Schadenfreude Lou | Herbert is the Final Cut!

Julie took Schadenfreude Lou (Herbert) on straight off the track, recalling how easy he was to retrain into a riding horse.

“He was like sitting on a Rolls Royce. Every movement he made was smooth, controlled, and heavenly.” Julie said.

After working with Julie to climb up the eventing grades, Herbert as he was called, proved to excel in the cross-country phase. Julie and Herbert competed up till 1* until the gelding began to develop some competition anxieties around his jumping and Julie switched disciplines, going on to train racehorses for the winter, leaving her little time to continue her training with Herbert. Julie’s daughter took on the ride of Herbert, however due to his confidence issues, Herbert was sent to Kristen Twining for education and selling on.

After working with Kristen, Herbert was found a loving home with eventer, Charlotte Miles. While Charlotte liked Herbert, he was much more comfortable at the lower heights and Charlotte aspired to continue climbing higher up the grades. The decision was made for Charlotte and Herbert to part ways, and he then was sold onto Kasey Manolini.

While on the look-out for a horse that would suit a client, Kasey came across an ad for the beautiful schoolmaster. Although he wouldn’t suit Kasey’s client, he did sound like a perfect match for her daughter, Maddi, who was a keen pony dressage rider, looking to step up onto horses. Although Herbert (AKA Bertie) experienced competition anxiety, specifically around his jumping, his solid foundation on the flat was a huge selling point for Kasey, who thought he could teach Maddi a great deal. Bertie had even been ridden by Megan Jones at Equestrian in the Park one year, proving to be the perfect schoolmaster for young Maddi to learn upon. Kasey purchased Bertie in 2020 after a brief trial period, and since then, Maddi and Bertie have gone onto achieve great things together.

Maddi and Bertie now compete in Elementary dressage, after working hard to overcome Berties competition anxieties. They have formed a solid partnership of love and trust, and Kasey keeps Julie and Charlotte updated on his successes. Bertie is loved by everyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him, building a strong fan base who follow him along on his journey.

Bertie and Maddi represented Western Australia at the Pony Club Nationals in 2021 and were the winners of the Pony Club WA Zoe Harrison Trophy in 2022. Bertie also carried Maddi to achieve Pony Club WA 14-16 Novice Champion. They are aiming to compete within the senior classes in the elementary divisions, as well as training towards medium level dressage and higher.