TAKING IT TO EXTREMES

JANE CAMENS, never one to turn down the chance to try something new, has a go at being a cowgirl, and discovers it’s a whole lot of fun.

Mention the name Bianca Gillanders to someone, and they’re very likely to say, ‘Isn’t she the person who was the first Australian female horse trainer to take part in Equitana’s The Way of The Horse?’ The answer, of course, is yes, she was, in 2014, coming second overall in the competition, and striking a connection with the audience due to her gentle handling of the sensitive filly she chose to work with.

These days, in amongst various other hats, Bianca is also President of the Australian Extreme Cowgirls, and I must say that when I first heard those words, I’d never heard of such a thing. When I first spoke to her about it Bianca was enthusiastic about its positive attributes, for both horse and rider. She likens the sport to sporting horse trail courses with more intensity.

“You really need to have a trusting relationship with your horse as you manoeuvre through each obstacle and to do so with smoothness and style,” she tells me. “The calmer the horse and the looser the rein the better.”

When I heard there was a new club in my area, I decided to go along to one of the first sessions with my stockhorse Beauty, to find out what being an Extreme Cowgirl was all about.

I attended a training day when speed wasn’t on the agenda. We practiced a series of obstacles, including a bridge crossing, gate opening, flag bearing, dragging a tarp, going through a ‘cowboy curtain’, bending, a water feature, an L-shaped back-up, a sidepass pole, a small jump, throwing a ball into a hoop while mounted, ground tying your horse while you run around it carrying a flag, remounting, all eventually done at speed.

Although we didn’t practice with speed on this first training day, watch out when we do. Woo-hoo! The club is all about building confidence before speed, supporting each other and having fun. You can join at any level of skill, starting from Youth and Novice levels.

To date, there are only five Australian Extreme Cowgirl (AEC) branches, in Gippsland, the Victorian High Country, Macedon Ranges, the Yarra Valley, and the Northern Rivers in New South Wales. But the Cowgirls welcome the establishment of new branch locations. Bianca predicts that this ‘girl’ sport is set to take off, literally. Have you ever seen video of the Calgary Stampede in Canada? Go online and check it out. AA

You really need to have a trusting relationship with your horse... ‘ ‘

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That gives an idea of the high standard that can be aspired to. Australian Extreme Cowgirls are affiliated with the Extreme Cowboy Association, which has an international presence.

As a coach and clinician in foundation horsemanship, Bianca found that it was a perfect competition for her to encourage her students to get involved in, so they could test out their foundation and step outside their comfort zone. I do wonder about the use of the word ‘extreme’. “Don’t let that put you off,” she laughs. “It isn’t about crashing through a set of obstacles at speed without concern for the horse or the safety of the rider. Quite the opposite actually, everything is set up with the safety of horse and rider in mind and most of all the way you handle and ride your horse is considered extremely important.”

Does the horse have to have specialised training or be a particular breed? “No. All breeds of horses are welcome,” she tells me, “and there’s no need for specialised training. The primary purpose of the sport is to have fun with your horse while improving your horsemanship. Of course the higher your level of horsemanship the better your stops, turns and speed control will be and your horse’s willingness to tackle the obstacles for you, which will earn you more points when you compete. The ultimate goal is to have your horse seek out the obstacles themselves and

understand where their feet are and how to control the speed at which they take the obstacle. This way you can turn your horse loose over the obstacles and rely on it to willingly take the responsibility of negotiating the obstacles with confidence. You’ll lose points if you have a tight rein, or are pulling on your horse or your horse is gaping its mouth. Once again, the more collection and style you have the prettier the picture and the judges love to see your horse looking smooth and relaxed even at speed.”

The sport is open to riders of all disciplines and is for anyone interested in improving their horsemanship skills. Bianca says she’d been looking for a long time for a competition that allowed her to really challenge her horsemanship. “Extreme Cowgirls ticked all the boxes,” she says. She recommends coming along to an event and seeing if it’s for you. For more information on Australian Extreme Cowgirls go to: https:// extremecowgirlsclub.com/about To learn more about this exciting sport go to: www. extremecowboyassociation.com E

A: Walk-through discussion with international judge Annie Chance at the EXCA National Race 2018.

B: Flag Carry - one of the official obstacles in a race.

C: Extreme Cowgirls Australia held a fun day at Lismore Showgrounds. D: AEC President Bianca Gillanders shows how it’s done.

E: Jane Camens on her stockhorse Beauty. F: Girls will be cowgirls.

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