Erin Callahan’s handsome grey Danson Lincoln continued his rise up the eventing ladder with a win in the 2.5-star S class at the Geelong Horse Trials at Inverleigh.
He was the winner of the Champion of Champions Young Event Horse at Dressage and Jumping With The Stars in 2017.
At Geelong he was second after dressage and finished just two points ahead of the consistent Ballahowe Ayurvedic and Yona Lloyd, with Tahlia Pursell’s Astro NZPH in third place.
While riders had cursed the wet spring, it created superb going at the Barwonleigh property at Inverleigh where the trials have been held since the mid-1970s.
The organising committee worked smoothly through the big event with 350 riders, but never satisfied, they still put out a survey after the event to entrants asking for suggestions to make it even better.
In the two-star section, Will Enzinger’s Epic Xtreme won in a class of which nine of the 20-horse field were Thoroughbreds including the second placegetter, Connie Miller’s Delicato (off-the-track, or OTT).
The one-star class showed how many riders are concentrating on producing good dressage, with the first three placegetters – Emma Hercules’ Ballahowe Wildside, Baylee Eve’s Kenlock Indiana Sky and Lucy Gunn’s Blackall Park Tooleybuc – all scoring a solid 30 penalties and backing it up with good jumping rounds.
There were two divisions of the 95cm class, which is where the promising babies can be found. The winners, Debra Browell’s Limited Edition and Jodi Goyne’s I’m A Gem finished at the top of very big fields.
Four full fields of 80cm horses showed how popular the sport is. Evie Kamevaar and MP Chevrolet, Emily Anker riding Highfields Croatia, Terry Delbridge’s Northern Discovery and Tim Hart with WMC Lily’s Alibi (OTT) were the senior section winners. Just for good measure, the organisers ran a junior 80cm class, once again with a capacity field, won by Tayla Anderson riding the pony Le Vale East Wind (People on Ponies, or POP).
The 65cm classes were won by Sammi Browell riding Isle of Delhaven and Christine Sanders’ Renwick Park Glacier.
See the full Gallery at The Regional.
View full results.
View and purchase images from this event by Lisa Green of Mane Memories.
This article appeared on The Regional on 22 February 2023.
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