Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay

Laurie Lever might just as well be “sitting on the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away”, as the outbreak of EI in NSW and Queensland has stopped his plans dead in their tracks.

If you have not heard of Laurie Lever and Ashleigh Drossel Dan, then you have no interest in domestic showjumping whatsoever and indeed are probably not much interested in Olympic discipline equestrian sport in Australia. To say that the big grey, bred in Australia from European parents by Colin and Judy Gronn, is the best showjumping horse in the country at the moment is a statement that would not invoke any argument. Based at Somerville in Victoria, where Laurie and family have the successful Treehaven Equestrian Centre, it would seem that he was far away from the infected zonal worries up north. But as has been declared time and time again, this EI outbreak is devastating and its repercussions far reaching.

With his sights firmly set on the Olympic Games in Hong Kong in August 2008, Laurie’s plans were to campaign Dan on the domestic World Cup circuit and if eligible take Drossel Dan to the World Cup Final in Sweden next April. After just two east coast qualifiers at Toowoomba (won by Laurie and Dan) and Brisbane Royal, it looks as if the remainder of the season will be cancelled. There are two qualifiers in WA at Perth and Brigadoon, but they will be purely academic in nature now. Pacific League World Cup Director, Susan Ryan is in conference with the FEI as to what the situation will be regarding an Australian presence at the World Final. At this point the outcome is not known.

So what now for Laurie and Dan? “My plan now is to take him overseas as soon as I can and compete on the German National Indoor Circuit, to get some good experience indoors in the hope of maybe going to the World Final. I will be based with (Australian Showjumping Team Advisor) Gilbert Brockman. The problem at the moment is getting the vaccination to be able to leave the country. Dan will be incorporated with the EFA elite horse vaccination, but as I will be away for so long I would like to take La Laina as well, and getting vaccination for her is proving difficult. AQIS tell me I don’t need vaccination to take the horses over to Europe, but of course if I want to compete, they have to be vaccinated. Another problem is at the moment the routes to Europe are closed (due to our EI outbreak) unless I want to go via NZ and the USA, which will add another eight thousand dollars to the trip. So I am just sitting on my hands waiting to hear from the shippers.

“The horses are well and Dan is getting a lot of dressage work at the moment, which will do him good. My (broken) foot is much better and I am only limping a little. The doctors told me not to go to Elysian and Toowoomba as the foot needed to be plated. But I feel this will be the last crack I will have at the Olympic Games and I will have a lot more arthritis than just in my foot as I get older. I am not looking forward to the European winter though.

“Even in Victoria the affects of the EI outbreak are impacting on the livelihood of everyone associated with horses and it is disappointing that the emphasis is purely on the racehorse, with the so called “pleasure horse” of no consequence”.

There is an often-held discussion as to whether it is better to have your best horse at the begging of your career or at the end. Surely the end is better as you are a more knowing rider, have a wealth of experience and really appreciate what you are sitting on. But no doubt the debate still goes on. Whatever the case, Laurie is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Let’s hope he realises his dream. Horse Deals will keep you posted regarding his travel arrangements.