The Mount Gambier Showjumping Club’s Mini Easter show got under way recently in spectacular fashion.
The ‘members only’ event featured 240 rounds of classic and novelty events with around 100 current and seven new members attending from all over South Australia and Western Victoria including from Bowhill, Millicent, Naracoorte, Penola, Casterton, Edenhope and Portland.
Mount Gambier Showjumping Club president David Johnson said the event had been held for around a decade, most of them in the legacy of founder and club stalwart John Wilsher.
“We thought ‘hey let’s give something back to the members’ and we continue to do that and it’s regularly very well supported,” he said.
“The (novelty events) generally are quite popular, it’s always been a part of the Saturday.
“There was a good mix, primarily the younger riders but we had a handful of senior members that were there too.
“The majority are South Australian members for sure, but we do have quite a number of Victorian members.
“I think the whole two days were a real success, everyone was in good spirits and I think everybody who was there was encouraging and supporting which is just fantastic to see.
“Thanks for everybody that came along, participated and assisted in the course builds and rebuilds and working throughout the day, many hands make light work.
“It was a really good turnout, I do not see it stopping anytime soon.”
The 50cm Grand Prix was won by Stacey Edwards on Napoleon while the 100cm Grand Prix was taken out by Libby Halliday on her horse Libadee Park Wildfire.
The novelty events of the Rescue Relay and Take Your Own Line were well supported with fun had by all competitors.
In the Take Your Own Line event fences are set up which can be jumped in any order with participants aiming to get the fastest time possible.
Rescue Relay is a pair event during a two round course where the riders swap over when there is a fault, after a full round or an unlimited amount of times throughout.
Edwards was victorious in Take Your Own Line while Joseph Williams on Echo claimed second and went on to win the Rescue Relay with Emma Porter riding Mouse.
Mount Gambier Showjumping Club members will now hit the local show circuit including Kingston, Mil Lel, Mount Gambier, Naracoorte, Penola and Casterton.
