Persistence, patience and passion are paying off for Jodie Dunstan, who is at last reaping the rewards of producing horses from scratch, manifesting in her latest star, Hollands Bend Highlander.

Jodie Dunstan is no quitter. She deftly keeps her career and family lives in perspective, all the time using every opportunity to better herself in her dressage pursuits. She takes in her stride her thirst for improvement in training horses to Grand Prix, despite living far from the competitive action.

Based near Albury on the NSW-Victoria border, access to mainstream dressage was never a given for Jodie. But not one to play the “I’m in the country” card — thereby missing the big city opportunities to partake at the highest levels — she makes the most of what is.

Jodie always bought horses within her means, training and selling them to make ends meet. She has had her highs and lows in the sport and admits there were times when she struggled financially to keep her horses in work and still travel long distances to compete. For a “never say never” woman, she is now reaping what she sowed, as we saw with her on Hollands Bend Highlander at Dressage by the Sea at Willinga Park.

Born in Albury, her father was a builder, her mother a hard-working woman who kept the family united and comfortable. Jodie and her sister grew up with no acreage, no horses and no horse friends — but something drew her to horses. As a little girl on drives with her father, she would make him stop so she could feed horses in the paddocks with hand-picked grass over the fence. After much pestering, he let her attend the local riding school where she revelled in the trail rides with the school horses.

The riding school soon found a pony for Jodie to hire so she could attend the Border City Pony Club, where for two years she applied herself while her father later admitted he was “testing the water” as to whether she was fair dinkum. Finally convinced when Jodie was 11, he brought her a galloway from the Wodonga auctions, an all-rounder on which she competed in Pony Club events and shows.

Jodie left school after year 10 to become an apprentice carpenter under her father — but all she really wanted to do was ride. The local riding school was owned by Ted and Anne McMaugh, who, along with sons Marcus and John, were all involved in showjumping, Anne being a renowned high jump rider. Jodie tried all disciplines, and her second pony was an eventer called Rocky, which she trained all the way before selling him to fund her next project. She loved the challenge of training and learning equine behaviour, absorbing all she could from everyone around her. At 14, her father was so impressed that he bought a five-acre block about 12km from Albury and set about building their new home. There was now room for more horses so Jodie took in ex-racehorses and trained them up to sell. There was no stable or arena, the horses were simply ridden in a spare paddock.

Jodie struck up a relationship with next-door neighbour Peter Dunstan, a truck driver and fabricator whom she married in 1990; they have two sons, now 22 and 21 (neither of whom are interested in riding).

THE DRESSAGE BUG

At the Pony Club championships in Griffith, NSW, one year, Jodie met Di Jenkyn and stepped out of her comfort zone to take a dressage lesson with her. She never looked back. She then borrowed a dressage horse, a Stock Horse x Thoroughbred called Flapper, which she trained to Elementary… and it was game on! Soon enough she wanted a Warmblood and took out a loan to purchase a retired showjumper called Ludwig. He was by the renowned stallion Wesuw and, after many lessons with Di, Jodie trained him to Grand Prix. Ludwig was sold on for a handsome profit and two young ones were purchased to train. They were both complicated, but Jodie loved the challenge. One, by Rocadero, she took to Medium level before selling; the other, Rosedale Realto by Flaneur (a nice horse but heavy with not enough get-up-and-go for Jodie) was sold as a solid Elementary mount. After Ludwig there was the dark brown, off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding, Rosedale Rhapsody, which Jodie took through to Prix St Georges then sold to a young rider starting at boarding school.

Jodie admits there were times her budget was stretched and she felt like giving up, but good friend John Potter gave her wise advice that stuck with her. He told her to “spend what you possibly can and get the best possible foals or yearlings that your budget can afford”, as to buy broken-in and going ones was out of the question. So, Bloomfield Royal Ruby, by Royal Hit out of a showjumping-bred mare, was purchased as a foal. She was broken in and then trained by Jodie to FEI and competed at Advanced level at state and national championships. Since retiring the mare, Jodie has bred three foals from her — one by Versace, one by Secret and one by Fürstenball.

When Ruby was purchased, Jodie had no horse to ride and couldn’t see her way clear to buy one. However, there was a four-year-old coloured stallion, Vancouver Park Cardeau, owned by Gary and Jennah Richardson at Vancouver Park Stud in Chiltern, down the road in Victoria. The Richardsons generously offered him to Jodie until Ruby would be ready. Jodie showed him with great success, winning Supreme Led and Ridden at Melbourne Royal and national breed championships. By Carbine out of a Quarter Horse mare by Watch The Duco, the stallion was admired everywhere he went. Jodie says he is one of the best horses she has ever ridden and he was “so beautifully trainable, good natured and well mannered”. She competed him to Advanced at state and national dressage championships in their four years together. When Ruby came into work, Cardeau went back to Vancouver Park where Gary and Jennah’s daughter Charlotte rode him and jumped him in an ongoing career.

It says a lot about Jodie that the championships she won and accolades she earned are never front of mind. Only the horses’ attitudes and the times they spent training and riding come to her mind! She’d rather talk about the love of training dressage and enjoying every ride.

It was now time for another horse, and Jane Bartram had one for sale at Hollands Bend: a two-year-old by His Highness out of Jane’s imported black mare, Hirtenqueen. This gelding was tall and lanky with gangly long legs. There was something that intrigued Jodie about his stature and quirky character… And he was affordable. But once she got him home, Jodie says “he was quite a pain in the neck”. He ran the fences and was big and silly with a difficult nature. She saw that he needed time to grow into his legs and gawky body, and was patient in her approach: if it was time and confidence that he needed, he would have it.

GIVING BACK 

Along her dressage path meanwhile, Jodie qualified as a National A level judge. Despite the travel and weekends away at seminars, she earned it with her good grace and positivity. Competitions were taking off in the district, but Albury lacked judges. She now spends much time judging, where she likes to impart her knowledge back into the sport she loves. She is a mentor for up-and-coming judges, as her competition knowledge and endearing attitude to her students make her highly sought-after. She has now completed her National Coaching Accreditation and is a qualified NCAS coach.

Jodie’s life with Peter, their two sons and the dressage horses, coaching and judging, has been full-on, yet ask anyone around her and they will say she always has time for others and makes everyone feel positive. After engaging with her, you walk away feeling energised. She is a real doer who never hangs back when there is something to be done. She has an inner desire to be competitive and chips away at her dream, having made the most of every horse she has produced. She is very aware where she stands in the rankings and is always pleased with her performances, yet realistic… a spade is a spade.

Her modest and effervescent attitude makes you realise what a true lady of passion she is. She puts the sport in perspective and makes people aware that a will to succeed can overcome adversity. Far from having lavish facilities and imported horses, she admires those who do. Her humility is inspiring. Riding and competing on her beloved horses are what she treasures. Yet you know that there is that burning desire to use all she has learned and experienced to put it all together with a horse that has a real talent.

SMELLING THE ROSES

As for the property that was bought 25 years ago from her parents, it is now well established and organised. North-west of Albury at Table Top, it has three stables and a good 60×20 metre arena with a sand surface where she rides her horses and gives lessons. The arena has great mirrors, all the yards and paddocks have steel or post-and-rail fencing, and there are shelter sheds in all paddocks.

An avid gardener, which she attributes to her grandmother, Jodie has nurtured 250 rose bushes, along with gardenias and myriad shrubs and trees. She always has projects on the go and puts any profits back into the property. She and Peter always see these additions through to completion and never cut corners when it comes to quality. They are presently doubling the size of the hayshed and finishing the steel fencing.

On asking Jodie who have been the people in her life who have been by her side in good and not so good times, she ponders for a moment. “Of course, my family and husband,” she says, “and then there is Di Jenkyn who has really been my integral coach who has helped me with all my horses and I attribute my success to her leadership. But there is always that special friend and to me that is Sue Robbins. Sue came to me 30-odd years ago for riding lessons and from the first meeting there was an honesty and bond that was and is unexplainable.

“Sue has always been by my side and protecting my back. She has always been positive and around to lend a hand, especially when the going gets tough. She comes with me and helps at the shows and is one of those once-in-a-lifetime friends. (Jodie’s husband butts in… ‘and a drinking partner!’) I have to say that her positivity has always meant the world to me and she tells me in all seriousness, ‘when you get to the Olympics you know I will be there’,” Jodie laughs. “That’s just what she is like and I don’t think I could have achieved what I have without her in our journey.”

Watch this space with interest, and keep an ear to the ground for Jodie Dunstan, the quiet, humble achiever who is no quitter!