After a year of collecting qualifications, the Victorian Agricultural Shows Saddle Horse Championships at Bendigo were a celebration of equestrian excellence.
More than 1300 entries were received across the two-day event, with most exhibitors not to be deterred by a forecast for temperatures that were expected to peak at 40 degrees on the Sunday.
Standout performances included Rebecca Gerber and Brent Bennett winning both led and ridden champion sashes in the open show hunter section with large pony XL of Sefton (Gerber) and hack Louvont (Bennett).
Emma Parlevliet’s show hunter hack Fairways Danciniro took out a trifecta of championships in the rising star, debutante and amateur owner-rider sections.
Otherwise, there was an equitable spread of names across the results.
Hats off to the Standardbred owners who turned out in great force to represent their breed in uncomfortable conditions.
The long line-up waited patiently in the midday heat to finally learn that the winner of the state final of Alabar HERO Series for ridden Standardbreds would be Kylie Gleeson’s Mazza’s Delight.
Runner-up was owner-rider Hollie Hildbrandt’s Savesometimetodream. The remainder of the top 10 were Brooke Fox and Kasbah Kid, Kathryn West and Future Bliss, Kiera Barton and Brentwood After Dark, Audrie Weber and Hamilton’s Tycoon, Lily Blundstone and Gotta Good Reason, Michelle Grixti and The Noble Steed and Victoria Talbot. The encouragement award was given to Sebastian Bellamy and Kenneth’s Girl.
Champion led Standardbred was Mitch Fox’s Majestic Cruiser with Casey Leijen’s Wally reserve.
The off-the-track (OTT) Thoroughbreds were also entered in high numbers, with Rachel Addison’s Turnitaround selected as the open led state final winner. Mitch Fox’s King’s Counsel was the runner-up.
Natalie McKay’s Saint Onyx was the open OTT ridden series winner ahead of Sienna Mullan-Wright’s St Andrews.
The OTT led show hunter series final went to Jessica Pattison’s Diamond Oasis (runner-up Susan Bufton’s SV Winchester) and the ridden final was claimed by Fiona McIntyre’s Westminster (runner-up Madeleine’s Tabak’s MT Panorama).
The champion open riders of the show, selected by NSW judge Tracie Wells, were Jack Fried (junior), Sienna Mullan-Wright (intermediate) and Georgina Barrey (senior), with Audrie Weber taking the champion rider sash in the Standardbred ring.
The prestigious Good Hands winner out of 23 entries was Eden Maddison, who qualified at Boort Show.
In the open competition, entry numbers were up and down.
Led champions were small pony Kinloch Benjamin Buttons (Kinloch Show Stables), large pony Royalwood Strolling Minstrel (Bobby Hammet), galloway Queen of New York (Ebonie Lee) and hack King’s Counsel (Mitch Fox).
Saddle champions were small pony Allambah Sugar Pop (Morgan Lane), large pony Bayview Ivy League (Cruize Thorpe Heal), galloway Daisy Patch English Affair (Annique Smith), small hack Saint Onxy (Natalie McKay) and large hack Oceans (Carey Blizzard).
The champion ridden Shetland was Lee Purchase’s Korawyn So Si Bon with Raechel Gray’s Royalview Ruffles reserve.
The show hunter led champions were Cara Kavanagh’s Kendra Park Truffle (small pony), Rebecca Gerber’s XL of Sefton (large pony), Kathleen Mudie’s Sancy Fan Wildcraft (galloway) and Brent Bennett’s Louvont (hack).
Champion show hunters under saddle were Britt Holmberg’s Tooravale Vermeer (small pony), Rebecca Gerber’s XL of Sefton (large pony), Erin McCarroll’s Alpine Park First Light (galloway), Brooke Fox’s Notice Board (small hack) and Brent Bennett’s Louvont (large hack).
There was an army of child riders entered with the six child’s mount championships going to Shayleigh Joblin’s CT Shumukh (pony), the Preedy Family’s Korra-Lyn Carnival (show hunter pony), Jenna Backman’s Sanlirra Graceland (galloway), Woodmount Equestrian’s Belmore Park Perfect Dancer (show hunter galloway), Sienna Mullan-Wright’s St Andrews (hack) and Brooke Fox’s Notice Board (show hunter hack).
Among the highlights of the VAS championships are the rising star, first season and debutante specialist sections for up-and-coming horses, as well as popular amateur owner-rider classes.
Added together it makes for a very big program.
The rising star champions (horses that are still novices at royal shows) were Stacey Oakley’s Tara Park The Gambler (Shetland), Bernadine Magro’s Deanhills Liberation (galloway), Kerry Mulgrew’s Beauparc Prince Harry (show hunter galloway), Bobby Hammet’s Royalwood Strolling Minstral (large pony), Rebecca Gerber’s XL of Sefton (show hunter pony), Alannah Burns’ Beverley Queen of Pop (small pony), Clint Bilson’s King Creed (hack) and Emma Parlevliet’s Fairways Danciniro (show hunter hack).
In the first season classes, the champions were Leigh Dunston’s Wynara Sweet Embrace (pony), Raechel Gray’s Royalview Ruffles (Shetland), Jazmine Robert’s Manorvale Show Me (galloway), Kinloch Show Stables’ Blood Oath (hack), Tenisha Greasley’s Whistlejackets Just George (show hunter galloway), Lindy Lewis’ Bloomfield Furstin Sweetie (show hunter hack) and Taylah Spiteri’s Genesis Park Shelter (show hunter pony).
Debutante classes are for the true newbies to the world of saddle competition. NSW judge Bronwyn Parker had the honor of putting the entries through their paces with championships awarded to Elizabeth Greshner’s Beauparc Queen of Hearts (show hunter pony), Indianna Shepheard’s Chapell Park I’m A Rockstar (show hunter galloway), Emma Parveliet’s Fairways Danciniro (show hunter hack), Alannah Burns’ Beverley Queen of Pop (pony), Ebonie Lee’s Queen of New York (galloway) and Jess Castle’s Fernleigh Valour.
The supreme champion garlands went to Chapell Park I’m A Rockstar and Beverley Queen of Pop.
Amateur owner riders are the backbone of agricultural shows and this section was hotly contested across the classes.
Champions were Willow Fried’s Rivington Folk Singer (show hunter pony), Kerry Mulgrew’s Beauparc Prince Harry (show hunter galloway), Emma Parlevliet’s Fairways Danciniro (show hunter hack), Harlow Lesko’s Sanlirra Distinction (hack), Eden Maddison’s Karlana Let’s Party (galloway) and Cruize Thorpe Heal’s Bayview Ivy League (pony).
The off-the-track winners in these sections were Fiona McIntyre’s Nasukawa (rising star and first season show hunter), Clint Bilson’s King Creed (rising star and first season open), Riley Shannon-Winzer and Shaundale Park Egyptian Prince (amateur owner rider show hunter) and Paige Clarke’s Abradock (amateur owner rider open).
Last but absolutely not least, the littlies who stood at the top of the line-ups in the leading rein classes were Gracelyn Karakaltsas on Shetland Colvadale Reliance, Kauta Schwartz on open pony Salron Park Colour Show and Danika Troeth on show hunter Charmosa Peter Pan.
Jack Fried and Riegal Fine Romance won the first ridden open pony class and Stella Marcus and Rivington Folk Rock the first ridden show hunter.
The full judge list for the show was Shelley Riley and Majorie Radford from Western Australia, Bronwyn Parker and Tracie Wells from NSW and Victorians Sherrie Nugent, Liz Eurell, Raymond Butler, Victoria Armstrong, Kathleen Tomkinson Mullan and Stacey Barker.
Next year’s championships will not be held in Bendigo due to redevelopment of the showgrounds.
No venue has been announced yet.
The project will see a new multi-purpose pavilion built and the arena upgraded. The project was originally proposed as part of infrastructure for the now-abandoned 2026 Commonwealth Games, with a new pavilion to be positioned where the stables are now located to host table tennis.
Development Victoria would not release any further details for the new project or a timeline for which events will be impacted.
“More information about the Bendigo Showgrounds redevelopment including estimated construction timelines and renders of the design will be made available to the public during 2025 via the community consultation sessions,” a Victorian Government spokesman said.
The spokesman was asked if the plans remain the same as for the Commonwealth Games project but a response has not been received as yet.
The spokesman did confirm new stables were not part of the new scheduled works.
Anyone who would like to be kept informed of project updates, including dates for community consultation sessions, can register their interest here.
See all the photos and download the full results at The Regional.
This article appeared on The Regional on 12 February 2025.
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