Community saddles up to help host dressage championships

SUMMERLAND Dressage Club called in the cavalry to support the Far North Coast Dressage Championships at Bangalow and businesses were only too happy to oblige.

SUMMERLAND Dressage Club called in the cavalry to support the Far North Coast Dressage Championships at Bangalow and businesses were only too happy to oblige.

The business community will be "...more involved than ever before" this year, the club says, with many small family operations jumping at the chance to sponsor the championships this Saturday and Sunday.

Many of the supporting businesses are horse-related, but hospitality and service industries are also represented.

COMPETING: Northern Rivers rider Sally Evans and horse A Spider Bite, owned by Sue McDonald, will compete at the weekend’s Far North Coast Dressage Championships.

Summerland Dressage Club's publicity officer Angela Delves said the event at Bangalow Showgrounds would feature some of Australia's best dressage riders and judges.

"It is an indication of the standard of the event that these championships are part of the contested Regional NSW Dressage Series for the second year running," she said.

"This support by the local business community is greatly valued and adds an extra level of attraction to competitors - many of whom come from interstate."

The club's vice-president, Ruth Gotterson, said local businesses' generosity "...means we have the most incredible prizes to offer our competitors".

"In return we do everything we can to encourage people to support our sponsors through our publicity and this year we have also organised vouchers to encourage our winners to visit the sponsors, perhaps take their friends and hopefully buy more products while they are there," she said.

Horseland Lismore is the club's major sponsor for the championships again and it has donated embroidered woollen rugs for winners at each level.

The store's owner Dianne Hoopersaid: "We are very pleased to support events such as the Far North Coast Dressage Championships because it gives us a chance to thank our local shoppers who are very loyal to our store"Tests will be ridden at all levels this weekend, including Grand Prix tests on Sunday, which are a great opportunity to witness dressage at its best.

The championships were chosen as one of only five events in the state to receive backing from Equestrian NSW through an initiative of Dressage NSW.