The Scoop with The Crawford Twins

This article is from the March 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

Trina and Trinette, you have been a part of the showing world for a ‘few decades’ now. How has showing changed in that time? Once there was only - Pony, Galloway and Hacks at Royals, HOTY, Nationals etc. Now we have so many more classes (this is a positive), we now have Small and Big in each section and Hunters have been introduced (with the same split as the Opens), we now have a Large Childs Section, Amateurs and Owner Riders.

Throughout, the wins continue at the highest level (there are too many wins to list). What keeps you both motivated? The art of finding the new blank canvas, training and moulding it into a beautiful show horse, great clients, good friendships and enjoyable fun times.

Furzey Catman put you on the map. What was so special about this pony? Wow, Catman was sent to us to have a few weeks work and to then be sold on. When Catman arrived he was very thin and extremely hairy. Trina spent some time with him, he was very green broken. At the end of the first week, Trina was adamant she was having this pony. Trina told mum and dad she had to have him, and their reply was ‘we cannot afford him at the moment.’ Trina was prepared to sell anything to have him, she even told mum and dad if she had to jump in the sewer to have him, if that’s what it took, she would do it. Every day that pony got more and more beautiful. Long before his time.

Trina, your freak fall changed your direction with showing from in the saddle, to behind the scenes, how have you managed the transition? At first this was extremely hard because it felt like, unless you were in the saddle, you did not matter. I pretty much get no accolades and it was pretty tough to deal with. So much needs to happen behind the scenes of the showring to bring it all together. (Trinette will tell you herself, she is lost without me).

Trina, what advice can you give others who also have suffered a life changing fall? Don’t let the accident own you, stay strong and believe something better is yet to come. Extra advice to add outside of this - is always wear a good quality safety helmet. If you are going to ride for someone else, please know that you can trust them, don’t just take their word on face value. Don’t ever think you need to be brave, if you are unsure of how the horse feels under you, get off. It doesn’t pay to be brave.

Trinette, how did Trina’s accident affect you? It completely changed my world. When I saw Trina in the ICU, I took one look at her in so much pain, I passed out. They called a code blue on me and I then ended up in the ICU bed across from Trina. I was giving up that day, I wasn’t going to ride another horse. It was so hard to deal with. The physical workload got a lot larger. For the first two years after the accident­ — between finding out the extent of Trina’s injuries, her spinal surgery, rehab, recovery etc, etc. I needed to really focus, and I turned to our mum and good friend Joanne for help to keep going.

It was horrific. It brings tears every time I think about it. To say it’s been tough is really an understatement, and until you have been through it to the extent of Trina’s accident, it is so hard for anyone
to understand.

Trina, what strengths does Trinette bring to the team? A very sharp competiveness. Not in the sense of ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to win,’ more along the lines of crossing every “T” and dotting every “I.” She is fussy and I can say sometimes painful, in a good way!

Trinette, what strengths does Trina bring to the team? Everything. I quite often say I am the luckiest person to have someone with the knowledge Trina has. She has trained with vets in the USA and is so clever, blessed and talented to be able to read a horse like she does, and be able to pick up if there is an issue and if so, where it is coming from. Trina also completely organises everything, including me!

Do people approach you differently since the change in roles? Absolutely! I, (Trina), pretty much get treated like I’m Trinette’s manager — most people either come to me or call or message asking can they book Trinette to ride etc.

How has the sport moulded you both as people? This sport has taught us both how to be extremely organised and efficient, because it is pretty much just the two of us with our boutique team. It is a real art of time management when getting ready for big shows such as Royals or HOTY etc, including fitting a Monday to Friday job, to ensure everything is done right. I (Trina) have since put together a few weddings for friends — organising from start to finish, as their wedding planner, and it has been quite an easy process.

What advice can you give to people starting out in showing? It is very important to find a good mentor that is honest, patient and extremely caring to guide you.

Trina, describe a typical day in your life. Since the accident, I had to shut down my business ‘Horse Physio.’ I still treat the odd horse but it is a lot more difficult since the accident. I am out of bed at 4.27am. Feed, stables, rugs on or rugs off etc. Rake the arena, water plants, all general maintenance to the property, then I actually need a little down time because of the head trauma, then back up, check all the horses, hand out morning snacks, then into the study for a few hours. The horse’s gut has been my number one focus for quite some time now. The mechanics of the horse facinates me. It’s then time to prep for the afternoon for the horses, from treatments required, feeding, the work required for each horse. Whatever is in the plan for that day. I would actually like to write a book — an easy to understand and user guide manual for people getting into the horse industry to help people understand the mechanics, the heart and guts of the horse.

Trinette, descbribe a typical day in your life. Every day the alarm goes off at 4.27am. Clean stables, feed horses, unrug, boot up, put horses out to paddocks, clean barn, back inside by 5.30am, shower, get ready for work, 45 min to work. Depart work approx 3.30pm depending on the day, back home, changed and straight into working horses. Somedays we have clients bring horses for day rides that are not stabled with us full time. Back inside approx 7pm, depending on what’s on, maybe later some days. Shower, dinner and get lunch ready for the next day, go to bed, and then do it all over again.

How do you manage the balance between, horses, competition, work, family and friends? Well, between work, horses and competing there isn’t really any time for anything else. We unfortunately have to sacrifice quite a bit of family and friend time for our commitment to the horses and competing.

Imagine a life without horses. Holidays, dinner dates, catching up with family and friends and sleep ins.

Is the twin bond real and if so how would you describe it? Absolutely, it is something that is quite difficult to explain. You kind of just get each other. We get along so well, we literally have a blast — so many laughs and fun (we do have the odd occasional bicker). Being a twin also has its downside. People quite often compare you to each other and can be quite vocal about it, or another thing that happens often with being a twin is you get treated as the one person.

Hack, galloway, pony, mare or gelding? Describe the ultimate ride and why? We have been very blessed and fortunate to have produced and ridden some very nice horses in our time of showing. It really is too difficult to pin-point it to only one.

Trina, what is your most memorable win and why? Probably my first Nationals win on Furzey Catman. Back when there was only Pony, Galloway and Hack titles to be won. I was only a kid and I was the only child riding against all adults. He was a spectacular pony and we pulled off some amazing work.

Trinette, what is your most memorable win and why? Beaufor Heiress, first year winning Champion Galloway at Sydney Royal. That year we won Champion Small Pony, Champion Galloway (with Heiress) and I also had a catch-ride on a hack which I ended up winning Reserve Champion Hack on him. A good day at the office.

Royal Shows, HOTY, EA Nationals or Grand Nationals, what rates at the top? Sydney Royal is pretty special. It has a great atmosphere, strong competition, super facilities (it’s the most local to us), but to be honest they all have great and such high prestige in today’s showing.

How do you think the sport can progress and grow? To have good support from our affiliations and groups through development and mentoring and giving back where possible to competitors. To acknowledge improvement, development and blossoming, and not only in children but all ages.

What qualities do you look for in a show horse? Striking appearance, good attitude, kind eye, calm demeaner and willingness to please.

It’s 14 years since Horse Deals last interviewed you. What will the future look like for you both? We have both really enjoyed and loved a lot about this sport. We have met a lot of fantastic people and made some really good friendships, however, it’s not in the plan forever. It’s not known when, but at some stage there will be a change in pace.

Trina, 3 things we don’t know about Trinette
1. If Trinette wants what is on the bottom of the stack — eg rugs, she just takes it.
2. When Trinette was 11 years of age, her hair was caught in a roller on a farm and it pulled it all out of her head except a small section and lifted the skin off the scalp. (Lucky her hair was long enough it jammed the roller). She was left with swollen black eyes which took two years to go away.
3. Trinette is a great singer (NOT) but it doesn’t stop her!

Trinette, 3 things we don’t know about Trina
1. Trina has quite a liking for shoes. One of our good friends told Trina its embarrassing how many shoes she has.
2. Trina has an amazing ability to throw a fancy dinner party together with 5 minutes notice for a large group of people. She is pretty handy with food.
3. Trina’s memory is outstanding. She may have sustained a nasty head injury in the accident, however, her memory was completely protected.

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