They can jump puddles but no need to at Shepparton
THE Northern Victorian Show Jumping Club managed to avoid the rain and flooding that crippled the state, holding their spring event the week prior.
Even so, they could not use the main grass arena that has hosted World Cup events since 1984.
Instead, they held classes on the sand arena and made sure those parking didn’t get bogged in the soaked camping sections.
It’s a busy ground, hosting four Equestrian Victoria-affiliated showjumping events a year during February, March, October and November, with the October event usually being the Grand Prix show for the year but this has been rescheduled due to the weather.
Committee member Philippa Davison-Jaques said while it was disappointing that they had to run a smaller show than usual, the club took pride in its grass arena, and with the cold, damp season, it had not consolidated.
“We have three more big shows to come, and so we chose to look after the surface,” she said. “We worked around the problems and everyone had a good show.”
At least the riders did get to compete and get a run on a good surface over well-built courses, with a lot of new, young horses out for experience.
Sophia Hill’s Humble Glory mixes his showjumping with eventing and fairly flew to win the 125cm on the first day from Murray Lamperd’s Sebastian and Jena Bloomfield’s Warnie.
Jena Bloomfield had a win in the 115cm class riding Slaash, from Des Gleeson’s Mingara Vonbella and Clyde Shera Jones’ Si Si Strike.
Asha Warnock won two events with her mare Keldam Valou in the 105cm and 110cm, with a seventh in the 115cm.
In the lower events, Eliza Abrahams, 11, sped around in the 70cm course to take out first and second riding Varchie RM and Rocket Rod, with Phoebe Rathjen in third place with Saddle Up Valtina.
Eliza and Rocket Rod stepped up to win the 80cm, with Sarah Hardwick on Hard To Love second and Eliza and Varchie RM third. She rounded out a busy day also winning the 90cm class on Rocket Rod from Malika Rudge riding Lillyview Park Dixie Ray and Charli Hill with Isle of Jarroe Valley.
Eliza’s dad, Stuart Abrahams, was also competing with a young horse on the day, so it was a family affair.
Kendall Richards won the 135cm class with Keldam Vision.
The Northern Victorian Show Jumping Club has always fostered young riders and holds frequent “clear round” training days.
These training days, along with club clinics held with a variety of highly qualified coaches during the year, are available for members to attend.
The club also hosts numerous Horse Riding Clubs Associations of Victoria (HRCAV) jumping events throughout the year.
Click here for more Northern Victorian Show Jumping Club images (summer show) from Grain and Mane.
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