East Gippsland Zone Horse Trials was held at Newmerella last Sunday, hosted by the Orbost Pony Club in absolutely outstanding weather.
The day ran smoothly thanks to the efforts of the judges, course builders, volunteers and parents who helped out, with the smiles on the riders’ faces making it all worthwhile.
Orbost Pony Club ran a great canteen, its grounds were in magnificent order and it was great to see them run a tetrathlon competition last Saturday.
The Zone Teams Challenge was hotly contested with grade three going to the composite team of Gypsy Rohde (Rosedale), Kasey Duncan (Briagolong) and Dakota Rogers (Orbost).
They defeated Bairnsdale’s Lexie O’Brien and Jasmine Lynch, with the Stratford trio of Dimity Hague, Skye Orchard and Gracie Perkins finishing third.
Grade four went the way of the locals with the Orbost team of London Austin, Lara Seal and Melia Sellings successful.
Second was the composite outfit of Alana Lanigan (Rosedale), Isobel Palmer (Mallacoota) and Sophie Groves (Bairnsdale), with Stratford’s Ruby Allen, Lacey Connley, Amelee Anderson and Shae Strickland-Cohen taking third.
It was another composite victory in grade five with Emmagen Cunning (Briagolong), Bridget Smith (Briagolong), Elsie Pinch (Longford) and Lara Toner (Stratford) prevailing.
They did enough to outpoint the Rosedale team of Ellie Birch, Courtney Leighton, Lily Bennett and Mia Jennings, with Bairnsdale’s Jasmine Lynch, Daphne Johnson, Mitchell O’Brien and Ava Henderson in third.
Olivia Mathers (Buchan), Lachlan Cross (Buchan) and Abby Mathison (Mallacoota) were the winners in grade six.
