The local horse agricultural show circuit has been run and won with riders gearing up for the 2024 season.
Horse riders competed in a range of events including dressage and show jumping in Kingston, Mil Lel, Naracoorte, Mount Gambier, Penola, Keith and over the border into Casterton and Dimboola.
Mount Gambier Showjumping president David Johnson was the course designer at the Mount Gambier Spring Show, the Penola Show and the Mil Lel Spring Show – and said it was a great display of showjumping held across excellent grounds around the Limestone Coast and Western Victoria.
“Numbers were good throughout the local season and it was great to see a good number of junior riders there,” he said.
“It is always exciting when we see the juniors coming through because hopefully they want to continue in the sport.
“There are some good numbers of juniors and some pretty handy juniors in amongst them too.
“The Mount Gambier Showjumping Club and the South East Riding Club are both huge supporters of the local show area.”
The horse events at Mil Lel were popular with 165 entries and a large audience for the inaugural Fashions on the Field in both the junior and senior categories, sponsored by the Creaser family.
The horses finished up on Sunday at Mil Lel with a relaxed day of the Hunts and Hurdles and the Australian Ponies Stud Book run by the Penola Hunt Club.
The prestigious Shirley Wilson Memorial Championship at the Mount Gambier Spring Show was won by Katrina Hope on Finch Farm Gunn followed by Adam Metcalfe from Adelaide on GPH Quinn and local Kristy Bruhn riding Viva Baluna.
Bruhn claimed the honours aboard James’ Bentley for the John Wilsher Memorial Senior Championship ahead of Hope and Metcalfe.
The memorial championship celebrates the immense impact Mr Wilsher had on the Mount Gambier Showjumping Club and the sport of show jumping both locally and nationally.
Limestone Coast local Makenzie Richards-Fennell represented for the junior riders, winning the RH Clezy Memorial Newcomer Championship, 90cm, 1m and 1.1m events.
Beachport’s Libby Halliday experienced success in the thoroughbred class in Mount Gambier where she took out the 90cm, 1m, 1.05m and 1.1m competitions.
At the Keith Show, a Campdraft held over the Saturday and Sunday was a popular occasion, while Mid South East Dressage Club hosted the dressage country classic at the Naracoorte Show.
The Mount Gambier Horse Trials also took place recently at the Mount Gambier and Districts Pony Club where riders competed in the same event of dressage, show jumping or cross country over the two days.
