Sport

In stark contrast to public perception, a detailed investigation into Australia’s thoroughbred racing industry has found more than 90 per cent of horses retiring from racing go on to enjoy life outside the industry as pleasure or companion horses  or broodmares. Significant attention  has been  directed at the industry  recently regarding the fate of thoroughbreds retiring from racing.

Nicole Funston. What a wonderful weekend of horses and ponies. We started on Saturday with a show jumping clinic with Allan Mitchell. A legend of his trade and finished off on Sunday with our August Rally.

Ten juniors from Canteen Creek and five from Arlparra travelled to Darwin last week for the third National Indigenous Tennis Carnival. The children were treated to an unforgettable experience, which included a first plane ride and a use of an escalator for some of the children.

Kirstin Nicholson. The whirring of planes could be heard from town on the weekend as the Cohuna Model Flying Club held its first event at the airfield since the pandemic began. Fifteen competitors took part in the Victorian Miniature Pylon Racing Association’s pylon racing competition over two days.

Samuel Davis. Megastar athletes are nice but meat pies, roadhouse burgers and hugs from daughter Talei are what really fuel this truckie ... The hardest working man in Australian basketball is finally taking a break ... Junior Virantuleo, the Cooktown truckie, who swapped the cabin for courtside at some of the biggest arenas in the world, returned home this month.

Pam Dillon. Allana Bold from “All About Paddling” travelled from Queensland to conduct a three-day canoe and kayak course held out at Tingkkarli (Lake Mary Ann). Seven participants were taught the different strokes of canoeing, navigation, minimal environmental impact, knots, rescues, towing, communication, risk assessment, interpret weather, parts of both crafts, how to conduct a paddling brief and run a paddling activity.

Mount Isa might be the rodeo capital of the southern hemisphere, but Donovan Rutherfurd has his heart set on conquering the north in the not-too-distant future. The Australian champion is in superb form, having ridden time in two of his three rides at the Curry Merry Muster on the weekend and is well placed to pick up a buckle at his hometown event.

Kirstin Nicholson. The 2022 Commonwealth Games might have wrapped up, but for 20-year-old Kye Mason, his athletic journey has just taken off. Kye has secured a scholarship in the US that will enable him to develop and strengthen his prowess in the 400m event and steer him towards reaching his goal of competing in the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and local hero Matthew Denny never forgets his home town of Allora. During an interview on Channel 7 Matthew said “Hello to everyone back in Allora. Thank you Allora for supporting me” and to John - “Dad we got it done, Mate!” During one interview he made reference to the Welcome Home Parade after Tokyo when he came 4th so maybe this time Allora will be given a public holiday?

Rodney Stevens. The sporting talent of Yamba was on show on the international stage over the weekend with former Buccaneer’s junior Jed Holloway earning his first Wallabies cap, plus Cameron Pilley and cousin Donna Lobban playing for bronze in the mixed doubles squash.

Demand for the facilities at Wagga Wagga’s new $12 million Multisport Cycling Complex at Pomingalarna Reserve is growing, with several events on the calendar for August. The 2022 AusCycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships will be held at the facility next weekend (13–14 August), followed by the Wagga Wagga Trail Marathon on Saturday 20 August.

It’s not often that locals get the chance to rub shoulders with footballing legends, but this is what happened when ex-Geelong players Matthew Scarlett and Darren Milburn came to MFNC training last Thursday night.   They were generous with their time and gave sound advice to both junior and senior footballers. Both defenders, Matthew and Darren were outstanding players at a time when Geelong was one of the best teams in the competition.

Chris Oldfield. One of Naracoorte’s greatest sporting champions Jessica Stenson, nee Trengrove, has helped inspire mothers around the world by winning gold in the women's marathon at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The triple medallist won bronze in Glasgow, 2014 Commonwealth Games, and bronze at the Gold Coast 2018 games.

Serena Kirby. Denmark newcomer Emma Dellar is playing a game which is not for the faint-hearted, American football, or gridiron, against the world’s best in Finland. Emma, 37, is one of the 45-strong squad making up the Australian women’s team competing in the 2022 International Federation of American Football World Championships held over July and August in Finland.

The country’s racing-elite return to our region for Round 5 of the Australian Superbike Championship this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Motorcycling Australia CEO Peter Doyle expects that the event will be a much anticipated and welcome highlight for both spectators and riders.

The Ultimate Festival of Wheels, Red CentreNATS returns to the stunning heart of Australia in September, and this year’s program takes things up another notch with the inclusion of a Thursday evening qualifying program at Alice Springs Inland Dragway (ASID). The additional evening is to cater for the ever-growing program, and will see ASID open for qualifying for both Round 1 of the 2022/2023 Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship and Top Doorslammer Australia. This means the fastest cars on earth will be heading to the Red Centre.

The Tom Quilty Gold Cup is a tough challenge for any endurance rider, yet Wyreema’s Roy Barsby, at 71 years of age, not only completed the course but won the heavyweight division. Riding Dumaresq Suleiman, a horse he saved from being turned into dog food, Mr Barsby completed the 160 kilometre (100 miles) course in 13 hours and 40 minutes, over an hour quicker than second place.

Rodney Stevens. "It now not only has such a diverse range of new obstacles, ramps, stairs, rails, flats, and lots of fun, creativity-inspired skateable elements, but also  boasts a super advanced and fast three-metre-deep clover-style bowl to rival any skate park on the east coast of Australia": Clarence Valley Council Manager Open Spaces and Facilities Peter Birch.

Pony Club in Australia has moved on from the days of routine sports like jumping, games and dressage (‘flat work’). Nowadays you could see members doing tetrathlons, tentpegging, polocrosse, horse archery, quiz, vaulting, horse ball, working equitation and more.

Five records were broken at the Weipa Running Festival on Sunday, a fitting result in the events fifth year ... The men’s marathon was taken out by Weipa’s Ross Dawson, who finished in 3:41.59, while Karen Inglis was the women’s winner in 4:36.09.