Tintern event gets by with a little help from its friends
A NUMBER of Tintern Grammar students are keen horse riders and the Tintern Friends of Equestrian (FOE) form an enthusiastic, friendly and welcoming group, created to support these students and families in their equestrian activities.
Every year, Friends of Equestrian members organise activities to give young riders opportunities to develop and further their skills, including clinics, training days, trail rides, camps and a Demonstration Day, held at Tintern Grammar Campus.
The members play a vital part in organising the Tintern Grammar Victorian Interschool Horse Trials, held annually. It regularly attracts around 250 competitors from more than 50 Victorian schools and is a National Interschools Eventing qualifier.
This year’s event, held at the Gladysdale grounds, was held in perfect autumn weather, and as well as the horse trials, there were combined training classes.
The winners in this section were Kiera McNally in the EA 80cm, Theodora Newman riding L’Amour de Poires in the EA 60cm and Nadia Serato and Highfield Summer Willow in the EV 50cm.
In the Horse Trials section, run as part of the Teams competition, the winner of the EV50 Unofficial class was Balcombe Grammar’s Conar Sipthorpe-Foster riding Darker Shades.
There were two full divisions of the EA 65cm unofficial class won by Thomas Harrison from Flinders Christian Community College riding ZP Homeless Henry and Toorak College’s Laura Hercules on Paint a Squiggle.
The EA 80cm unofficial class was won by Della Hughson and Sylvester from Methodist Ladies College, and the official EA 80cm went to Skye Hand from Mornington Secondary College on TS Costillo.
The EA 95cm cross country class tested the riders and changed placings with Toorak College’s Emma Hercules on Ballahowe Wildside rising from seventh after the dressage to win, less than one point ahead of Balcombe Grammar’s Abby Noxon and Teasing to Please who was in ninth after the dressage.
There was a lot of movement in the placings but even so, there were only four eliminations in the section so while it was testing, it was fair.
Six riders tackled the EA one star class, won by Avril Charman riding Annabella for Haileybury, Just one rider competed in the EA two star, where Chloe Brooks and the Thoroughbred Caught in the Breeze from Ranges Tech followed up a good dressage with clear showjumping and just some time faults across country to win the blue sash.