The community will be jumping for joy this Easter long weekend as the Mount Gambier Showjumping Club partners with Nutrien to bring the 40th Annual Mount Gambier Showjumping Easter 2023 Carnival to the Blue Lake Sports Park Velodrome.

The four-day event has grown to be a regular fixture in the Limestone Coast sporting calendar and one of the biggest of its kind in South Australia since 1982.

The occasion is set to bring hundreds of spectators and competitors to the region from western Victoria, Adelaide and everywhere in-between flooding the grass banks of the Blue Lake Sports Park football oval with horse floats.

Mount Gambier Showjumping Club president David Johnson said there would be two arenas this year, the second of which will be held at the South Gambier Football and Netball Club oval.

“It’s reminiscent of 2004 when the Mount Gambier Showjumping Club held the Australian Showjumping Championships, and we actually utilised the South Gambier Football Club grounds then for two arenas, so we had three arenas for that,” he said.

“There are a lot more (rounds) than last year and a lot of that is driven because we have got that second ring and people like to be able to bring their good horses and jump in the velodrome and they will bring their younger ones to then jump on the footy grounds.

“Together with the South Gambier Football and Netball Club, we worked very closely with them to be able to run a second arena and give other opportunities for our local riders and those from afar to bring their young horses in for a jump around some of our good fences.”

Mr Johnson said the committee, sponsors and riders were to thank for the ongoing carnival success among recent obstacles in the last few years including COVID and the increased cost of living.

“This year we are actually very excited, it’s our 40th anniversary of our Easter carnival so I have to say we feel pretty honoured to have been able to carry on an event for 40 years,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of work people have put in to get it to this place and we’re absolutely thrilled.

“Particularly the relationship we have built up over the years with the Mount Gambier Cycling Club, we’re thrilled and honoured about that.”

There will be canteen facilities all weekend and the ever-popular kids Easter egg hunt on the Sunday with the public encouraged to attend the event.

Among the 500 rounds of competition, riders will compete in fan favourites the John Wilsher Memorial Blue Lake Stakes, City of Mount Gambier Senior Grand Prix and the David Wilsher Memorial.

This year’s course designers are Mr Johnson and high-level course designer Andrew Paech while the judges are Melbourne based FEI Level 3 judge Kevin Taranto and Equestrian Australia Level 3 judge Angela Hodggetts.