Seville Stars shine at Riddells Creek teams event
The State Horse Trials was an action-packed event at Riddells Creek while local judges will get the nod for the highly anticipated Royal Melbourne Show.
AUTUMN and winter is the busiest time for pony clubs, with the Horse Trials Festival followed by the State Games, Flat Teams and Musical Ride Championships in June and many zones running their own events.
The Pony Club Association of Victoria’s State Horse Trials Festival was held at the Riddells Creek Pony Club grounds.
The PCAV horse trials has a long and happy history. The first was in 1955 held by Mornington Peninsula Pony Club and it continued for years with just the grade one level riders, but now, it’s inclusive with individual grade sections plus teams of riders mixed through different levels.
The teams event at Riddells Creek was won by the Seville Stars team of Maddy Kitto, Lara McNally and Kiera McNally finished six points ahead of the West Gippy Wonders’ Rachel Lyon, Avril Charman and Madeline Truong with Kergunyah’s Evie Kamevaar, Lisa Hamilton Cronin and Joanne Keckenberg in third place.
Individually, Warragul’s Rachel Lyon was champion in advanced 110cm, while the grade one winner was Seville’s Maddy Kitto.
In grade two, Kergunyah’s Evie Kamevaar won the first section and Bianca Kimovski from Barwon Valley, the second.
In grade three, the individual winners were Lilah Potter from Yarra Glen and District, and Joanne Heckenberg from Kergunyah.
The grade four winners were Isabelle Smith from Pakenham, Leyla Crowhurst from Mentone and in Grade five, Sale Club’s Matilda Marsh and Amelia McDougall from Gisborne were winners.
Grades four and five also held team events with Barwon Bonanza’s Georgia Atkinson, Georgina Pascoe and Zoe Dunoon winning from Team Teal’s Brodie Haliday-Tough, Lauren Cocks and Tana Males, with Central Zone’s Chloe O’Rourke, Addison Draper and Sophie Dorian third.
ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW NOD TO LOCAL JUDGES
WHILE the show horses are having their winter rest, their owners await the announcement of judges’ names for the spring Royal Shows.
With no show last year, this Royal Melbourne Show is highly anticipated.
Normally, it is necessary to have qualifying performances at regional shows to qualify, but with few shows in the past year, to assist exhibitors, the qualification period was extended.
Performances gained from June 3, 2018 to June 1, 2021 will be accepted for all saddle, riding, harness, stock horse and hunt sections.
The Melbourne horse show selectors have opted for local judges, which is unusual, but fair under the current Covid timelines, but the list has some prominent names with high credentials.
Gary Beaton, who will judge show hacks has produced some outstanding show horses in his time and has judged at major shows in other states.
Lisa Smith is judging Galloways and Deanne Melrose, the judge of the show ponies, has been a successful Royal Show competitor since she was tiny.
The Garryowen Turnout class is always a highlight of the show, with Catherine Neil, Michael Tweedie, Cynthia Doherty, Carol Hassell and Christine Mallinson also having a long association with the famous event.
Sue Lindt and Jayne Stuchbery will judge Australian Stock Horses and long time Clydesdale breeder and exhibitor will do the honours in the Clydesdale led classes.
There will be few more experienced judges than Gary le Brocq to judge the traditional hunting classes. Anne Garden will be the main judge in the showjumping arena, while David Sheppard is again course designer for that section.
Alison Woodroofe will deal with the nervous show mums and happy little riders in the Leading Rein and Smartest on Parade classes, while Jan Smith will cast her expert eye over the senior riders.
Judge selectors have opted for experience in the harness classes as well, with Joe Lawrence dealing with the spectacular heavy harness horses and Noel Collins with the high stepping light horses.
The full list can be found at https://www.rasv.com.au/horses-in-action/competition-info/schedules-forms-information/
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