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| Victorian
Carriage Driving Championships | |
Over the Labor Day weekend, the Gippsland Pleasure Harness Society hosted the Victorian Carriage Driving Championships at their home ground at Catani, West Gippsland. With thirty two competitors, their horses, ponies and support crew arriving from around Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia. From Thursday the town of Catani's population increased along with the expectation of an enjoyable and exciting competition. The Championships commenced on Saturday with competitors driving on the main oval of the grounds which enabled spectators to enjoy the vast array of combinations as they elegantly performed their dressage tests in quite hot conditions. The only hiccup which occurred was a dropped trace in the pony pairs when a quick release clip came open but caused no upset to the ponies. In the evening a relaxed BBQ dinner was enjoyed with local cricketers. |  Junior driver, Rhiannon Damsma driving "Mo" in the dressage |
Sunday had been forecast as a windy day with temperatures in the high 30's, so it was decided to send the competitors out earlier than planned in an attempt to miss the hottest part of the day. There were 5 sections to be completed around the roads of Catani and the Catani Recreation Reserve. The usual 10 minute halts were extended to 15 minutes due to the hot conditions. Competitors appreciated local traffic slowing or stopping, some pausing to enjoy the sight passing by and particularly one resident who must have taken quite a while to mow their large lawn as they obligingly stopped their mower as competitors passed by! Section "E" included 7 obstacles within the Reserve grounds which were either brightly painted combinations or made up from hay bales and enabled competitors to easily identify them. The obstacles provided opportunities to drive in a smooth flowing fashion or enable quick turns and provided spectators with a view of a wide range of driving skills. Unfortunately some competitors retired from the course due to losing a shoe and other factors. After the long tiring day, competitors and many others involved in the Championships wound down with a catered dinner and a chance to catch up with fellow drivers and friends. Monday arrived with a dramatic change in the weather as rain fell steadily from 5.00am, a meeting was held with officials and competitors to discuss whether to cancel the last day of competition or move the course from its original position on the main oval as there were concerns that damage may occur due to the number of competitors who would be driving. It was decided to move the course onto an area beside the oval and with many willing hands, the course was quickly set up to enable the last part of the Championships to run. Although the area was not as smooth as the oval, competitors were pleased to have the opportunity to finish the Championships.
Results: Novice
Pony 91cm & under 121cm - Rhiannon Damsma driving "Mo" Open
Pony 91cm & under 121cm - Tina Marshall driving "Pricklebush Blackberry" Pony
Pair 91cm & under 121cm - Janelle Marshall (SA) driving "Garron Park
Crackerjack", Toven Tris" & "Athanor Jenny-Wren" | |
Pony Tandem 91cm & under 121cm - Karen Rogers driving "Pepper" & "Frosty" Pony Team 91cm & under 121cm - Rachel Haslau driving "Tya Annabel", "Tya Aphrodite", "Tya Charmer", "Tya Honey Gold", "Lenson Park Sovereign" & "Haslock Park Blossom" Junior drivers, Rhiannon Damsma, Nicole Allen & Nicole Hatton were presented with a feed voucher kindly donated by Hy Gain Feeds. The sponsor of the Middy's Madness Marathon Obstacle, Middendorf Electrics, attended on Marathon day and chose two competitors, a single and a multiple, whom he believed drove the MO well and awarded a bottle of wine to Karen Rogers (tandem) and Lorraine Cairns (single). Geraldine Chapman from www.horsepoint.com.au provided a lovely perpetual trophy for the Best Novice Dressage and was pleased to present it to Dorothy Mitchell driving "Acheron Steffan". |  Junior driver, Nicole Hatton driving "Derlywn Lyric" in a marathon obstacle. |
Concours
d'elegance - single trophy was awarded to Paula Rhodes driving "Telern Belle" Mal
Edwards Novice Pony - Marathon trophy was awarded to Dorothy Mitchell. Four
Wind Traveller Overall Open Pony trophy was awarded to Tina Marshall driving "Pricklebush
Blackberry". Welsh Pony & Cob Society Champion award was won by Dorothy Mitchell. Sentosa Pixie Pony Tandem, over 11hh & <14hh was awarded to Karen Rogers. Clarke Perpetual Overall Pony Pair trophy was awarded to Janelle Marshall (SA). Mischief Pony Team trophy was awarded to Rachel Haslau. Tawarri
Park Opal Trophy for Victorian Novice Horse was awarded to Paula Rhodes. Janelle Marshall (SA) was presented a lovely whip, kindly donated by Sheryl Leibowitz, for Best Overall Marathon - Multiples. Rhiannon Damsma was presented a pewter brooch for Novice Pony 91cm & <121cm. Club team competition was won by Euroa comprising of Anne Lindh, Dorothy Mitchell & Rachel Haslau.
Photos (A. Gorick) | |
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