LAST weekend the North and North West Showjumping Club (NNWSJC) hosted the Winter Indoor Showjumping Championships, a massive four-day event held at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre in Tamworth.
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Organisers were thrilled when classes filled within half an hour of entries opening.
The competition, from Thursday to Sunday, was the biggest Winter Indoor Championships held at the world- class venue to date.
More than 200 riders and nearly 500 horses from around Australia completed over 2000 rounds of showjumping across three arenas, all keen for their share of over $20,000 in prizemoney.
The state-of-the-art facilities, the world-class course designers and the excellent organisation of the NNWSJC events have seen the Tamworth shows become an integral element in the campaigns of Australian-based riders in their quest for selection on the Australian International Showjumping Squad.
Three of the four past winners of the Sue Alden Memorial trophy, first held in 2011, are currently competing in Europe aiming for selection on the 2016 Australian Olympic Showjumping Team.
Over thirty of Australia’s top horse and rider combinations competed for the 2015 Sue Alden Memorial trophy on Sunday afternoon.
Internationally accredited course builder Greg Backhouse, from Tamworth, built a big track that was suitably testing and just eight horses were clear through to the second round.
The current Australian senior jumping champion, David Cameron from Wilberforce, NSW, and the Jumping Horse of the Year, RR Dyranta, showed the crowds why they are the best in Australia, claiming the trophy in a nailbiting finish.
Many local riders joined competitors who had travelled from as far as Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.
Some of the locals claimed their share of the massive cash prize pool, the biggest in the area for a showjumping event to date.
Michael Lees from Quirindi was victorious in the 1.15m class on the big jumping Keilor Kurrajong on the final day, improving on his fifth place the day before.
Jack Schouten from Moree rode Original Sin to an impressive third in the 1.25m Championship on Sunday morning.
Brock Harvey navigated WF Ready to Go to victory in the 1.04m class on Saturday.
Junior rider Sophie Hamilton-Smith from Quirindi wasn’t far off the pace, settling for a third in the same class, while Pretty Keen and Laura Munt from Dungowan riding Crescendo were fourth.
Skye Sylvester from Tamworth won the 95cm on Saturday riding Black Magic and Chelsea Johnson from Narrabri was the winner of the 85cm class with Cayuse Up and Over on Sunday.
