Sport

At its Ordinary Meeting Southern Downs Regional Council recognised Joan Cronin for her significant contribution and dedication to the region as a volunteer at the Allora Regional Sports Museum ... “Joan is a shining example of an ordinary citizen delivering an extraordinary service to the community and I am pleased to recognise her years of selfless service”: Mayor Pennisi.

Some welcome new and returning faces filled out the benches at Clifton Benchrest Shooting Club’s September shoot ... placegetters in Centrefire, from left, Marg Sullivan 3rd, Helen Manteit 2nd and smallest group, Gary Manteit 1st.

Emma Pritchard. While the Grafton Olympic Pool will remain closed for the 2022/23 season, Clarence Valley Council (CVC) has approved the commencement of a two-stage selective tender process for the redevelopment of the site, with councillors voting 6-3 at the monthly meeting on September 27 to endorse the proposal ... “This is a major piece of infrastructure for our valley”: Councillor Debrah Novak

Thomas Gallagher from Tyndale enjoyed a successful season in the 2022 Australian Kart Championship in the Class Tag 125 Seniors division, placing third overall and finishing first in the NSW round at Newcastle and second at Melbourne ... Finding venues to practice and compete has been a challenge since the Grafton Sporting Car Club ceased karting at Mountain View Motor Sport Complex, with the family often travelling to Coffs Harbour, Ipswich and Newcastle.

With wonderful prizemoney on offer and one of the final chances to gain a place in the $2 Million Big Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day, outstanding nominations have been received for the $200,000 Carlton Dry Port Macquarie Cup at the circuit on Friday. The champion stable of Chris Waller has earmarked five horses for the club’s feature with Quality Time spearheading the team following two strong metropolitan wins by the German import.

Despite the best attempts of his international rivals, Australian carriage driver Boyd Exell kept a cool head during a soaking final cones round to win a decisive sixth individual FEI Driving four-in-hand World Championship in Italy. It leaves his unbroken reign intact after his first gold 12 years ago in Lexington, US.

A NSW parliamentary inquiry into the granting of a contract to resurface two arenas at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre has found the tender process managed by the Office of Sport was flawed and that “robust probity standards” were not applied.

Stuart Caulfield bolted home in one hour, 19 minutes, 12 seconds to win the Denmark Half Marathon in drizzly weather on Sunday morning. About 200 runners and walkers registered in the three events which included the 21km and 10km, and 2km for children.

Jeff Hanson. Nick Souquet has found his way back to the winner’s circle after landing good victories at Canberra on Saturday and Narrandera on Monday. On Saturday at Canberra, the Tumbarumba product and Wodonga-based hoop emerged victorious in the 1600m TAB Federal aboard the Mitch Beer-trained Scarlet Prince.

The current Allora Golf Course will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, with a golf day and BBQ planned for Sunday 2nd October. We say “current” because this golf course is actually the third one in Allora. The first Allora Golf Club was formed in June 1927 and the course opened in August 1927.

Xavier Jacobs-Twain. After a worrying week of torrential rains and local flooding, Grafton Sporting Car Club welcomed a near capacity field of almost 70 cars and drivers with two fantastic blue-sky days for the running of the club's 5th and 6th rounds. The field got off to a flying start as the track dried out and heated up.

Cliffy Pearson retired from rodeo in fine style on Saturday night, taking top points in the open saddle bronc in front of adoring fans at the Hope Vale Bulls and Broncs event. The win was bittersweet for Pearson, who dedicated it in honour of Roxanne Hart, who passed away recently.

Log cabins and synthetic trees are part of a successful trial of fish-attracting structures in Queensland which could be just the boon freshwater fishers have been angling for ... the dam stretches over 500 hectares and the hunting ground was too spread out, the fish too hard to find.

The Victorian Government has been accused of “side-stepping the consultation process” over proposed changes to animals welfare laws that could see licences brought in for horse events and any commercial horse activity. Animal Care Australia (ACA) horses and livestock representative Karri Nadazdy said as a major stakeholder, ACA responded to the Animal Welfare Act Reform Directions Paper in December 2020 and said no warning was given that licensing was under consideration.

Licences for any professional horse activity and events in Victoria could be brought in under proposed new animal welfare laws. The proposal has been outlined in a plan developed as part of the reform process for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 and states that anyone “showing and exhibiting animals for a commercial purpose” would be subject to new regulations, including that a “licence is required”.

Peter Sedgwick. Last Wednesday, 14 September, Maldon hosted the season’s First Triples Competition. Twelve teams of three competed. The participating players came from Maldon, Talbot, Carisbrook, Avoca, Dunolly, Harcourt, Maryborough Golf and Maryborough Highland ... Only one point separated the three top teams after the three games of 10 ends.

Like a shining beacon of fun and entertainment, the new cluBarham bowling facility lit up the night sky at the official opening on Friday, September 16. Members, invited guests and bowling dignitaries made up the 170 strong crowd in attendance ... What unfolded was a team of local trades and services that shared a common goal of building a facility that can attract regional, state and even national competition.

Jeff Hanson. Saturday's Riverina Football League (RFL) grand final at Narrandera Sportsground lived up to expectation, with the Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong (GGGM) Lions and Collingullie-Glenfield Park (CGP) Demons engaging in a low-scoring and finals-like slugfest. In a game dictated by momentum swings, both sides had their chances, but the Lions kicked away to score three majors in the final quarter, setting up a 6.12 (48) to 4.7 (31) victory, giving the club their first premiership in 11 years.

Glyn Rees. Team captain and coach Travis Burns’ Wattles Warriors first grade team served up their club’s fifth first grade premiership success since joining the Toowoomba Rugby League in 1966 when they dispatched the Gatton Hawks 51 – 20 at Toowoomba’s Clive Berghofer Stadium on Sunday in front of a packed crowd. While a swansong for the skipper, it was a dream come true for him and his sixteen team mates.

In October 2021 Maclean Business Chamber approached Mark Stephenson from Big River Ski Club to start the conversation around bringing the Bridge-to-Bridge Ski Race back to the lower river and the traditional full course, turning at Harwood Bridge ... “The Race is a big-ticket event in the Clarence Valley with competitors and spectators coming from far and wide, to take part, or be a part of the spectacular event": President of the Chamber, Christine Tyler.

If determination has anything to do with it, Darwin's Luke Purtill, whose mum says he has as much hardware in his body as “the bionic man”, may be riding for Australia in Germany next year ... “Luke’s goals are to be selected to represent Australia at the Special Olympic World Games,” his mum, Robyn, said. “It’s not just about winning though. Luke knows he wins every time he gets on a horse and would like to inspire every rider, regardless of ability to have the courage to reach for their dreams and be the best you can be.”

Australia's success on the international sporting arena has earned the country a reputation as one of the top equestrian nations in the world. The Equestrian Australia Hall of Fame was started in 2010 and honours EA's greatest achievers, but maybe it’s time the panel took a new look and added a number of greats who are missing from the list.