The busy car parks at Tonimbuk will be empty this year
Tonimbuk Horse Trials in Gippsland, Victoria traditionally kicks off the eventing season in Australia with the first international level event held on the 160 acre property, previously owned by the Mouser family.
This year however the event has been cancelled with the organising committee stating that ““The Tonimbuk Horse Trials event has been cancelled for 2014 due to circumstances beyond our control. The Committee is extremely disappointed at having to make this decision and we are working towards a new improved event in 2015.”
The event secretary Suzy Burdon says that the Committee is not in a position at the moment to say any more but that they will let the riders know what is going on when they have the all of the facts. “We are aware that they are struggling with the few FEI events on the calendar as it is and they will not want to lose another” she says
South Australian Olympic medallist Megan Jones is a regular competitor at Tonimbuk's March event
Tonimbuk Equestrian Centre, which boasts two international size indoor arenas, two large outdoor sand arenas and stabling for 67 horses, with a further 43 in undercover yards has been on the market for a while and was sold in November. Each year in March the Wayne Copping designed cross country course, which runs through bush and over undulating terrain, usually tests the mettle of 1, 2, and 3 star horse and rider combinations at CIC level as well as lower levels from Introductory to Pre-Novice and the event is well-attended by riders by riders, particularly from Victoria and South Australia but also NSW and further afield.
Let’s hope that the event will be back bigger and even better in 2015
Click here for our full coverage of Tonimbuk Horse Trials 2013
Click here for cross country videos from Tonimbuk 2013
