STAGING a World Cup qualifier is an exciting privilege for the North North West Showjumping Club.
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The NNWSJC has been providing show jumping events for the past 30 years, but its stocks have risen markedly since moving to the state-of-the-art Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) in 2008. It has allowed the sport to grow in the region.
This October the FEI World Cup Qualifier will be the only qualifier held in regional NSW.
AELEC representative Darren Greentree, who often competes with his son in the lower heights, is excited about the World Cup show.
“ The team at AELEC has enjoyed working with the NNWSJC over the years and has been impressed by the continued growth of the events, which shows the obvious attraction to the sport of showjumping and also the ability of the club to host successful events,” Greentree said.
“We are excited to see them hosting a national event such as a World Cup and are proud to help by providing the AELEC facility. The event will not only be a highlight on the 2015 AELEC calender, but a great bonus for regional NSW.”
Many internationally renowned riders use the Tamworth Showjumping events in their lead-up campaigns.
Three time Olympian Vicki Roycroft who rode for Australia in 1984 (Los Angeles), 1988 (Seoul) and 1996 (Atlanta) won the 1.35 Championship in 2012.
Roycroft has won more World Cup qualifiers more than any other Australian rider – on more than 12 different horses. Sydney 2000 Olympian Ron Easey, who lives locally at Quipolly, won the 2013 Peel River Produce Grand Prix and has placed at all the major classes in the last few shows.
Easey has a good team of horses he hopes will be fit and ready for the World Cup in October. 1996 Atlanta Olympian David Cooper also competed last weekend with his new team of horses, consistently performing in the 1.20 heights as he prepares them for the next level.
World class events such as the World Cup and Grand Prix classes provided by NNWSJC are an integral element in the campaigns of Australian-based riders in their quest for selection on the Australian International Showjumping Squad.
Julia Hargreaves used the Tamworth event in her lead-up to selection in the 2012 London Olympic team.
As the Australian selectors begin to set their sights on the Rio Olympics in 2016, victories in the top competitions are becoming more and more important.
The winners of last weekend’s Peel River Produce Grand Prix, Jess Brown and Casco, were announced this week on the 2015 Senior Squad.
Local rider Brock Harvey from Armidale who rides Cheryl Grant’s stallion Thunder Down Under was listed on the 2015 Futures Squad for nine-year-old horses.
As well as the senior competitors, junior and young riders have used the Tamworth shows as a stepping stone to the next level.
Eighteen-year-old Jake Hunter won at Tamworth before heading to China in August 2014 for the Youth Olympics where he won bronze in the individual jumping competition.
More recently 13-year-old Sophia Carlon from Armidale won the Tamworth Junior class in October 2014 before travelling to Mexico in January to represent Australia in the FEI Children’s International Jumping Challenge.
Sophia, riding a borrowed horse, placed fourth in the world class competition.
NNWSJC, run by volunteers who are all passionate about the sport, also remains committed to providing events and classes that riders of all levels can compete in, alongside the Olympians and international representatives.
With the addition of the World Cup show to the existing two shows being held each year, the Peel River Produce Indoor Championships held February 13 - 15 and the Winter Champions scheduled for June 26 - 28, the region is set to become even more popular with show jumpers around Australia.