Pony club riders head into busy season

It was a big weekend for equestrian events with the dressage and show­jumping championships at Benalla, followed by the popular Midland Zone Victorian Pony Club Teams event.

Winning haul: Annabelle Creed and Brookside Shazam from the winning North Eastern Zone team. Picture: Derek O’Leary

IT’S a busy time of year for Victoria’s pony club riders.

Last week dressage and show­jumpers had their championships at Benalla, then there’s the popular Midland Zone Victorian Pony Club Teams event.

The ride to time tests are held over several venues at the end of March. Late in May the time-honoured Horse Trials will take place and finally the Games and Musical Rides wind up the season.

At Benalla, in the higher grades’ dressage, riders compete individually but, in lower grades with more numbers, as teams as well. In Grade 2, the Central Zone team of Lili Taylor, Chanel Radburn and Teagan Marsh were champions. In Grade 3, Northern Zone’s Annabelle Creed, Felicity Murtagh and Nicholas Grant were winning team riders and in Grade 4, North Eastern Zone’s Felicity Grant, Nellie Linden and Holly Nicholson were victorious.

At Advanced level, where 12 young riders competed, Central Zone’s Olivia Gillespie was champion. In Grade 1 Barwon Zone’s Rosemary Gillespie was the winner. In the Showjumping ride, the Pony Club A grade section was again judged as individual, with many of the youngsters already competing well in open competition. Champion was Midland Zone’s Hannah Wigg, and B Grade teams winners were West Gippsland Zone’s Jasmine Reynolds, Boyd West and Eliza Mahoney. In C Grade, West Gippsland struck again in the teams section won by Avril Charman, Emily Bekker and Rachael Lyon. D grade team winners were South Metropolitan’s 8 Grace Healey, Leyla Crowhurst, Seth Staley and Bliss Vandenberg.

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