State titles run and won as Barastoc wraps for another year
- Dale Webster
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
THE 57th Barastoc Horse of the Year Show at Victoria’s Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre ran like a well-oiled machine, with organisers and volunteers receiving all-round praise for their efforts pulling of yet another premier event.
The weather threw one extreme to the other at competitors – or as one put it “sunburnt one day and wet through to our undies the next” – but nothing to stop anyone stepping out into the rings.
Held across three days from February 6 to 8, the show’s centrepiece state title program was supported with owner-rider, off-the-track, newcomer and novice classes, as well as a new section for non-state title children’s ridden events.
State title judges were Tanya Croker (WA), Angela Skyring (QLD), Lucy Taylor (NSW), Toni Harper-Purcell (QLD), Robert Ralston (VIC), Janelle Karmalich (SA), Howard Morris (VIC), Anne Randell (NSW), Danielle Beattie (NSW) and Anne McMinn (TAS).
Emma Richardson took home five of the major open titles, winning the championships for small hack with Royalwood West End (reserve Fiona Mardling’s SLM Fascination), large galloway with Brandyhollow Boy Band (reserve Kurt Crother’s Royalwood Excite), medium pony with Nottingham Royal Highness (reserve Daizi Plumb’s DP Victoria Secret), small pony with Roseden Toy Boy (reserve Danyel Riemer’s Sirrah Springtime) and small show hunter hack with Merricks Fiore (reserve Brooke Wheeler’s Quay Note).
The other open championships winners were Tamara Lee’s Whitmere Royal Palace with Chloe Backman aboard in the first ridden show pony (reserve Brampton Forbidden Love/Lily Alexander), Sabrina Jaeschke’s large pony Kolbeach Holy's Choir Boy (reserve Wideacre Harry Winston/Sabrina Gilmour), Kerry Armstrong’s small galloway KT Fine Design (reserve Linden Hearn’s Seaqua) and Greg Gerry and Darren Telford’s large hack Regalia (reserve Kalimna Quick Hit/Tahlia Hope).
For an impressive eighth year in a row, the small show hunter galloway championship was awarded to Emily Murray’s Riegal Manolete (reserve Contredance/Emma Richardson).
Champion large show hunter galloway was Kerry Armstrong’s Lyndhurst Connery (reserve Royal Ascot/Daizi Plumb).
Alicia and Ella Cutugno’s Bordershow Charlemagne was champion in the first ridden, with Tamara Lee’s Imperial Benevolent the reserve, then the order was reversed in the small show hunter pony championship.
Sophie Belcher’s Avlon Hello Dolly was the medium show hunter pony champion (reserve Bordershow Tango/Amitey Thorpe Heal) and the large champion was Jenny Diaco’s Daisy Patch Olivia (reserve Mandaley Oriental Silk/Susy Stewart).
This year’s large show hunter hack champion was Sue Thompson’s Global PPS with Grace Baines’ Esquire the reserve.
Repeating wins in the child’s ridden state tiles were Emma Richardson with Merricks Fiore and Nottingham Royal Highness, Jenny Diaco with Daisy Patch Olivia, Emily Murray with Riegal Manolete, Tamara Lee with Whitmere Royal Palace.
Bordershow Charlemagne reinforced the Welsh B gelding’s credentials as a mount for young riders taking the child’s small show hunter championship for Ella Cutugno.
The medium child’s show hunter pony champion was Madeline Bridge and Britt Holmberg’s Avonmore Llewellyn, the large child’s show hunter galloway Brooke Wheeler’s EBL Ben Hur and the large child’s show hunter hack Emma Parlevliet’s Fairways Danciniro.
The remaining child’s open state champions were Sabrina Gilmour’s Wideacre Harry Winston (large pony), Emma Richardson’s KP Dance On Air (small galloway), Kurt Crowther’s Royalwood Excite (large galloway), Fiona Mardling’s SLM Fascination (small hack) and Grace Pihan’s Parklane (large hack).
The leading rein show pony champion was Briony Randle’s Swanreach Flirtatious with Piper Randle aboard, while Eva Robinson piloted the show hunter champion Bordershow Charlemagne for the Cutugno family.
Robert Ralston judged the hacks in the owner-rider section, with the first place sashes going to Charlotte Fleming’s Artsworth Park Love Story (medium pony), Jenna Backman’s Malibu Park Top Design (large pony), Susan Bufton’s Beechwood Bells (small galloway), Jazmine Robert’s Manorvale Show Me (large galloway), Hannah Buften’s Staughton Vale Henley (small hack), Adele Andrew’s Just Benjamin (large hack).
In the owner-rider show hunters, Danielle Beattie’s winners were Willow and Jack Fried’s Rivington Folk Singer (small pony), Amber Wilson’s Eagle Park Playing In Vegas (medium pony), Briah Baker’s Morningside Debonair (large pony), Paige Heffernan’s Gentry Park Royalty (small galloway), Olivia Greenwell’s JD Blackwatch (large galloway), Shelley Howard and Dianne Banks’ Danson Black Metallic (small hack) and Georgia Greenwell’s Revelwood Stedfast (large hack).
The champion riders were Georgina Kavanagh (five and under nine), Madeline Bridge (nine and under 12), Stella Gilmour (12 to 14), Sabrina Gilmour (15 to 17), Ebonie Lee (18 to 25) and Natalie McKay (26 and over).
Zoe Medley, riding Rathowen Dressed In Black in a snaffle, impressed the judges with her hands, seat and general control of her mount to win the Peter Gahan Trophy for riders aged 12 to 15 years.
In the off-the-track (OTT) section, it was the small hacks’ day with judge Ann Hooker selecting Daizi Plumb’s Chorus as the ridden supreme champion and Greg Gerry’s Countess as the led.
Ali Kent’s Loco won the open OTT ridden newcomer class and the show hunter newcomer sash went to Sophie Belcher’s Ascension.
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