Who is missing from the Berrima Horse Trials line up?
Berrima Horse Trials ran a successful one day event last weekend despite their secretary, Tina Stafford, not being able to attend on Sunday following a nasty fall during the show jumping on Saturday – Get well soon Tina!
However Tina’s absense did make a few people on the committee realise that more people need to know the workings of a few things so, in a roundabout way, Tina’s workload might be lessened if more people come on board to help with certain things – every cloud has a silver lining so they say!
Okay, enough of the italics let’s get on with who won what at the event.
Charlie Brister on Ashemead Her Highness who might have missed out on a top three placing but still did well
Charlie Brister enjoyed a good weekend and said on his Facebook page “Can’t complain about this weekend, led all the way on the Barrel (Barrel of Fun) to win the Centennial Vineyards CIC2* and Timmy (Timmy Almighty) finished on his dressage score to win the Saddleworld Mittagong Pre Novice (EvA105) ahead of a couple top horses and riders. Pippa (Ashmead Her Highness) finished out of the top three for the first time in a year but I was still happy with a top ten finish. Big thanks for the help from my coaches, sponsors, mum and grooms!” No doubt we’ll hear more about Charlie and his horses when he sends us his next blog!
Emma Mason and Poker Face on their way to a win
Another one of our bloggers, Emma Mason, won The Animal Company CIC* riding Poker Face a horse who she has previously ridden at 2* level but decided to take the pressure off and come back down to 1* for this event. “I think it’s really important to have a horse who is happy doing his job and I’m really pleased with how Poker Face has gone this weekend … it’s always nice to lead from start to finish,” said Emma, who then added that she would be sending us her blog soon …
The CIC* Ground Jury take a look at the show jumping course
Elizabeth Lowery enjoyed her second win in a week when she won Berrima’s Fox Hill Farm sponsored EvA95 section riding HV Falcon just a week after winning a EvA95 section at Canberra Horse Trials. Second to Elizabeth was Anwen Keeling riding the gorgeous Brown Caviar who had dropped back to EvA95 level following a showjumping fall at Moss Vale Show. “We were both very lucky that we weren’t really hurt in the fall,” said Anwen “so it was lovely to come here this weekend and have a nice time – after all that’s what it’s all about.”
Sam Lyle and Monte Walsh canter into the water
Sam Lyle seems to have a a good stable full of horses at he moment and he picked up the winners rug for his performance with Haunui Hill in the Annabel Armstrong EvA95 and a fifth in the EvA105 riding Monte Walsh. The junior section of the EvA95, sponsored by Highland Drilling, was won by Lauren French who had jointly led the dressage phase with Jessica Browning. However a few time penalities cross country and show jumping from Jessica saw Lauren and her horse Royal Emperor take the win finishing on her dressage score of 49.8.
It was good to see the water complex at Berrima had undergone a facelift and the banks out of the water (which never seemed to jump very well) had gone and been replaced by a gentle slope. “A lot of the lower level riders and horses have looked a lot happier coming out of the water at this event than they have done in the past,” said Georgina Kennedy, who was jump judging. “We really want to encourage green horses and riders and I think the work done on this complex has made a big difference.”
Nikki Richardson and Dasher finished second in the EvA80
In two of the EvA80 sections it was the dressage leaders who went on to win their class with Zoe Hutchinson winning the junior section and Katherin Strelein winning the Exalt Design section. In the Gladiator Floats section Caroline Bew moved up from sixth after dressage to take the win being one of only six riders to finish on their dressage score. In the Birds Equisport section Annabel Armstrong, who has recently become a ‘local’ of Berrima Horse Trials took home the winners rug riding Lady of Grace, while a rail down for Nikki Richardson and Dasher slipped them back into second place.
The EvA60 class was split into four sections with two of those being junior sections. The open class, sponsored by Main Event Photography, was won by Emily Kendall riding Sheany Park Coomarlow. Emily runs the ‘Sheany Park Performance Horse Centre’ in Cobbitty and was delighted to pick up her winners rug, especially as this was the first event for Coomarlow. Maddy Nelson won the first junior section leading from start to finish on board Peter Parker, which was a feat repeated by Tom Paton in the other junior section. Local company Bowral Co-op once again sponsored these junior classes and should be congratulated for the support of many local equestrian competitions. In the EvA60 Amateur class Sheelagh Cann finished (and started) at the top of the leaderboard riding Ballymount Ruby. Looking at the scoreboard it was clear to see that riders at this level either got round without too many problems or were eliminated for missing a fence.
