Alice Dunsdon's Adelaide blog: 'We only regret the chances we didn't take'

“Alice, the question I want to ask you is, why? “

I have been asked this question a lot over these past two months by family, friends, media and I even ask myself.

Can I eat? No. Do I like to be around people? Only certain people. My cousin Hattie Roger-Smith is the best. We have often competed abroad together and to forget our pre-competition nerves we just make fun out of each other while sat in the lorry. Normally we do this by making ourselves look fairly unattractive by doing silly hair dos then proceeding to take even more unattractive photos of ourselves.

What’s the last thing I say to myself? Breathe. I am vocal towards Hilly on the cross-country, especially praising him and his efforts. He does not have to do this job for me and I try and reward him as much as I can while we’re going round. I’m not afraid to shout the odd “up” especially at skinny fences. I do this with horses as babies so they learn the command. I don’t have the longest legs in the world to wrap around my horses and I would rather the odd “up” than to have to use my whip. As long as we get to the other side in one piece that’s all I care about. Trust me I even use the word “up” out hunting!

Last season I was out with the Surrey Union and I was hunting my young rider team gold medallist horse Masti Taldi. That winter we had a lot of flash floods and there was still lots of water laying about on top of the ground. We hunted through one particular wood where there was so much water it was covering up the ditches. The five horses in front of me fell into the ditch as they couldn’t see where the edge of the ditch started and finished. Others attempted to jump the ditch but again not successfully. All horses and riders were unharmed it just wasn’t a pretty sight. My mother and I waited but hounds were in full cry and we weren’t going to miss out. My mother was hunting the famous hunter Rooey owned by best friend Nici Wilson and I knew Nici is also a fan of saying “up”.

We have got to know the racecourse like the back of our hand. John Tonani the manger of Morphettville Racecourse has been so supportive of my training with Hilly allowing me to use the track at certain times of the day so as not to interfere with the other trainers using the track. There are around 200 racehorses in training around Morphettville and they use parts of the racecourse each day to exercise. A few of the trainers have seen Hilly and they look at him as though he’s part rhinoceros compared to their little deer-like Flat-bred horses. We are trying not to get a complex!

I have been over to see Victoria Park where the four-star competition will take place. It is truly in the heart of the city. Event organiser Gill Rolton showed me around. Marquees, stables and jumps were all being put up. The sprinklers were on around the park. As I stood by the grandstand my heart rate started to increase. I mustn’t let myself get too wound up now. I must stay relaxed. We still have two days until the competition starts on Wednesday 18 November.

Hilly is not full thoroughbred and it takes more work to get him fit than a full thoroughbred. Why? Imagine a thoroughbred as Paula Radcliffe and imagine Hilly as Ruby Wax. I think you get the picture! No offence Ms Wax if you ever find yourself reading Horse & Hound (you never know, Hugh Grant appears to be a fan!); I think you’re beautiful inside and out just like my horse! Wait… I mean, not like you look like a horse just my horse is also beautiful. I think I will just stop now…!

Every Saturday at Morphettville Racecourse where we are based there is a race meeting. Hilly can just about see the racehorses gallop by and I wonder if he misses seeing other horses. It’s been two weeks in isolation for Hilly due to quarantine restrictions. Hilly must not come within 10 meters of another horse or else this will require a further two week quarantine in Melbourne before we would be able to travel home. By keeping him isolated we won’t need to quarantine this side of our flight home.

I need to go off and buy bags shavings for the stable at the competition, as over here they commonly use sawdust for their beds. I like shavings as they are a natural disinfectant and easy to muck out. I also like straw providing the horses don’t eat too much of it. However here in Australia we were advised not to use it as snakes like to hide in the straw beds. The look on Jenny’s face was priceless. Shavings it is then!

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

TOPICS