Equestrian

The Sydney Royal Easter Show’s breed classes have again provided a highlight for spectators as the best of the best go under the judges’ eyes.

Nicki Barnet. Three of South Australia’s up and coming riders and their ponies have set off on the journey of a lifetime to the National Pony Racing Series Finals, which takes place at Royal Randwick in Sydney on All Aged Stakes Day on April 20. Supported by Racing SA, Cheyenne Crane and her pony Phoenix will represent SA in the large pony category...

The 2024 Man From Snowy River Bush Festival attracted record crowds on Friday and Saturday night in a celebration of Australian bush heritage ... The live concert on Friday night drew an estimated crowd of 8000 while the Wrangler Xtreme Broncs Australia rodeo on Saturday night was attended by a record 10,000 people.

The 2023/24 National Pony Racing Series reaches its peak with a thrilling final at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse ... Young riders, aged 9 to 15 years, representing Pony Clubs nationwide, will vie for victory ...

If ever a pony club could lay a claim to having produced famous riders, it’s Emu Creek. Four former members of the Victorian Western District club — Wayne, Barry and Clarke Roycroft and Phillipa Glennen — have become Olympians ... Pony club parents don’t seem to mind travelling, and the event drew competitors from across the state.

Peter Hibberd. The Charlton Harness Racing Club in conjunction with the Djaara people ran its annual race day at Charlton on Wednesday. Being the traditional owners of Country across central Victoria, the land on which the harness racing training centre is based was granted to the Charlton Club in 2012. Every year since, the Club has a special day to celebrate this important event.

Preparations are in full swing for this year’s Man From Snowy River Bush Festival (April 11th-14th) which is expected to be one of the best attended and most successful in its 29-year history. "We are genuinely excited with what we have in front of us in delivering the 2024 festival," said festival chairman, Cameron Jackson.

Mackenzie Walch, 18, has only been riding seriously since 2014 but the talented young eventer has just represented her country for the first time ... With eventing as her first love, she rose through the ranks and is now part of a group of young Tasmanian riders who find it necessary each year to compete on the mainland to get strong competition experience.

Member for Condamine Pat Weir has used a speech in Parliament to call for more investment to improve sporting facilities in the Toowoomba Region ... "The Toowoomba region was hopeful of a significant economic opportunity for its growing community with the announcement of the Olympic Games, especially given its close proximity to Brisbane and ongoing advocacy for a passenger rail connection to the south-east corner," he told Parliament.

The Gypsy Cob is one of the “new” breeds being seen in Australian show rings in recent years. Their history is based in the Romani culture. As their work horses and living with the Romani families, they developed a strong work ethic and equitable temperament. They were so cherished by their owners that the saying was that “gypsy gold does not clink and glitter, it gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark”.

Welsh ponies seem to bloom in March, with NSW leading the way, followed by the Victorian show later in the month. The 2024 NSW All Welsh Show was held at the Hawkesbury Showground, Clarendon, which is just west of Sydney before the Blue Mountains.

Yanco Agricultural High School polocrosse riders and Equestrian Centre competitors have been achieving success recently ... competed in the Yass PoloX carnival held at Hall in ACT ... The Yanco Agricultural High School Equestrian Centre at Yanco is booming with 24-plus horses now in residence.

Allora might be a small town but they really know how to stage a big event with their showgrounds the location of two days of wonderful celebrations of the contribution that heavy horses, mules, bullocks and other draught animals and pioneers made to the development of the Darling Downs.

The Clydesdale and Heavy Horse Show held at Werribee Park each year is an absolute spectacle. People have a deep love for the past and the great horse that made Australia, so to see them on display as they parade on the green grass is something really special.

Victorian Renee Henry and Kollage MI have taken out the Snake Valley Dash Endurance ride’s perpetual line honours trophy ... There were 80 horse and rider combinations competing across four distance levels - 20km, 40km and 80km distances as well as a 5km course to accommodate younger riders and newcomers to the sport.

Step back in time to a world of yesteryear when draught horses ploughed the fields and pulled the wagons. This weekend the Allora Showgrounds comes alive with the third annual Darling Downs Heavy Horse Festival – a celebration of our agricultural history and the pioneers who built this great nation.

“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” According to Wikipedia, the original saying was spoken about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian Herodotus but it could have been applied to the hardy showies who competed on the second day of the Victorian Agricultural Shows Annual Championships at Bendigo.

Carriage drivers from all around Australia, plus volunteers and visitors from as far away as Canada, made the Level 2 “Battle of the Borders” CDE at Carbery Estate, Mullengandra NSW, an outstanding event.

Robin Letts. It was 1948, the year after I had left the Royal Australian Naval College at HMAS “Cerberus”, to take up a position with the family newspaper, “The Donald Times” ... During an informal chat prior to the running of the 1948 Melbourne Cup, Howard had told me of a small wager he had made on a horse called Rimfire, to be ridden by Birchip jockey, Ray Neville.

An exciting new radio play is about to hit the airwaves. ‘Trouble At Towong’ has been written by Carol Lowden and centres on the alleged appearance of Squizzy Taylor at the Towong Cup meeting of 1927. Carol is a Mansfield writer with ties to the Upper Murray and a particular interest in the Towong races.

Charlton Pony Club local, Charlotte Stewart, will represent Australia next month in Mounted Games in New Zealand as part of the prestigious Horse of the Year (HOY) event held annually. Charlotte was selected as part of the team competing at HOY by the Australian Mounted Games Association committee.