Showjumping Championships Wrap Up
The 2016 Australian Showjumping Championships held at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre won’t easily be forgotten. Not only will it go down as the best Australian Championships that has ever been staged but it will also be remembered by organisers for the incredibly challenging conditions placed upon them leading up to the event. As Victoria faced floods in many parts of the State, changes to scheduling and the event program were required at the eleventh hour.
Preparation
Two days before the event started, the heavens opened and dropped 35ml of rain. A strategy was required to prepare the surface and much hard work and determination went into making sure the show got off the ground. A Super Soaker was brought in from Ballarat and ran overnight in the main area to ensure the surface was in a rideable condition and safe for riders. It’s a credit to all volunteers and Werribee staff and, in particular, our major sponsor without whom we would not have started competition on Friday let alone run such a successful event.
Revised Schedule
A decision was made to cancel all events on the grass on Thursday and run a revised program in the indoor arena. As a result of the wet conditions, the National Jumping Committee held a meeting and determined that a revised format for the Title classes would operate. This meant that instead of running 3 rounds for each Title Class, there would only be 2. The event program ran as close as possible to what was originally planned which was a great result.
Friday & Saturday Competition
Friday and Saturday saw some fabulous jumping with our top riders vying for the coveted accolades. Saturday night culminated with the Australian Speed Championship held under lights in the Indoor arena. This is a really popular event with fans and over 1000 spectators turned out to make this event a real highlight. The atmosphere was electric! Kristy Bruhn riding Jack was victorious over many very fast competitors and the crowd saw some amazing horsemanship.
Finals Day
Finals day dawned and we held our breath hoping the weather would be kind for just one more day. Thankfully someone, somewhere decided to cut us a break and we were able to run all 3 Title classes without any more amendments to the schedule.
The Australian Junior Champion was Jess Rice-Ward riding Kiwi Guard. This hotly contested class had Jess holding off Clay Simmons and Paige McBain to come home with the win.
Australian Young Rider Champion was Madeline Sinderberry riding the very popular and speedy Fernhill Zinzan just beating Jamie Priestley and KS Optimus over the line by 2 points.
Prior to the Senior Title, spectators were treated to some lighthearted entertainment in the form of a Celebrity Speed Class featuring racing identities. We had six fantastic Victorian jockeys competing for the now coveted ‘Jockey Cup’. Run over a course of approximately 90cm under Table C rules they reverted all their off the track mounts back to racing days with expert precision. These boys put their all into the class and none of them will die wondering! This event is sure to become an annual event judging by its popularity this year with some stating that they are already in training for next year’s event!
Last but my no means least, the Australian Senior Champion was Victorian (now based in NSW but we can still claim him!) Jamie Kermond on board Yandoo Oaks Constellation returning from a very successful European Campaign just in time to sweep in and claim the Title. Jamie was fortunate to not only win the Title of Senior Champion but also a 2 year old gelding very generously donated by sponsor of this year’s Rider’s Retreat Sponsor.
Functions & Entertainment
A popular feature of the Australian Championships is always the celebrations that take place once the sun goes down. This year the Committee worked hard to set new benchmarks for the functions, hospitality and entertainment. They were a talking point for all who attended.
Friday night we ran a dinner in the VIP area and we were extremely lucky to have the highly esteemed “Screaming Eagles” perform to an enthusiastic crowd of revellers as they danced their way into the night.
For something different, organisers staged the Saturday night dinner indoors overlooking the Indoor arena and the Australian Speed Championships. Dinner was provided by one of our fantastic sponsors Romulus & Remus and they catered to over 300 people with a superb gourmet carvery. The evening featured a Stallion Auction and live entertainment with a very talented acoustic duo who performed for the riders well into the evening.
Another year done and dusted with many weary committee members and volunteers trudging home very late Sunday night. We couldn’t have run such a successful event without all the hard work and dedication of those people and we sincerely thank them and hope we haven’t put them off for next year!. It will be a short break for all involved before we turn our heads to 2017 when we’ll be back to do it all again – bigger and better than ever before !
RESULTS OF THE DAY
AUSTRALIAN SPEED CHAMPION 2016
- Kristy Bruhn & Jack
- Savanna Hopkinson & Barrichello
- Phil Stephens & Da Vince
AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR CHAMPION 2016
- Jessie Rice-Ward & Kiwi Guard
- Clay Simmonds & Oaks Castanza
- Paige McBain & Yalambi's Cambridge
AUSTRALIAN YOUNG RIDER CHAMPION 2016
- Madeline Sinderberry & Fernhill Zinzan
- Jamie Priestley & KS Optimus
- Brooke Langbecker & Flowervale Diamond
AUSTRALIAN SENIOR CHAMPION 2016
- Jamie Kermond & Yandoo Oaks Constellation
- Andrew Lamb & CP Argento
- Olivia Hamood & Carrado GHP
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