All inquiries to : The Event Secretary  -  Email or Phone 0437 245943
2012 New South Wales Pony Challenge
(Incorporating Open EA Dressage)

4 - 5 February

Sydney International Equestrian Centre
Many thanks to our generous sponsors
Smit N' Batai ridden by Sandy Langsford
(Fleur De Lys Alladdin/Daisy Patch Chorus Girl)
Living up to her name, Saravale Focused ridden by Justin Worthy was well and truly focused on the job at hand. This super moving gelding by Focus on Rathowen and out of Kirreway Bernina won Champion Official Preliminary Pony, 1st place in Saturday's 4 yo YP qualifier and 3rd place in Sunday's qualifer.
Wyann Kit Kat ridden by Jane Dampney
(Wyann Scooby Doo/Wyann Hello Kitty)
Following the wettest January in recorded history with 135
mm of rain and a further 81 mm falling at Horsley Park up to
the early hours of Saturday morning, there was real doubt
that our event would go ahead. Rainfall like this would have
put almost all other equestrian venues out of commission
but such is the design of the superb Sydney International
Equestrian Centre, all but the large warm-up arena were
more than useable. A quick inspection with staff on Friday
afternoon resulted in the decision to use the Indoor arena for
warm-up, at least for the first day of our event. SIEC staff
also arranged the erection of a spare arena on the grass
showjumping arena, just in case.

The four outside arenas had been re-surfaced since my last
visit in May last year and had very little water laying on them.
Although a bit boggy on the grass surrounding the arenas,
they were perfect to ride on. By Sunday morning, the outside
warm-up arena had dried sufficiently to use if for the second
day of competition.

As a major Young Horse qualifier had been cancelled the previous weekend, we were able to do a bit of juggling with the Sunday program to allow some extra entries. Unfortunately there were a lot of scratchings in some of Saturdays classes but for those that did ride, we had lovely sunshine for the whole weekend, although it did get a tad humid!

Firstly many, many thanks to our judges for the weekend, several who answered our call at very late notice. Justin Worthy is my right hand man in Sydney and arranges all of the judges, pencillors and gear checkers for this event. Without Justin, the NSW Pony Challenge would simply not run. We sincerely appreciate Justin's helpers giving up their weekend to help out.

Our President, Rossanne Mason was thrown in at the deep end with her first NSW Pony Challenge. She flew up to give me a hand and ended up doing all manner of jobs including pencilling and scoring. Her assistance and support is very much appreciated as is the extremely generous support of our delightful patron Jill Cobcroft. Jill's advice and knowledge is second to none and we are very thankful to her for sharing her time with us.

Mandy Jones and Mel Offord kindly arranged all of the catering requirements for officials and helpers and kept everyone very well fed and watered and I thank them sincerely.

It's always a delight to catch up with riders that I have met over the previous years at this event and to meet new competitors and their ponies. Unfortunately I could only manage to abscond from the office a couple of times over the weekend to play with my new camera! Nevertheless, Amy-Sue Alston (Photography by Amy-Sue) was our official photographer and riders can find some terrific photos from the weekend by clicking on her banner.











This year we opened up our event to horses by way of Open Associate tests on the Saturday as well as the Young Horse classes on both days.

Champion Associate Preliminary Horse was Adyar Blue ridden  by Courtney Williams while the Champion Associate Preliminary Pony award went to Somerfield Sound of Music ridden by Rachel Raheb. Taking out the Reserve Championship was the Victorian bred New Forest/Thoroughbred gelding, Kapeta Spellbound ridden by Matilda Seppelt. Spellbound is by the very well known performance sire in Victoria, Kapeta Faro. Champion Associate Novice went to Statford Salinger ridden by Alison Castle.

Placings were reversed on Sunday with Kapeta Spellbound
winning the Associate Preliminary Pony Championship and
Somerfield taking out Reserve.

In the official pony classes, a very close finish in results saw
Saravale Focused ridden by Justin Worthy winning the
Preliminary Pony Championship on percentage with Glynyarra
Park Classic taking our reserve champion.

The Novice Pony Championship was sponsored by the
Riding Pony Stud Book Society and was won by Baringa
First Class ridden by Brianna Cartwright with Kenda Park
Sirocco and Carlo Cromie taking out reserve.

The Dressage NSW Elementary Pony Championship went
to the extremely well performed Riding Pony mare, Burnham
Brooke Bewitched ridden and owned by Jocelyn King.
Reserve went to Rockfire U-Turn and Kathy Turner. Jocelyn
and her mare backed up their Elementary win with the
Medium Championship, having their first start at this level. 

The Advanced Champion Pony was Sancha Butler with
Goldshaft Moonshadow.

While numbers are still low in the higher levels, it is hoped
that we will soon see more ponies and riders moving up
through the levels in the next couple of years.

The all important qualifiers for the National Australian Young Horse Championships (Dressage & Jumping With The Stars) held later in March at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, certainly saw some lovely young ponies showing their talent and training. Sunday's Young Pony classes were again generously sponsored by Wollombi Village Vineyard. One of the few rides I did get to see was Saravale Focused in Saturday's 4 yo Young Pony qualifier. This lovely dark chestnut gelding owned by Ray Haber is going to be a real contender in March.

Carla Cromie with Kenda Park Sirocco won the 5 yo Young Pony qualifier on Saturday with all ponies in the class achieving the required minimum score of 6.0. Unfortunately it wasn't a good day for the two contenders in the 6 yo class with both failing to gain a qualifying score.

Sunday's Young Pony classes resulted in Canyon Savannah and Rohini Crombie winning the 4 yo qualifier with again,
all ponies gaining above 6.0. The 5 yo class was won with a very good score of 7.26 by Bellevale City Lights, ridden by Robbie Soster. One entry in the 6 yo class resulted in a qualifying score for Julie Farrells Mulawa Bronze Wings ridden by Judy Dierks.

The ASPR makes available High Point Awards for our registered ponies and junior riders and they have been very generously sponsored by Acu-light since the inception of this event 4 years ago. This year the High Point Performance Club Pony was awarded to Burnham Brooke Bewitched with the Junior ASPR members award won by Isabella Macnamara. The winners receive a LED red light with comprehensive and easy to follow instructions for use.

We hope that everyone enjoyed themselves at our event and we look forward to doing it all again next year!