Horsey event a big success

Returning for the fifth year in a row, the Wagin Agriculture Society Gymkhanarama put on another successful show for the region’s pony-lovers last weekend.

The equestrian two-day event involved everything from dressage to showjumping and show horse classes.

Gymkhanarama chairwoman and president of the Wagin Riding and Pony Club Sue Dowson said the spectacular weather was just one highlight of an exciting, smoothly-run weekend of competitions.

“The show horse was an unofficial show-hack event which ran on Sunday,” she said

“This year we had 50 hack riders doing over 70 different classes, so it was a very busy morning,”she said.

According to Ms Dowson, there were 255 individual entries for the showjumping and dressage competitions over the two days. “The concept of the event came through the Shire wanting to create an event that would use the whole of the showgrounds,” she said.

“The whole area doesn’t really get used outside of Woolorama, so we wanted to create something that the community could get involved with but also an event that would bring people into town.”

The winners of the dressage competition included Jodey Schilders on Kaylor Made Ajax for the dressage highest percentage chest in the open class, and Ruby Rae on Leedale Vagabond for the Pony Club rider highest percentage chest.

Supreme champion show horse ring one was won by Lee Simi riding Arvada Avaienda, ring two by Kate O’Connell on Kenlock Camellia, and ring three by Amy Machen on Graylins Determination. Local rider Sara Harcourt-Smith also won the six-bar show jumping competition.