Nat’s Back on Track

Local Champion Equestrian competitor Natalie Blundell is all set for a second shot at chasing her dream of competing at the Olympic level.

Nat was all geared up to compete at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, achieving great results leading up to those games and with a horse that was more than good enough to make the team. Unfortunately the horse sustained an injury and without enough time to train another horse to take its place, Nat’s Olympic dream was put on hold.

Over the next 10 years Nat has owned and trained a lot of horses but none have proven to be quite sound enough or good enough for the very high standards required of a horse to compete at the elite level. That was until her latest horse ‘Algebra’ came her way. The story of how the two came together is one that reads like a story already written.

Nat had originally been approached by Algebra’s owners, Julia McLean and John Glenn from Burra to prepare and sell the horse for them. “He proved to be a bit difficult back then, as he was such a big jumper and he ended up taking off on a few kids off when they came to look at buying him”, Nat said.

Julia, who has a lot of experience herself in the Dressage Arena, was so impressed with the way Nat rode and handled the horse that she and her husband John approached Nat to see if she would be interested in competing on Algebra sponsoring them as a team. It was not an arrangement that the couple had originally planned, but they had faith in the Nat and Algebra combination. That was some three years ago, and Nat graciously accepted their offer thus beginning a journey that has proven to be a great success.

The road back to the Olympics meant Nat had to start back at scratch in the 1 star competitions and over the past three years the dynamic duo have competed in many events with consistent results. “There has not been many competitions we haven’t placed eventing wise”, Nat said. The partnership blossomed quickly through the 1 star ranks and a second placing in the 2 star Camperdown International 3 Day Event saw the dynamic duo selected for the NSW and National A Squad.

In May they finished fourth in their first 3 Star event, the Camden International 2 Day Event with the three horses that placed higher being the best three horses in the country with the Silver Medallist from the Beijing Olympics taking out first place. And in June they finished fifth in the Melbourne International 3 Day Event. “It takes a lot of hard work to get back to the top, and once your at the top it’s even harder to stay there”, Nat said of the closeness of the competition.

She was delighted to learn the hard work is really starting to pay off when she was selected for the NSW and National A Squad which will see her train with Wayne Roycroft who is regarded as being one of the best eventing instructors worldwide. Nat has also been awarded a Gold Scholarship at the New South Wales Institute of Sport which gives her access to training facilities and specialists such as sport psychologists. Recently she travelled down to attended an orientation day at the facilities in Homebush Bay at Sydney Olympic Park.

The future is looking bright and Nat is looking forward to competing in further 3 star events at Canberra and Goulburn in the lead up to the big International 3 star, 3 Day event at Camperdown in December.

The World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA next September is also on the cards if all goes well, but Nat maintains it’s the Olympics that will remain her main focus.

The Olympic Dream has not come without its sacrifices as along the way Nat has had to sell off some horses that were starting to show potential just to cover the expenses of travelling to events and competing as well as the upkeep of the other horses she has in preparation.

Nat is very thankful for all the sponsorship she received in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics including the generosity of the Hockney family and the local community which allowed her to focus her efforts in preparing for the big events and is hopeful that she may again pick up sponsorship to help keep her Olympic Dream alive.

For updated information on Natalie’s progress, Natalie’s website address is www.natblundellequestrian.com or become friends on facebook with Algebra McLean-Glenn himself!!