Sport

Former Australian Diamond and SP Netball Founder Susan Pettitt is coming to Narrandera to run a clinic for 6-12 year olds at the Narrandera Netball Courts. Susan Pettitt (nee Prately) represented Australia in the 21/Under Team from 2003-2005. She began her Diamonds journey in 2006, playing the Commonwealth Games (silver) and continued to be a part of an impressive Diamonds lineup...

The down-to-earth style of Matthew Denny - indeed the Denny family - was to the fore on Friday night when members of the community gathered to applaud the success of one of Allora’s greatest sporting achievers ... Speaking about his gold medal performance at the Bermingham Commonwealth Games, Denny said he was very relaxed. “I was having fun - I compete at my best when I’m having fun,” he said.

Over my life I have come to the conclusion there are two type of people: the “could have, should have, would haves”, and the helpers. The “could have, should have, would haves” are the majority. They would have handled things differently, ie, “you should have done things differently and then you could have not been in the trouble you are in”. They were out in force this week when television stations showed the frantic efforts to save broodmares in the Goulburn Valley floods.

Rodney Stevens. Maclean athletics legend Tom Hancock is showing no signs of slowing down at age 86, recently breaking four Australian Records and winning male athlete of the Australian Masters Athletics Winter Throws Championship. The Master’s Games stalwart competed in the throwing only event from October 1 to 3, against 60 of the nation’s best, experienced athletes, aged between 30 and 86 - making him the eldest competitor.

Samuel Davis. Striding past Buckingham Palace, Joyrah Newman felt a burst of energy as she neared the London Marathon’s finish line. “It’s this painful happy thing,” Ms Newman said. “It’s one of the best experiences" ... The Canberra-based public servant, who still calls Bamaga home, joined the Indigenous Marathon Project in April, 2021. Started in 2009 by Aussie champion, Robert De Castella, IMP uses running to create inspirational First Nations leaders.

The 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon Masters World Championships will be coming to Western Australia next year as part of the popular Dwellingup 100 event. This will be the first time the world championship event has been held outside Italy.

Victoria's annual awards for off-the-track Thoroughbreds and re-trainers have been presented at a luncheon at Werribee Mansion hosted by the program’s organising bodies, Racing Victoria and Equestrian Victoria. The awards for the 2021-22 season included specific acknowledgement for performances in several equestrian disciplines, as well as the people who helped get the horses there.

Rita de Bon is a 15-year-old event rider with dreams of competing at the highest level. Despite being born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and battling the disease all through her young life, horses have been part of it. “She is determined,” her mother, Bhakti, said. “And even though at times the CF interferes, she knows what she wants to achieve and continues on.” ... Although her mother said no Thoroughbreds, they did look at one, a 16hh gelding named Puffin and Rita instantly fell in love.

When you’re at the Maldon & Baringhup Agricultural Show this Sunday, you’ll see local farmer Bill McKnight quietly going about his business as ringmaster: he’s in charge of the horse events. It’s not an easy job, with 100 to 140 horses competing in a range of events. At the age of 87, is Bill the oldest ringmaster in Australia?

Despite the relatively small population of the Toowoomba Region, four local boys, including Tom Campbell of Mount Rascal and Dan Burge of Vale View, contributed to over 10 per cent of participants in hockey's Under 18 Futures Camp. Tom and Dan were joined by Will Ready from Toowoomba (previously Warwick) and Oliver Harding, also from Toowoomba.

The future of the Weipa Billfish Club appears to be bright if the results from the club’s annual major tournament are any indication ... The 2022 Hastings Deering Weipa Billfish Tournament attracted 54 anglers in 16 boats, comprising five juniors, 10 women and 39 men.

Today's young show riders are dedicated and work hard at their craft, and at the NSW Horse of the Year show the attention to detail they have was shown in their success ... With three months to go to the National Show Horse championships in December, NSW has chosen a strong group of representatives.

The remarkable Lee family is proof that a love of horses means a healthy and happy lifestyle. Paul and Lyn Lee, and their four daughters Sherrie, Tamara, Brynie and Ebonie have created a show horse training complex at Whittlesea that has built on their already strong success in the very competitive horse world. This week at Royal Melbourne Show, Ebonie, the youngest of the four girls, won the famous Garryowen trophy in its 88th year riding Simone Padoin’s Wynara Signature.

…where was the wind when you need it most? The sailing season got off to a good start out at Cairn Curran last weekend, with sunny weather and a lake brimming with water. As one Cairn Curran Yacht Club member commented, “A beautiful day for everything except sailing.

Jeff Hanson. Harness racing lost a legend last week, with Colin Pike passing away in his home town of Temora on Thursday at the age of 90 ... Pike's first horse, Rayjen began racing in 1956 and she was his first race drive ... Rayjen went on to produce one of the greatest pacers this country has ever seen. Paleface Adios (Deep Adios x Ray-den) started 240 times winning 108 races ...

The Moulamein sheep dog trials has returned showcasing the incredible bond of human and working dog. Barry McKenzie, Moulamein Working Dog Club president, had four dogs – two mature dogs and two pups – in the competition and was delighted to have the competition running again.

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.