Fran Cleland, The Regional

The supreme led Welsh exhibit overall for the second year in a row at the NSW All Welsh Show was the Welsh Mountain Pony stallion Waxwing Passport ... Passport also completed the hat trick by winning supreme ridden Welsh exhibit of the show, following on from the same win at both the Victorian and South Australian All Welsh shows this season.

While spectators are used to watching youngsters mounted on their ponies doing all sorts of things, pony trots is attracting more and more young drivers. Pony trots is for children aged six to 17 years old with ponies who are no bigger than 13hh in height, and the races are conducted at meetings in the same way as the big guns.

The jingle of chains, the sparkle of big, turning wheels and the steady clop of hooves made the Victorian Tradesmen and Delivery Horse Group show a real pleasure. The group is dedicated to preserving the history and authenticity of the heritage of traditional commercial horse drawn vehicles in Australia by continuing to hold shows at regional agriculture shows throughout Victoria.

Australia's two riders at the FEI Endurance World Championships at Butheeb UAE finished well, with Jodie Salinas and Baroud Rio coming in fifth and Andrea Laws-King riding Heathfield's Bin Sadaqa in 31st position. Australia also featured in the breeding of the magnificent mare Haleh, bred in Australia by Bullio Razorback, winning individual silver.

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.

I was honoured to get a Hall of Fame Award from the Barastoc Horse of the Year Show committee and I think a pocket history of the show is needed. What other event has had the same naming rights sponsor for 54 years making the name so established it can’t be separated from the title?

Brenda Renison and her Fjord pony, Irene, attract attention whenever they go to competitions ... Brenda has four Fjords. She fell in love with the breed many years ago when there was a fire in Kinglake in Victoria and her family opened up their property for people to bring their horses to a safe area.

A team of Australian Pony Club riders have been having the time of their lives in New Zealand after being selected to be part of this year’s Inter Pacific Exchange. The four riders – Ashleigh Bennett of Young NSW, Bridget Mouat of Riddells Creek Victoria, Georgia Elias of Launceston, Tasmania and Georgia Goss of Eastern Hills WA – competed in two events while overseas, as well as fitting in a lot of sight-seeing across the 18 days of their trip.

The National Clydesdale and Heavy Horse Festival went ahead last weekend with a heavy heart, marred by a road accident on the afternoon before the show began that claimed the life of one of its own ... Organisers however, decided the show must go on and put on a cracker of an event to mark the 15th anniversary since it was first held at Werribee Park in 2008.

The honest Standardbred was once the poor relation of the racehorse world. While the Thoroughbreds had a chance of finding a life after racing, the Standardbred was far less likely to get that opportunity. In the past 20 years – and especially since 2015 when Harness Racing Victoria set up its “HERO” rehoming program – things have really changed and they can be found in any number of occupations, without a sulky in sight.