Mansfield a top location for a team effort
- Fran Cleland
- May 30
- 5 min read
THE Yarra Hills Hillbillies team of Jessica Welch, Annika Collins, Beth McCann and Paul Buckland from the Yarra Hills Equestrian Club was the winner of this year’s Top Teams Horse Trials.
The event was held at the fabulous Friends of Mansfield horse trials grounds in north-east Victoria, one of the most beautiful settings for a competition anywhere in Australia and a great example of how Equestrian Victoria, the Horse Riding Club Association of Victoria and Pony Club Victoria can share facilities for the betterment of all equestrian sport.
Top Teams events are always a social occasion, and the Mansfield pub did great business catering for more than 100 people on the Saturday night.
Kinglake Adult Riding Club’s Jamie Sheehan and her small-but-potent committee worked with co-host Mansfield and District Equestrian Club to do an amazing job pulling the event together.
The Mint Condition team of three from the Western Port Equestrian Association did well to place second overall with Lynn Moore, Skye Hand and Sophie Everist finishing juts a point ahead of the No Stop Neddies’ Lynette Scott, Debbie Baker, Persephone Round and Asta Lean of the North Eastern Riding Club in third place.
Individually, in level one, Tania Harding riding Jirrima Fox Z for Gerogery Equestrian Club won, and in level two, Jessica Welch riding DJ Jacques De Noir for Yarra Hills Equestrian Club struck a blow for the winning team rising from second after dressage to win by less than one point ahead of Jana Rzepeck on Emirates Foxtrot from the Phoenix Riding Club.
Every event has a bad luck story and commiserations go to Michelle Mathlin who had decided at the last minute to pull her eventing boots on after a three-year break and enter for Glenvale Equestrian Club.
Michelle and her horse Drops of Jupiter (aka Skittles) were having the competition of their lives when a missed flag on the cross country course knocked them out of the running for a place, if not the win, in level two after a perfect showjumping round.
“Oh well never mind, my fault,” she was reported as saying afterwards, her beaming smile not missing a beat.
The less experienced levels are always full and need to be broken up into divisions. Lynette Scott on the Thoroughbred Archie took out level three for the North Eastern Riding Club.
Archie was one of three Thoroughbreds to go home with a win – Regina Knobel representing Gerogery Equestrian Club on Hillview Park Standing Ovation won the B division of level four and Kasey Rose’s Married to The Mob starred in level five for Pakenham Upper Riding Club, finishing the event with the performance of the day, scoring just 15 penalty points.
The other level three section went to Erin Anderson who made the trip down from the Narrandera Adult Riding Club with Adventures of Grand Rock.
Division A of level four went to Lynn Moore and Boonderoo Replay for the Western Port Equestrian Association Club.
The performances of other breeds were also recognised.
The Standardbred award went to Vicki Bentley’s Niknbec Shadow, Sally Bamford’s Chimney was the winner of the award from the Clydesdale Cross Sporthorse Association, Debbie Baker’s Charlie was the best performed Appaloosa, Kate Gibson’s Mayday Flats Malachy was best performed Arabian or derivative and Jodi Lloyd’s Navaho Sun was the highest placed Pinto.
Individual placegetters
Level one
1 Tania Harding and Jirrima Fox Z for Gerogery Equestrian Club (65.7)
2 Paul Buckland and Coldstream Déjà vu for River Valley Riding Club (76.5)
Level two
1 Jessica Welch and DJ Jacques De Noir from Yarra Hills Equestrian Club (58.8)
2 Jana Rzepecki and Emirates Foxtrot from Phoenix Riding Club (59.7)
3 Tarita Hutton and HR Roxanne from Alpine Adult Riding Club (62.4)
4 Beth McCann and Oskar Wilde from Yarra Hills Equestrian Club (64.9)
5 Kaytlyn Lawton and Felton Park Zen from Yarra Glen Adult Riding Club (67)
6 Lisa North and Here goes Hugo from Lancefield Equestrian Group (72.2)
Level three division A
1 Erin Anderson and Adventures of Grand Rock from Narrandera Adult Riding Club (59.3)
2 Jessica Fenton and Sonic Impact from Wandin Park Riding Club For Adults (60.3)
3 Nicole Sanderson and Nickles Gee Whizz from Glenvale Equestrian Club (67.8)
4 Sharon Smith and Tarahill Peyton from Kinglake Riders Club (69.1)
5 Lucy Purcell and Keno from Bendigo and District Family Equestrian Group (70.3)
6 Sadie Powers and Sylvester from Surf Coast Riding Club (71.05)
Level three division B
1 Lynette Scott and Archie from North Eastern Riding Club (54.6)
2 Emily Mcqueen and Frenzied from Arabian Rider And Breeders (55.5)
3 Jodi Lloyd and Navaho Sun from Echuca and District Adult Riding Club (59.9)
4 Skye Hand and TS Costillo from Western Port Equestrian Association (62.3)
5* Georgina Jackson and Dalwin Artiste from Narrandera Adult Riding Club (62.4)
6* Lauren Gretgrix and Nawarrah Park Landslide and Bendigo & District Family Equestrian Group (62.4)
Level four division A
1 Lynn Moore and Boonderoo Replay from Western Port Equestrian Association (33.5)
2 Paige Brooks and Dalkeepa from Mountain District Horse Riding Club (38.1)
3 Jenny Daws and Spanna from Rose City Equestrian Club (43.4)
4 Sally Bamford and Chimney from Rose City Equestrian Club (45.3)
5 Liza Grage-Perry and Mayfield Regina from Acheron Valley Adult Riding Club (48.3)
6 Danielle Rollings and Coco from Ironbark Equestrian Club (51.4)
Level four division B
1 Regina Knobel and Hillview Park Standing Ovation from Gerogery Equestrian Club (37.1)
2 Annika Collins and Lilybrook Piccolo from Yarra Hills Equestrian Club (40.8)
3 Kate Gibson and Mayday Flats Malachy from Ironbark Equestrian Club (45.7)
4 Charlotte Mansley and Biddlesden Park Got Swag from Biddlesden Park Equestrian Club (49.8)
5 Vicki Bentley and Niknbec Shadow and Echuca and District Adult Riding Club (50.3)
6 Sophie Everist and All About Strategy from Western Port Equestrian Association (52.1)
Level five
1 Kasey Rose and Married to The Mob from Pakenham Upper Riding Club (15)
2 Nancy Naughtin and Snip from Ironbark Equestrian Club (31.9)
3 Chelsea Taylor and Mister from Yarra Glen Adult Riding Club (32.5)
4 Kelly Rechichi and ESB Irish Relation from Hurstbridge District Adult Riding Club (35.6)
5 Debbie Baker and Charlie from North Eastern Riding Club (39.6
6 Sally-Anne Belcher and Frahaven Prada from Koo Wee Rup Horse Riders Club (44.2)
Team award
Stories on The Regional’s website are free to read and always will be.
If you enjoyed this article you can show your support by joining our mailing list (either by filling out the form below or sending us a message).
We'd also get very excited if you put a "like" on our Facebook page.
Comments