Fran Cleland, The Regional

The Royal Hobart Show horse program had a bit of a shake-up this year due to continuing redevelopment works at the showgrounds. Classes were held at the Tasmanian Equestrian Centre at Lauderdale instead of the Glenorchy site, which has been the home of the royal show since 1904 except for the past two years while work progresses on a new arena and pavilions.

Stuart Jenkins and the nine-year-old mare Fairview Alicana won the 2023 Australian Senior Jumping Championship in Sydney last week ... At a time where megadollars are paid for imported showjumping horses, even for junior riders, it’s pleasing that Alicana is home-bred.

Geelong is the biggest regional agricultural show in Victoria and it’s a royal to boot. This year saw a new horse committee bring new ideas and energy to the event ... The program catered for every possible competitor ... There were also, importantly, district classes ... classes for Australian Stock Horses ... the Standardbred section ...

The Bendigo Agricultural Show is back. The two-day event was held for the first time in four years on Friday and Saturday after several cancellations due to Covid and then last year, the grounds being used to house evacuees from floods.

So you like competing at dressage but don’t like to travel far. Imagine being Nina Harris, whose work area for training is often an airstrip and going to a competition means a 670km one-way drive from Daly Waters to Darwin.

Warwick Slade. The World Mounted Games Championships returned to Australia this month, giving Australian riders a chance to compete on home soil for the first time in 15 years. Junior and senior teams took on rivals from Belgium, England, Ireland, France, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales and the US at Werribee Park ..

The dressage competition at Shirley Heights at Gladysdale in Victoria was one of many on a busy October weekend but it was special, as money raised from the event went to the Large Animal Rescue Service in Victoria. Unless it’s happened to you, you may not realise that big animals like horses and cattle can get themselves into terrible pickles falling down holes or getting hopelessly tangled in fences or creeks.

The Perth Royal Show saw a return to a full program this year after COVID caused a massive reduction in classes offered in 2022. Entries across the hack section were of excellent quality, reflecting a return to business as usual after the disruption caused by the pandemic.

The Australian Dressage Championships at Boneo Park had so many highlights it’s hard to know where to start. With the Olympic Games looming it was great to see scores over the 70 per cent mark, which has been a sticking point for so long.

The Harcourt Pony Club in Central Victoria is not one of the biggest in the state but certainly one of the most innovative and thoughtful. It realises that in addition to teaching children the basics of how to ride and look after their horse, pony club also needs to challenge young minds and be fun.