KEY POINTS:
Art and pushing 500kg of horse flesh through a fence you can barely see over the top of have absolutely nothing in common.
But they are the two passions in life for Shelley Houston.
Art nearly claimed the career of Houston, who is now one of New Zealand's most polished jumps riders as she showed winning Saturday's $30,000 Hawkes Bay Hurdles on Dismondsareforever.
An ad placed in Horse And Pony magazine seven years ago by the late Ken Browne won Houston over to horse racing.
"It was looking for some horse-mad person under 60kg and I thought 'why not?'
"All I was doing as a 17-year-old was annoying the hell out of mum and dad at home in Christchurch."
Even after accepting the job and arriving in Cambridge, Houston had no intention of becoming a jockey.
"It was really only for the experience of working with young horses which I would use later to develop up eventers."
Ken and Ann Browne knew talent when they saw it and an apprenticeship was offered and accepted.
"I thought I may as well - I've always loved horses and particularly jumping. When I did pony club and eventing I loved the jumping and thought dressage was dead boring."
The girl who says she wasted her English classes at college by drawing horses in her text books now creates a tapestry of a different hue.
A year ago, when she landed her biggest thrill in life in riding the Hawkes Bay Hurdles/Steeplechase double on Royal Kiwi and Primo Canera, Houston had a moment to reflect on a job offer she turned down from a noted Wellington artist.
She still does art, but not commercially. "I love painting at home - I give them away to my friends if they like them."
But there is little time to look back. Instead Houston is looking forward to this Saturday when Primo Canera, the jumper many rate as the country's best, resumes over fences at Te Awamutu.
This will be the first on the road to the Great Northern Steeplechase.
"He felt terrific when I rode him at the trials the other day."
Houston nearly pulled off the double again, but her steeplechase mount Waitete Boy yielded late to Just A Swagger and Tom Hazlett and was beaten half a length.
It was an eventful day's jumping - Hazlett replaced Joanne Rathbone, who was taken to hospital with a broken wrist after Fontera took a heavy fall in the Hawkes Bay Hurdles.
Rathbone said yesterday both major bones in her wrist are broken.
"They've told me it's a clean break with no complications.
"They said I'd be out for four to six weeks, so I'll go with the four weeks.
"Hopefully I'll be back in time to ride at the National meeting."
Fontera brought down Mexican Wave. Both horses returned with blood in their nostrils - Mexican Wave was deemed to be a bleeder and is forced to stand down from racing for three months and Fontera was not declared a bleeder.
Just A Swagger has twice won the Grand National Hurdles and finished second in the race last year.
Trainer Paul Nelson would love to take a unprecedented third win in the race, but says he has yet to formulate plans.
It was nearly a double on the two horses Shelley Houston rode for Cambridge trainers Craig Amrein and Yvette Keoghan.
