from Manawatu Standard (dated 24nov10)

A sense of humour appears to help Mandy Illston get through her hectic horse world in which even sleep is a precious commodity.

With the North Island showjumping championships, the country's second biggest, starting at Foxton on Friday, life is in overdrive for the equine vet from Bulls.

She must find time for work, riding, competing, administration and yarding 530 horses at Foxton.

"With riding and trying to be a vet, you don't have to be mad, but it helps," she said.

She and husband Bernie, also a rider, live on a sandy farm block on a veritable horsey highway at Raumai Rd.

For four years she chaired the Central Districts Showjumping Group, when the North Island event was last held in Foxton in 2006. She is also deputy chairwoman of Equestrian NZ's showjumping board.

Now she's back on horseback, bringing on younger horses and will ride three at the three-star show at Foxton. Her most promising is Valuation, a nine-year-old mare which she will put over the 1.30m jumps at Foxton and will try in grand prix (1.60m) competition next year following a sixth at the recent Manawatu A & P North Show.

There's also Stand Aside (1.20m) and big seven-year-old gelding Matfield, as in Springbok Victor Matfield.

For Illston, horses are part of her pedigree. "They are a neat animal; they all have a personality and are all different," she said.

When she was a girl in Masterton, her father Geoff Nutting rode Silver Script to win the first World Cup qualifier held in New Zealand, in 1983. Mother Pam rode dressage to a high level.

They were keen for her to head to university but she wanted to ride.

"I talked them into letting me have a year off, and it turned to seven." Not until she was 25 did she line up at Massey University for her veterinary degree course.

Before that came spells in England, Germany and Australia, working for a big showjumping dealership. Then came an offer from Japan earning 10 times the money, and that was another year gone.

She almost gave up showjumping when success didn't come her way. But husband Bernie rallied around. He does the risky work, breaking in the horses and is currently recovering from a fall.

She had previously always ridden other people's horses and wanted her own. At Massey she continued riding at a low level and did teaching to help fund the university lifestyle and fees.

Now she owns her own mounts and is one of three equine vets at Southern Rangitikei Vet services where she does racehorse work and specialises in equine dentistry.