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Christine Bates - Failure wasn't a deterrent it was a speed bump. · Between the Flags

• fiona: G'day legends and welcome to Between the Flags, your Aussie eventing chat show. We'll bring you honest conversations, expert insights, and a bit of cheeky fun from the riders, the coaches, and even those amazing folks shaping our sport in Australia and beyond. Whether you're a young rider chasing your first star-class start, a parent, a horse owner. Who lives and breathes eventing? Between the flags is your go-to chat show. Ride along with Prue Barrett and Fiona Hughes. Stirrups up, let's go eventing. prue: Hey Phoe, how you doing? fiona: Good pro. prue: Okay, let's get straight into it. So today's guest is Christine Bates. Welcome, Christine. Christine Bates: Hi, prune Fay, how are you? prue: Really well, thank you. Thanks so much for joining us and welcome everybody to the show. Now I'll start with a little intro, Christine. This is when hopefully you squirm a little bit but not too much. So we'll start when I guess you first came across our radar, and that was back in 1994, and Christine moved over from WA with her three horses and became a working pupil for Craig Barrett in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. One of these horses was Masterprint, aka Basil, who later went on to win Melbourne four-star long in 1999. Christine's attention to detail and ability to work hard was evident from the very beginning. She showed dedication to her horse. And had a great aptitude for learning how to manage them well and how to ride them well. After that period, Christine started her own business and since then has spent time with riders such as Chris Chugg and George Sanner to increase her knowledge. Christine has started the eventing careers of many top horses, notably Newsprint and CP qualified, through these connections. Christine has set up her own business in Wilberforce near Windsor, which is the heartland of Equestrian in Outer Sydney. In 2010, Christine made her senior team debut on DeLago at the Trans Tasman Challenge in Kiki, New Zealand. Adelaide Hill came into Christine's life through great friend and breeder Beth Turner. To say that Adelaide Hill was quirky would be the understatement of the century. I think the word dangerous may have been used once or twice, too. Christine formed the most amazing partnership with Adelaide Hill and won many accolades, including Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Christine is also a winner of the prestigious Anna Savage Award for Best and Fairest. In 2018, Christine made the move with Adelaide Hill to base in the UK and compete at Ark and Event Riders Masters and was second at Monte Labretti long form at 4 Star in Italy. In 2023, Bloomfield Finden made his FEI debut with Christine and has had amazing form winning at every level through to 4-star. This year Christine made the decision to take Finden to base in the UK with the aim of a LA Olympics in two years' time. We are talking to Christine now as she prepares to take Finden to Blenheim Four Star Long next week after some very successful one day event starts in the UK. So welcome, Christine, lovely to have you on board. Christine Bates: Thanks for having me. fiona: Yeah, so welcome Christine. And just wondering how you going. We've heard a little bit about your story lately, so but now Batesy goodness me, sorry for calling you by your nickname. Christine Bates: Right. It's it's universal. fiona: Let's cast our mind back into the early days, hitting the road with the big old Murray Park jewel cab truck across the Nullabor. Or is there more to that story before those days? Christine Bates: look, I I started eventing when I was seven. I still distinctly remember doing my first one-day event. I can't remember the venue, but it was a pony club event, and I had a little pony called Mandy, who was all of 12-2, and started out in the cross country thinking this is gonna be great. And first of all, I think I got lost and then We got to a jump with hay bales under it and my pony refused to jump it. She'd stood there eating the hay. And then I remember moving away from the fence and went, well, maybe if I wait for it for someone else to come and I'll jump in behind them and and tag. And sure enough, I did. And anyway, I finished the course. And then I remember obviously what would now be the TD coming over and getting in trouble for getting a lead. And I thought it was fiona: Ha ha ha. Christine Bates: quite clever really at seven to come up with that plan. But I then had to go walk the show jumping and I remember walking the course and came out of the ring crying, going, I know I'm not gonna get round because the second fence had hay bales under it. And sure enough, I only got to fence two and got eliminated. but it didn't deter me. And I I sort of the next event I remember. I fell off in the show jumping. but I I don't know, I just had this love for for the eventing side of it and and and pretty much at that age I'd get on anything that I could and and just go jumping, whether it was show jumping or cross country. And so that really kick started it for me. And yeah, I think the rest is history really. And I mean I've been I was very fortunate in WA that I had a very good coach, Fiona Hollandby, who's now Fiona John, that during the off season, fiona: wow, yeah. Christine Bates: her show jumper she had a very good World Cup mare called Zanzibar. And when the World Cup season was finished, she'd let me take it, take her around the junior jumper classes. And I had a lot of fun and you know, jumped at Perth Royal and I think I still remember jumping in my first Grand Prix. At Wannoroo Show, and I think I was all of 12 years old. And you know, so I had a very good start in that I definitely got to ride some good jumpers, and there was a few other amazing horses that I actually focused a lot on show jumping. And then along came a horse called Basil, and we certainly worked out pretty quickly. He was not fiona: Mm. Christine Bates: gonna be a show jumper, and so I took him eventing. And with great success. And then at the same time I had a really good mare that I show jumped called Coppergy Flight. and she was this absolutely mad thoroughbred. and she was sort of jumping what we, you know, the old days we used to call A and B grade, and she was quite successful. I mean, I I distinctly remember winning the state C grade championships on her and and beating coal miner. And I was always very proud of that fat that fact. And Anyway, I I ended up taking her eventing as well. And I think she went from she did one pre-novice, one novice, and then went straight into intermediate. I mean you I mean there's no way you'd be able to do that these days, but you know, I she ended up going to Guller and Weraby. and I she was one of the horses that I bought over to Prue and Craig's as well. So yeah, I I definitely got the bug very early and failure wasn't really a deterrent. it was just a speed bump that you got got over and you know I didn't always have the easiest horses, but you know, I love competing, I love jumping and I love my sports. fiona: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And basing yourself over in in New South Wales, in the east as you as they call it over there, was that was a huge step. So tell us all about how you arrived at that decision. Christine Bates: I'd been over earlier in the year for Lochumbar three-day event. They had the it was like a national junior young rider clinic the week before Lochumbar, and I'd come over with two horses. And I didn't have my mare, the Kopbergy flight mare, she I think she tied up in the steeplechase on me. but Basil, I think Basil actually jumped round and placed, I think he was in the two-star and I just remember having so much fun at the camp with all the other young riders and that at the end of the event, I think we're in the truck driving back to Perth. I went, what if I wanted us to move back over? And mum and dad both looked at me and were like you couldn't have said that, you know, while we're still in Sydney. And I I can't quite remember how we got the contact of Prue and Craig. I have a feeling it was through Sammy Birch as you know, Nee McLeod. I think her parents had had recommended Prue and Craig and that's how we got back to Perth and mum I I presume rang Prue or Craig and next minute the truck was loaded up and I was heading back to Sydney. fiona: Off we went. I reckon I'd be pretty sure in saying Sammy might have been one of the juniors involved in that camp. Maybe it was a junior actually riding McCready at that three day. I've I'm I've got a slim memory of that. speaking of memories, Batesy, our FEI records don't go back this far, but W in nineteen ninety nine you win at the test event for the Sydney Olympics. Can you remember that one? Christine Bates: I can. I can actually 'cause I nearly didn't win. fiona: That's right. That was one of those shit Christine Bates: I think that's true guys the analysis. fiona: moments, wasn't it? Christine Bates: yeah, it was a proper shit moment, that one. fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: you know, poor old Basil, he wasn't renowned for being the best or easiest show jumper. And I think I jumped round to the last line with only one down. And fiona: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Christine Bates: I think it was a double, and then I don't know, it was six or seven strides down to a vertical, and I thought I'll just give fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: him a little bit of room at the last. And Basil, who fiona: And he had chip. Christine Bates: didn't who I reckon he'd never chipped in his life, decided that was the great moment to chip and literally annihilated the fence and and sort of popped over what was left of it and canned between the flags. But I I fiona: Luckily. Christine Bates: have a feeling I'm pretty sure I ended up having three down, but that's how much of a lead I had, I think, going into the show jumping. fiona: I tell you what, I think that was the toughest three star track that I think that I'd ever seen. And it was a bit of last man standing, that's for sure, wasn't it? Christine Bates: Yeah, yeah. I mean, looking back, you sort of go, wow, it was such a a big thing to gallop round that Olympic track before the Olympics and to now what are we, twenty-six years on to see how much it's changed and and and to be lucky to still have the venue and it keeps fiona: Mm-hmm. Christine Bates: evolving and developing and you know I I I know when I drive in to Syc I see the What was the last jump on course? It's it's a monument there and to think, God, I geez, I jumped through that a very, very long time ago. fiona: Yes. Yeah. We've Yeah. I'm sure it was bigger. Christine Bates: I'm sure it was. fiona: Now you've ridden and produced many, many horses. Are there any standouts from back in the day, Batesy? Christine Bates: Gosh, I mean, I feel that I've been quite lucky to ride some pretty amazing horses. I suppose Masterprint, you know, he was I bought him on my 16th birthday from prize money I'd won from the jumpers. And to think where we ended up, I mean, I don't think there's many horses that you get at 16 that, you know, he was off the track, but he actually never raced because he was so slow. To then get so close, you know, I I won obviously Melbourne, I won the test event on him. I remember he won the the national one day championships at Gundawindi. You know, he won a lot of classes. he also had a few eliminations and retirements. I mean, the epic one was obviously at Adelaide three day where he decided at the top of the the the lake or the water to go, I'm not going down there. So that was a very long walk. Home. and sort of to, you know, reestablish a horse at that level to get him to confidently jump into water again, that was obviously a challenge. And and I'm sure Prue and Craig were at the time going, just sack him, just sack him, because you know he was quite a frustrating horse. but when he was when he was on his game, he was amazing. And fiona: Yeah. Yep. Christine Bates: you know. He just he just was opinionated and if he didn't like something, he certainly told you that he didn't like something. And but, you know, looking back, geez, I made so many mistakes with him and you learn so much from that first good horse. And, you know, I do fiona: Mm, mm. Christine Bates: do really appreciate the things he taught me. and you go, God, I'd love to have him now. I mean, I think he was he ended up being a fast cross country horse and He could do a good dressage. And, you know, I think now what I know in the show jumping that, you know, he probably was a better jumper than we all gave him credit for. But fiona: Mm. Christine Bates: and then I think, you know, that newsprint, he I mean, he was he was quirky. And and I sort of always go, horses come into your life for a reason. And and I remember I was working for Chris Chug at the time, and they had just got him Think he was only three when he came off the track. And he stopped at a rail on the ground every single day for nine months. And you know, he was not Chuggy's favorite horse. And there was just something about him. He was really talented on the flat. And but every day, you know, if I was gonna jump, I start with poles on the ground. And and I remember taking Matt, Matt and I took him cross-country schooling at Hawkesbury. cross country course, which is no longer. And Matt actually wrote him. we'd taken a truckload down and he just didn't miss a beat. You know, it was like he'd found his calling. And so I just kept chipping away with him. And he ended up, I took he won Melbourne two star long. And I think that season he'd had six starts for six wins in a row. Like he was pretty pretty freaky. And but he taught me a lot about patience and and that real thing of partnership and trust. And you know, obviously we all know he went on to be an amazing horse and won Adelaide five star and and obviously was successful here in the UK and Europe. And I really feel like having him set me up to understand and and ride Adelaide in a lot of ways. So I'm always grateful fiona: Yeah, right. Christine Bates: for for having that for having a horse like Newsprint that I learned a lot and You know, that was sort of Adelaide was really my first warm blood and the difference between riding the Thoroughbreds and the Warmbloods, you know, was a bit of a shock really. but I've you know, I've had that a the beautiful Thoroughbred Di Lago that he went four star and he ended up winning a team gold for Japan at the Asian Games. you know, there's just been so many. You know, I had the little crazy grey reprint. You know, he had all the ability ability in the world, but he he made you work for it. you know, fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: he s he went to America. so yeah, I mean, You know, you look back, I mean, God, there's just been so many. And and I talking about being old and and riding horses, that I didn't realize till I got up to Scone on the weekend, that Finn was actually wearing a rug schoon. Scoon, sorry. he was fiona: Scoon. Now wait, now schoon. Yeah. Let's let's get it right. Christine Bates: wearing a rug with schoon on it. and then I looked at the year and it was like 2004. I'm like, my God. So been doing it a long time and and someone asked me, who won that rug? And I was like, Okay, I I can't remember. I mean, I used to be able to remember all those details, but but not so much now. fiona: Every horse. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. I know you've you do have a long connection with quite a few Asian riders and Toshi that r competed Ark and recently seems to ride plenty of Aussie horses. How d how does that make you feel when those horses are out there wi with other riders? How do you feel about those riders competing on those horses you've produced? Christine Bates: Look, I think it's one of those things, you know, it when you love the horse so much, you for me, I want the horse to to reach the the heights that I believe that they're capable of. And, you know, as I said, like newsprint, I always you know, he was the at the time probably the best horse I ever had. And for him to go on and be so successful, you know, it's it's sort of it it's rewarding and fiona: Yeah. Gives you gives you a thrill, doesn't it? Yeah, Christine Bates: It does. fiona: yeah. Christine Bates: And and you know, I think the CP qualified's an interesting one because he'd sort of had an interesting career in that he'd been bought as a three-year-old, I think, a stallion to be a show jumper. And then, you know, I think he went on as a four-year-old and he won the four-year-old dressage with Rachel Sano, Rachel Downs. and then he went back show jumping and then then he went eventing and You know, he he wasn't what's the word? He wasn't everyone's choice of horse. And I sort of worked with him only for about nine months and I think he he did an an eighty centimetre and within in the March and in the October he ran second or third at Golburn in the three star. And, you know, he was a horse fiona: Mm, mm. Christine Bates: that he's again, he I think he sort of found his calling and Although he wasn't the fastest horse in the world, he he really was quite special and and you know, Shane had amazing success with him. So, you know, it's always nice when you find a horse like that, you think they're really good, even if everyone else doesn't think so, that they end up achieving those heights and those expectations that you think they have. it's really rewarding. fiona: Yeah, absolutely. I can identify with that wholeheartedly. So moving forward, Batesy, there's no Batesy story without Adelaide Hill. And that story goes back to two thousand and ten and he was definitely one of the quirkiest fellows that I think you'd had in your stable. tell us all about that for you. Christine Bates: Gosh, I mean, I still remember Beth Turner ringing me and and asking me if I wanted a young, a young warm blood. And I was like, sure, you know, you know, I was a bit short on horses. And so I'm thinking it was probably, well, he was born 2002. He was not quite three when we when we got him. And he, gosh, I remember the day he arrived. This scrawny chestnut feral that transport guy got him off the truck and put him in a yard and said you can keep the halter and lead rope that thing's a prick. And I was like, God. And he'd kick he'd kicked him apparently. And anyway, we soon discovered that Adelaide was very quickly. I mean we couldn't catch him. he lived for a long time in a y a yard with a halter and lead rope on. It'd take three of us to get him and then I remember he got moved to a stable and and Matt made up a broomstick with a glove on, and and my job was to stand there every day and try and touch him with the glove. And you know, it was that was a lot of perseverance, patience. And and as I said, like when he came off that truck, he he it wasn't a horse that you looked at and went, my god, that's a superstar. and You know, I he really did take two to three years of Matthew and I just handling him. I remember the first day Matthew said I was allowed to brush him, but I could only brush from his head to his wither to not go any further behind the saddle because he was very touchy around his girth and had a habit of cow kicking and I never actually got kicked by him, but he did manage to get Matt twice and One of the times I was actually holding Adelaide and I was a good, a good meter fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: in front of Adelaide's head, holding the lead rope, as Matt was trying to actually undo the roller. And Matt was standing directly in front of me, and he's length really forward. And then Adelaide's just like I didn't even see Adelaide kick him. He just dropped Matt to the ground. And you know. He was lightning quick and I remember Matt's mum was staying with us and she s she pulled me aside and said, You know, do you really think this horse is worth it? You know, he's dangerous and that's twice Matt's got hurt now. And I was like, there was just something from the day that he arrived, there was a look about him in in in his eye that I really believed he wanted to be a nice person and but he just had this such distrust with people and you know eventually Matt broke him in and I I really became his person. You know, I I was, you know, Matt really couldn't catch him for years and years and years. I I could go in and catch him and and you know he he did torment our staff for a long time. fiona: Ha ha ha. Christine Bates: and but yeah and then slowly I think I went to Hong Kong for the Beijing Olympics and I got back and went, right, you know, I'm on a mission now with this horse. He's the horse. Because obviously in this time while we were trying to break him in, his saviour was we kept free jumping him. And that honestly is the thing that kept us going, that he was worth taking the time and and and hopefully, you know, he'd come out the other side. And and sure enough he did. And I mean, I still remember the first ride so clearly and hopping on him and and you know, Matt had done such an amazing job with him that I think that was August I hopped on and then he did his first event in February the following year, two thousand nine, at SIAC, and you know, he finished that season two star. So, you know, Matt had done, fiona: Mm, mm. Christine Bates: you know, I wouldn't have been able to do what I did with him without, you know, the time and the effort that Matt put in because I don't think anyone else would have fiona: Yes. Christine Bates: To be honest. But, you know, and as we all know, you know, he's he's obviously been the most successful horse I've had. And he actually is the kindest soul and has the best work ethic of any horse I know. And even now at well, he'll be twenty four in November, he's now living life as an interschools horse and he's just qualified again for the national team to go to nationals. I think he was show jumping a week ago and he won three of his four classes. You know, he just I've never known a horse that loves to work but loves to compete. And, you know, I'm sure he knows what a blue ribbon is. fiona: Yeah, yeah, a horse of a lifetime, that's for sure. And and of course we'll competed on him and some very fancy dressage levels and yes, the highest point score we're at the equestrian New South Wales. awards night the other night and he was awarded the highest point scorer inter schools in the secondary division ridden by his now jockey who's having the best time Charlie Smacky. So yeah, pretty amazing horse that he does have that. He's just that horse that wants to keep on being part of the part of the comp competition world. And I must add to this story for our status statisticians out there, Adelaide Hill won Sydney three days. in twenty eleven and then again in twenty and eighteen at the three day event, yeah. Yeah. That's Christine Bates: Yeah. Yeah. fiona: a pretty lengthy career at that level, that's for sure. Yeah. Christine Bates: I know. And and I suppose the frustrating thing, you know, I he was very successful. His timing in at some type points of his life was not great because I think before every major championship, he managed to injure a tendon. which was a shame. You know, he sort of probably didn't quite to f get to fulfill what we all thought he was capable of. you know, we missed out on as an I think as a nine year old London, he tweaked his tendon and then Rio, then try on. so we didn't quite, you know, we were there knocking on the door every time, but unfortunately, you know, I had tendon trouble with them and but at at the same time, cheese I I had so much success anyway, you know. yeah no, he's d certainly part of the family. fiona: Yeah. And speaking of highs and lows, eventing is just absolutely fraught with the enormous highs and and equally as extreme lows. And do you want to share with us your lows and and how you've overcome some of those challenges? Christine Bates: Yeah, I mean I think obviously losing two riders in in two thousand and sixteen. obviously for me it was very personal. Lou you know, Caitlin Fisher was a working pupil of mine and and and part of our family. I I think as a as a coach You know, I it never crossed my mind that one of my students, you know, could be killed. and I think that was sort of really hard to take because obviously I felt like I try to be a very safety conscious coach and I tried to really coach lots of different scenarios and and and give my riders the skills and you know, I was sort of, you know, I remember something with Prue and Craig was, you know, we were always training a level above what we were competing. And and and I've always sort of kept that same fiona: Mm, mm, mm. Christine Bates: mentality, not only for myself as a writer, but also for my students. And you know, it was a very hard pill to swallow. And I and it definitely was, you know, very hard to come back from. And I think because it affected all aspects of my life. So obviously as a mum. that someone else's child was in my care and and was killed, as a coach and then as an elite level with you know, my my son William as well, you know, is it worth it? And so I it it took me a long time to to really comprehend what had happened and and and go sort of full circle really in in what I would say was you know my mental health recovery of that. And it's it's It's not easy and it is o obviously absolutely the worst thing that can happen in our sport. And I think fiona: Hm. Yeah. Christine Bates: I as a actually when I think when I was moving back over East in ninety eight, there was I'd stopped in South Australia and there was a young girl killed there. And so it was something that personally I had experienced before, like death in our sport. But I think we'd been very fortunate in Australia that we hadn't had many deaths in us in in Australia. And to to have two young girls fiona: Yeah, definitely. Christine Bates: so close together was really shocking and and and hard. And I think I think we have all learned a lot from it. And, you know, obviously recently here in the UK we had two deaths on the same day, which, you know, it brings up a lot of th a lot of things and You know, it's a reminder that we can do everything as safely as possible. We can, you know, obviously there's new technology, but at the end of the day, we're l riding a live animal and not only, you know, obviously humans make mistakes, but horses make mistakes. And our sport is dangerous. And I think, you know, we fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: do I don't think we need to, you know, focus on that, but I think we do need awareness about that, especially for the younger writers coming up and their families. I I think that was sort of the thing for me to you know, obviously I coach a lot of junior young riders. And one thing I found with parents was they didn't want to know about it. And it's like you actually need to understand that this is dangerous and and we can train and train and train. and things can go wrong. And, you know, I remember Stuart Tinney saying to me, You know, after Caitlin's death, you know, you know, obviously when we make a mistake, the horse helps us out. If the horse makes this mistake, we help the horse out. But when you have those freak things where at the exact time fiona: Mm. Christine Bates: a horse makes a mistake and a rider makes a mistake, you know, that's so rare. But it can happen. And and I think, fiona: Mm. Mm. Christine Bates: I think it's been a learning curve for for everyone and and I hope and I do believe we have made our sport safer. and I think there's a lot of people out there working very hard to keep making it safer and I would hate to see in the future that, you know, eventing becomes, you know, jumps that fall down, everything falls down. Because there's there's something great about riding cross country and and galloping at fiona: Yeah. Yep. Christine Bates: those jumps and, you know, even at my age, I still love it. I still love doing it and, you know, I feel like, fiona: Mm, mm. Mm. Christine Bates: what's the word, you know, I until that I start to lose that feeling, you know, I wanna keep doing my sport. I fiona: Yes. Christine Bates: love it. fiona: The passion. Yeah. Thanks for sharing all of that with us, Christine, because I think that's something that's, you know, really significant in your life and and certainly as you say, significant in everybody's life in in the world of eventing. Okay, so let's go slightly forward and Go to the now. You've kept ticking over with three and four star horses throughout the years and then all of a sudden along came Bloomfield Finden, we call him Finn, and he's cracked into the two star with early wins at Canberra and Willinger. And in fact most of his career have been top ten placings on average. Is he gonna take the mantle from Adelaide? Christine Bates: Yeah, I think he is. he's quite he there's some similarities between him and Adelaide. but there's there's things with Finn that I love that Adelaide didn't have. And and and one of those things is, you know, Finn has this amazing scope and it's just taken him till really this year to go, I I can use my scope. And you know, the feeling he's giving me now is is quite phenomenal. And I feel like, geez, this year he's really improved. And unfortunately, I had a really good season on him 2023. and then 24, I had a bit of disrupted season and again last year. So this is sort of the most events he's done this season since 2023. So it's exciting and and I feel like we're in this sort of bubble of just We just keep everything keeps getting better. And I keep sort of tapping into more things with them. And we've sort of we've found our scope button, we've found our careful button. you know, he's obviously always been quite talented on the flat. he just he just keeps getting stronger through his body and and so it's exciting. fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: and he's amazing, like Adelaide. He he probably doesn't quite have the exact same work ethic as Adelaide, but he he does enjoy his work and he's lovely to train. He's he's a very nice person as well. and he seems to r be really enjoying UK life. you know, again, I'm not sure what it was about him. I saw an ad on Facebook and I really liked him, the look of him, and Went and tried him. he was with Lizzie Wilson fellows and Lizzie, who used to event, didn't have any jumps fiona: Yes. Christine Bates: anymore. And we literally made a makeshift jump out of some chairs and some old rails and it was quite hysterically funny, really. and I remember at the time going, Well, I've either just bought a really nice dressage horse, but hopefully I've bought an eventer and yeah, he he he just keeps getting better and better. It's exciting. fiona: Yeah, right. Can you share with the listeners you're over in the UK, what's I mean, and Prue in the intro talked about your plans for LA Olympics. W you know, talk a bit little bit further, expand on those plans for us. Christine Bates: Well, it all it's it's been a whirlwind year. obviously we went to Melbourne, he got a qualifier for Melbourne, and one of his owners, Catherine Howard, said to me, Okay, what would be your ideal scenario, for the lead up for LA? And I was like, you know, I really want to take him to the UK. And he he's a big horse, he's seventeen two. Obviously the prep for Melbourne, the ground was quite firm. And it's probably the one thing I have in my brain that I wish I'd brought Adelaide over here as a younger horse, like as a nine-year-old. And I think the the issue with Australia for me is you know, I think our courses are good. I think l all everything's great, but I have an issue with the ground. And when you have a a big horse like he is. I I feel like it becomes a a scenario of it's not if they break, it's when they break. And and I just sort of felt that I'm not getting any younger and it was sort of my way of having a real crack for LA and obviously Mm, you know, as what's the word? You know, I I thought it would be good for the horse to see variations and and as much as he could and gain that sort of competition mileage after having a bit of sort of a disrupted season 24, 25. So I I I also wanted to every time I do a prep for for you know a a team event, whether it's the worlds or the thing. Olympics, it's always been a bit rushed and a bit last minute. And so we decided that instead of waiting for Sydney at the end of the year in Australia, that we'd come over here because obviously I'm only a C category writer, so I needed a second four star long. And we felt by coming over here, it gave us some options. you know, obviously Blenheim or Booklow. I just didn't want to, you know, if something went wrong and I didn't get to Sydney, I felt like I was gonna be rushing again and I really would like to take this horse five star next year and and see how we go and obviously LA's sort of the the end goal and you know I think he's developing into a pretty serious horse. yeah. fiona: Mm. Mm. Yeah. And you know, I mean, g throwing that into your into the mix of your plans, it's not as easy as when you're at home with a big truck and plenty of horses and lessons. Do you find that's the hard part of the different lifestyle? Christine Bates: look, I I think for me, I think the hardest part so far is you know, not having your own horse transport. when you're so used to having your own your own truck and being in completely independent. so I'm very fortunate that I was able to come back to the same yard that I was based at in 2019 with Adelaide. And you know, like this trip was Planned in the space of about two weeks. So it was pretty rushed. one of the stressful things is finding a farrier. That was something I struggled with in 2019. touch wood, I seem to have found a a good farrier. all those things. I th I think the fiona: Yeah, all the things all the things that you've got at your fingertips at home. Yeah. Yeah. Christine Bates: 2018, 19 trip was a lot more about what not to do. so this time I feel like I've found a farrier. I've got a a good sort of musculoskeletal person. I've got obviously the facilities here are very good. I've got an indoor and outdoor jumping, there's a horse swim, so we've taught Finn to swim as well. There's amazing hacking, there's a gallop track, and then I'm five minutes from Lamb Gallops. and then you've got Boomerang, which is a cross-country schooling area that's less than 10 minutes from here. there's there's obviously a lot of other places you can go cross country schooling. There's show jumping at Rectory Farm. Like there's everything is at my fingertips. I'm very fortunate that a girl that an English girl that worked for me in 2023, Molly Morris, her mum is actually at this yard and I've managed to get insurance to drive her to Horse Laurie. and then I've also been fortunate. There's another eventing writer in this village and I've she's sort of taken me to Aston and to we did a road trip to Scoon. so you know, it's sort of you know, I'm lucky that I have contacts here that I know and then I've been able fiona: Yeah. Yeah. Christine Bates: to develop some new new ones. This time I've been fortunate enough to have coaching with Richard Waygood. he's part of the English eventing team. And he's ten minutes down the road. I was lucky enough on the way to Schoon. I had a a dressage lesson with Chris Bartle. so I feel quite fortunate this time that I've learned from the previous trips. Yeah. And and which is fiona: Yeah, past experiences. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Christine Bates: sort of which is why I didn't run him at Aston cross country. He felt tired and I remember Adelaide feeling tired. before Barbery, but I ran him cross country and then we got to Arkans and then he did his tendon again. So, you know, just sort of trying to learn from those mistakes. And you know, obviously getting here, the important thing was to get him eating because I had a complete feed change. my feed that I'm sponsored with in Australia is not available in the UK. and so just, you know, now he's eating and cleaning up and You know, he had to go from winter to it when we arrived. So all those things. And and this time I just sort of took my time a little bit more. And I feel like he's he's sort of really feeling good now and his coat's amazing. like he I couldn't he felt like he would at home at Scone on the weekend. So that was sort of exciting fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: with Glennum only a couple of weeks away. So he's a dude, you know, like he's sort of go with the flow sort of person. So, I haven't had to deal with the sort of the Adelaide quirks of, that's a different lorry, or that's a different feed, or you know, Finn's much more. And fiona: Mm-hmm. Christine Bates: I purposely have been more like that with him at home. You know, Adelaide was quite micromanaged because of his quirks, whereas this source I've been a much more relaxed about. To be to cope when things change, you know, when their routine changes and things like that. He he's like, Yeah, whatever. You know, he's pretty laid back. fiona: Yeah, that's great. Well, I feel as though we've just arrived at the beginning of the four star long for you next weekend. So I think we'll let that play out and see where the cards fall for yourself and Finn. So we've come to the end of today's interview, but we've got some quick fire questions for you, Batesy. Christine Bates: No. fiona: Yeah, I know, right? So the first one is now usually Prue's decided that we've got a bit of a different format of these. So this is my first time running through this style of doing these quick fire questions. So this one is always sometimes or never. Christine Bates: Okay. fiona: You can tell within five minutes if a horse is going to be special always, sometimes or never. Christine Bates: Hmm sometimes. fiona: Yes, I agree. And I think CP qualified and Adelaide Hill may well agree with you there. Okay. If you could have dinner with one of these three, who would you choose? Roz Cantor, Boyd Martin, or Taylor Swift? Christine Bates: I'd say Roz. I I I managed to spend a bit of time with Roz the other day up at Chris Bartles and then again at Scone. I I would love to have dinner with Roz. fiona: Yeah, cool. Because I mean I think we've had a few dinners with Boydy. Christine Bates: Yeah. fiona: last quick fire question. If you could ride one horse in the world, past, present, who would you choose? Christine Bates: I think it'd have to be Lordship's Grafello. Walter. Yeah. I think I think a hor fiona: true, tree that Christine Bates: you know, you just watch him and and he just loves his job, that horse. fiona: Yeah. And as does the jockey on top. Well that's the finish of our chat today. Batesy, I've really enjoyed our chat and what do you reckon, Prue? prue: Yeah, yeah. Thanks so much, Christine. very insightful. really great to follow your journey and we wish you all the best at Blenheim. Hope to see you there. Christine Bates: Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Be good to catch up. Didn't g didn't get to see much of you at Arkin. You were very busy. prue: I'm best if I'm busy. fiona: Yeah. Christine Bates: Cool. fiona: Yeah. Good work. prue: All right. Thanks, Christine. fiona: Thanks for riding along with us. We hope you enjoyed the show. Catch you next time between the flags.