My Life & Interests before Complex Regional Pain Syndrome……..
I was 22 years old when I was injured at Work, the injury that lead to me having CRPS. In high school I was a academic and sports nut. Representing the school in sports such as, Athletics, Cross Country (nearly made it to State Level), Softball & Soccer. I also represented the school showing Steers at the Royal Easter show, playing in the School Band and OMG the Choir. Musically talented (lol) I was selected as part of a Quartet to play at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in a concert showcasing talent of the Hunter Region.
I was 1/2 way through one of the MOST reputable Agricultural degrees in Australia, Bachelor of Rural Science at the University of New England when I was injured at work. For those who don’t know these degrees offered at the University of New England are very scientific based (so much in fact one of my ex-school teachers failed first year and went to another Uni). Of course first year was demanding, but after it I could see how it all applied to everything out there in the Agricultural World.
I studied such Science based subjects as full first year Chemistry & Biology, and one semester of the following; Maths (Yuk – especially Calculus), Biophysics, Statistics, Biochemistry, Physiology and Intro to Genetics.
The more Agricultural Subjects that relied heavily on those Science subjects to grasp an understanding include: Intro to Soil Science, Environmental Soil Science, Interactive International Soil Science, Sustainable Resource Use and Environment Management, Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment, Ecology and Adaptation of Agricultural Plants, Agricultural Ecology and Crop Physiology, Farm and Resource Management, Integrated Weed Management, Applied Animal and Plant Breeding, Animal Production Systems and Products & Plant Protection.
Also prior to CRPS I was heavily into Horse Racing as my Dad was a Jockey, turned Foreman, turned Horse Trainer. I grew up being around those smart beautiful animals. The horses used to be a stress release and distraction from everything. I often saddled up and took off on my pony to go trail riding by myself, with just my pony, the views of the bush and of course Kangaroos to relax me.
On the racing side of things we had one great Mare. Her name was Nanny Maroon Click here. She was a lovely mare who found some people annoying and try and savage them LOL but she was very gentle with me. We used to give each other hugs after I would enter her stall and rug her, she was very tall and I am short so I could stand underneath her neck and try and reach around to her wither, and she would pull her head in over my back!
She raced during the years of 2000, and 2001. She went on to win the Millie Fox Stakes 1200m in a dashing time of 1:08.81 ! Winning by 2 1/2 lengths. Then she won the race of her life that won her the Hunter Valley Horse of the Year award, the Listed Dark Jewel with Top weight and had to come about 10 horses wide rounding the corner. That was the day all the locals where cheering her on in her home town. She started short priced favourite! And boy did the crowd of at least 10 000 people roar when she came down the outside! She was born in the paddock behind her home track, the track she won that prestigious race at.
She went on to beat the likes of Shogun Lodge (although by a nose) in the Festival Stakes, she finished 1/2 length second to the Randwick undefeated mare over 1200m Spinning Hill in a Stakes race on Doncaster Day. She also went on to race at Flemington on Derby Day (I was so lucky to get to go see her race that day! My only trip to Melbourne!) it was the Salinger Stakes G1, she got a little lost running a straight race LOL (no corners) but was flying home at the end with a wall of horses to only finish 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner. So after a rest we took her home and got her ready for Sydney’s Golden Slipper Carnival. This was where she ran the race of her life! Although she didn’t win, she came 3rd and within 1/2 a length to the BEST MARE ever to race on Australian Turf, the Mighty Sunline. I was there that day the margins were a head x head. Very close, and I was screaming my lungs out and shaking from excitement! That was the Group 1 Coolmore Classic over 1500m.
Sunline went on to win the Doncaster Handicap G1 1600m two weeks later and then another G1 a couple more weeks later. Nanny was shattered after her encounter with Sunline, it totally exhausted her and she was spent, she didn’t care who Sunline was, she loved to race and win. One of her owners wouldn’t let us rest her, they insisted she start the following week, well enough said she finished well back in the field. Then one of the owners got greedy and actually took her out of our stable. Needless to say he hadn’t paid his share of her bill to my father, nor did he ever.
So the other owner was forced to put her through the sale ring, he disagreed with everything the other owner was doing. So she sold for $200 000, and was in foal when she came back to our stable. The other trainers farrier had stuffed her hoof that needed special attention ever since an accident she had the day after she was born. We heard she hardly settled in on the new owners property, walking the fence line. But she was happy to see us when she came back to our stable. We prepared her for one race and we always had doubt that her career was over anyway, she never did well. So we put her back to the paddock and into her new career of producing foals. She has had some quite exciting foals to race, one came third this year in the prestigious 2 year old race in Canberra.
~Anways this Mare Nanny Maroon is one of my inspirations, even though she is a horse, they can have personalities and exhibit great strengths too! ~
