
Rebel is riding high on Casper
EVENTING: After starting the career of her 2004 Olympic horse at Morgan Park, Rebel Morrow hopes she will be riding a future Olympic horse at Morgan Park, Warwick, this weekend.
She will be on board the Pam McGarrigle-owned Ivy Bank Casper in two-star at the Ace Earthworx Ltd International One-Day Event.
There will be 200 horse-and-rider combinations in action at Morgan Park this weekend with dressage today and cross country and show jumping tomorrow.
Morrow, who hails from Mt Cotton, was 11th and best placed of the Australians at the Athens Olympics on Oaklea Groover.
"Morgan Park is one of the courses where I started the career of Oaklea Groover; there is a lot of sentimental value for me to ride in Warwick," Morrow said.
"I like the natural bushland of the Warwick cross country course."
She and Pam's daughter Emma have both ridden Casper in competition.
Morrow has been riding the horse for the past three years and will move him up to three-star competition in Sydney later this year.
"I missed the boat for this year's World Equestrian Games and want to have two horses in contention for the next Olympic Games and World Equestrian Games. Casper could be one of the two," Morrow said.
Last year, Morrow was 11th on Hillgrove Enviable in the Adelaide International Four-star and hopes to have the blue ribbon after the Adelaide event later this year.
Morrow will not be competing on Enviable in Warwick.
She will ride five horses this weekend in a range of classes in a sport where even the Olympians have to start at the bottom with a new horse. Horse and rider combinations are rated, not riders.
Morrow will also have one eye on the riders she coaches when they compete in Warwick this weekend.
"I love coming to Warwick, except for the cold - the atmosphere is super and the Warwick club very obliging."
Program
Saturday: Dressage all day.
Sunday: Cross country and showjumping - Higher levels cross country from 9am.
Admission free.