cheers coming from everyone when he vetted through was so good.”
Anzac weekend saw the pair head to Marlborough for the Endurance and CTR Nationals where they entered the 60 kilometre event.
“We had an optimum time of five hours to do it. Vinny happily trotted and cantered the first 40km in just a short three hours.”
“We then had two hours to get around the 20km. We got six time faults for being early.”
“We placed second in the class and we won HRNZ Best Performed Standardbred out of everyone.”
“I was beyond proud of him and I can’t wait for the new season.”
