Team WA - Alias The Australasian Show Horse and Rider Championships 2023
CONGRATULATIONS TEAM WA!!!
Anyone who lives in WA knows that to have the honour and privilege to represent this State takes a great deal of planning and considerable expense. It was certainly no different for the intrepid team of riders, horses, owners, family and friends who travelled by land and air to ensure that WA was well represented at the 2023 Nationals in Sydney on November 30 to December 2.
Since COVID 19 we have fielded only a few WA entrants but this year saw a gradual return to the numbers we had pre 2021.
WA was represented in fourteen classes - Childs’, Open and Rider. At the Nationals each class is judged by three judges and no one Judge’s opinion carries more weight than another. To even get a vote from one judge is an achievement as the competition is between the best horses, ponies or riders from each State.
OUR TEAM
Contredance and Silkwood Mercedes –Mercedes Matthews
Scaysbrook Park Royal Encore – Belinda Gray and Bella Reynolds
Yarralea Minks Agent – Morgan Lane and Ava Bowles
Whitmere Benjamin Button – Kadance Langley
Petite E’toile – Lauren King and Fiona Whife
Lily’s Fair – Leshae Itzstein - Kym Wilson
Bellevale Charisma - Madeleine Cooke – Ella Warren
Madeleine and Leshae were generously loaned the lovely ponies Bellevale Charisma and Lily’s Fair to compete in their Rider Classes. They both produced great workouts. Thank you to Ella Warren who owns Bellevale Charisma and Kym Wilson owner of Lily’s Fair.
Thank you also to Morgan Lane who owns and rode Yarralea Minks Agent in her Open Large Show Pony Class. Ava Bowles was fortunate to ride Yarralea Minks Agent in her rider class and also in the Childs’ Large Show Pony.
The girls did a fantastic job and they loved your ponies and being a part of Team WA.
All the ponies and horses worked extremely well with many gaining a vote from the Judges. However, special mention must be made of Mercedes and Contredance who were the runners-up in the Small Galloway Hunter producing an amazing workout and Scaysbrook Park Royal Encore who took third place in the Medium Pony Hunter also with a ‘stand out’ workout and ridden by Bella Reynolds. Belinda Gray produced ‘Archie’ and all her hard work really paid off.
These performances put WA on the board in the State Competition – not easy when you consider the size of the teams from the other States.
We were so fortunate to have Belinda Gray as the Team Manager.
Belinda worked tirelessly to raise funds to help the Team with their expenses as well as managing the Team. She attracted fantastic sponsors who contributed financially, provided great discounts in our very smart uniforms and donated hats and gear bags. The Committee also assisted financially and also paid for parts of the uniform.
A short raffle was also held and our thanks to Advanced Feeds Pty Ltd and Hygain WA for each generously donating $500 of horse feed each.
The winner of the raffle was Andrea Tomlinson!
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