Christine’s mate George now ‘Centaur’ of attention

Christine and her 750kg, 17 hands-high Australian-bred warmblood stallion ‘George’, that is.

Registered under the grand name of ‘Centaur Gladiator’, George was bred by Peter Jarzabkowski, now in his 80s, and was two days off being sold overseas when Christine realised she couldn't face saying goodbye.

"He needed somewhere to stay and his temperament is so quiet, he's bomb-proof," Christine said.

"I was in tears and so we (Christine and husband Peter) went to the bank, mortgaged the house and bought him for $32,000 on my birthday last year. He's worth four or five times that now," she said.

George’s quite temperament was enough to bring Christine out of retirement and the pair trained in earnest for this year's Royal Easter Show and that’s where George repaid her faith.

Judges awarded him second place in the warm blood stallion exhibit and first place in the ridden warm blood exhibit.

"They are looking for confirmation, how he looks, and we had to do a flying canter in a figure eight.

"It is hard to do, swapping direction mid run - a change of rein direction," Christine said.

Christine was called to the front of the line and only realised she and George had won when cameras closed in on them with George the centre of attention.

They were presented with a trophy on Friday and will be awarded a rug for first prize. Christine was so emotional she burst into tears.

"You can't describe the atmosphere. When they asked me forward I thought they were getting me out of the way and then all the cameras came in and I just folded up over him and gave him a big hug," Christine said.

Christine and Peter Cantrill run Willow Glen Equestrian Centre, Orange.