'Team Newall' Head to the Sydney CDI (again)

Jodie competing on Danse Avec Moi Photo: Derek O'Leary

Jodie with her mum Carolyn and Dad Paul

The word, Team (Together Everyone Achieves More) has been around for a long time and is still the backbone of making any project happen. The success of the Sydney CDI is due to Team Work and the success of those who compete at the Sydney CDI is also due to Team Work. 

Although we are all aware of the power of this, there is one Australian equestrian family who have taken it one step forward and named their business, 'Team Newall'. This family consists of Mum and Dad (Paul and Carolyn), their daughter Jodie who competes in Dressage and will be competing at the Sydney CDI and their son Hugh who is also an accomplished rider and competes predominantly in Eventing - you can imagine the logistics.

Although Paul and Carolyn were involved in horses in their younger years, this faded over time. "Until Jodie got into riding," says Paul, "horses had fallen right into the background of our early married years; now they dominate everything. We love the horses and get so much out of being part of the kids’ equestrian lives. Jodie’s passion and commitment to riding and all things equestrian is so unshakeable that we just have to go with it. Hugh, as Jodie’s junior by six years, didn’t stand a chance of not being a rider too. Hugh’s now surprising himself with his ability – instilled through Jodie’s mentoring and the circle continues as he now takes on his own clients.” Carolyn adds, “Sometimes being in our household feels like being in a bubble with a bouncing ping-pong ball, you don’t know quite which direction it’s going to go next - when both kids are in full flight, weekends often see Paul and I split up, with one kid each, as we head off in opposite directions en route to their respective competitions.”

Over the years Jodie has won numerous classes and had many highlights, despite only starting to focus on straight dressage in 2006. In those seven years she has campaigned three horses at Grand Prix, five horses at Small Tour and plenty more through the lower levels. 2013 will be Jodie's (sorry I should say Team Newall's), eighth consecutive Sydney CDI. "One of my Sydney CDI highlights was last year’s 2nd and 3rdin the Under-25 Grand Prix classes and 6th in the open Inter II on Maxx Jasper (owned by Susie Steggles) and placing for the third year running in the Young Horse classes with our own Jive Matrix who we bought as a foal. This was topped off with a ride in the Stephen Clarke workshop which was really informative and a lot of fun," says Jodie. "I love the buzz of the major competitions. We’ve met an incredible bunch of people over the years, it’s always great to catch up with them." Maxx Jasper is currently spelling while the owner decides what she wants to do with him.

Now that Jodie has tasted Grand Prix on a few horses, that's where she wants to stay! "I just want to get back to that Grand Prix arena. Once you get there, you develop a hunger to stay there. It puts everything else into perspective."

At a major Event like a CDI, Jodie says she gets it pretty easy. "It’s Mum and Dad who wear the many hats - groom, videoer, photographer, chef, manager, psychologist, sponsor, oh and parent! Dad’s always been in charge of the amazing shine on my boots – who needs patent leather when your Dad spent 20 years in the Army! I get in trouble if I go near my boots with the liquid polish. These days Mum and Dad help me get the gear ready but I always plait and tack up the horses myself, you get a better sense of where they’re at and then you’re solely responsible for making sure everything is correct.”

On a serious note, Jodie is in her final year of a Commerce/Law degree at the Australian National University. She has 5 horses in work and also manages the olives, figs and grapes that are grown on the family property. "There’s no way I could do everything without Mum, Dad, Hugh and our extended behind-the-scenes team. Whilst I enjoy the uni work, I’m sure some of the lecturers won’t miss me – often arriving late, generally still covered in a combination of sunscreen, dirt and horse hair."

This year Jodie will be only taking one horse (Danse Avec Moi) to the Sydney CDI. "I normally have at least two horses for the major competitions and at local comps at the moment I’m often competing four horses a day, so I’m looking forward to a ‘holiday’, helping out, catching up with everyone and getting to watch for a change. We’ll be competing in the Advanced classes and the CDN Prix St Georges."

With a name like Danse Avec Moi, I had to ask what her stable name was. "We bought her as a yearling and wanted to come up with a nice paddock name for her but for a while it was “How’s the madam going today?” and Madam stuck. It’s sooo appropriate. She’s very opinionated and her level of stubbornness would put a donkey to shame (Dad says that in these ways Madam and I are very similar!). However her incredible work ethic under saddle well and truly makes up for it."

What Jodie is really looking forward to at the Sydney CDI is the freestyle. "Riding in front of the crowd, under lights and to music is such a buzz." Jodie has always designed her own freestyles and doesn't like sticking to the norm. "My first freestyle (for an interschool competition) was done to a collection of Midnight Oil songs that I put together on the school computers during my lunch breaks. I love the music that I have put together for Madam (it’s a long way from Midnight Oil). I’ve done this particular freestyle twice now and haven’t changed it. She was 3rd in the Advanced Freestyle at the Victorian Dressage Festival and that was only her second outing at that level."

As you can tell, we are talking about one very determined lady. Although we will only get to see Jodie and Madam in the arena, we must remember that it is the 'Newall Team' that has helped carve Jodie's success. We wish them all well for the Sydney CDI.

You too can be part of the Sydney CDI team - get all the information at www.sydneycdi.com

Where all the Stars Gather - be part of it!

by: Scott Pollock