(Photo: Rebecca King)
May 11, 2021
Competitors from all over south-east Queensland came to Nanango recently to take part in the South Burnett Working Equitation Club’s first official competition for 2021.
In all, 42 individual competitors brought 48 horses to the Nanango Showgrounds to vie for points towards the Annual Horse of the Year title.
They were also competing for the chance to be selected in the Queensland State Team that will be competing at the Australian National Working Equitation Championships being held in Tamworth this October.
South Burnett club president Julie Brown told southburnett.com.au the local weekend had been very well received.
“It was a hugely successful two days jam-packed full of fun and laughter,” Julie said.
“Our competitors travelled from Tamborine, Logan, Toowoomba, Warwick, Kingaroy, Maleny, Kilkivan, Blackbutt, all around the South Burnett and everywhere in between.”
Julie said last year most local equestrian competitions had to cancelled due to the pandemic so riders were particularly keen to get back in the saddle and demonstrate their skills now that restrictions had been eased.
Julie said the club wanted to particularly thank their major sponsor, Heritage Community Bank Nanango.
“With their support we were able to purchase key safety equipment and obstacles which enabled us to have even more participants take part,” Julie said.
Other sponsors who also helped make the weekend memorable included Andersons Produce, Westlink Petroleum, Triad Constructions, Call Me Red, Horse Happy Hooves, Bratton Park Training Centre and Doug and Betty Flint.
The competition had five rounds over the weekend.
The overall winner was Linda Shore on ‘Boulevarde Gabriell’, who finished with 45 points.
The complete list of competitors and their results can be found here (800Kb PDF)
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The South Burnett Working Equitation Club is based in Nanango.
It began in July 2019 and now has members ranging in age from 11 through to 70-plus.
Working Equitation is a dressage-based discipline that began in Europe and has gained in popularity in Australia. There are now seven clubs in Queensland.
Horses perform a dressage test, a maneability round (where they are judged on how correctly, obediently, stylishly and calmly they perform a series of obstacles) and a timed event (where they demonstrate their agility and speed).
At State and National competitions, they also do a cattle team penning phase.
The South Burnett Club always welcomes new members, and interested riders can obtain more details by phoning Julie on 0417-749-910 or by joining the club’s Facebook group.
[Photos: Rebecca King]
