2008 National Show Driving Championships

Report By Janet Muspratt
After nearly two years of planning, the Hills Club was finally able to hold the National Show on May 4 2008. The original date was September 23, 2007. Prior to that date all the sponsorship had been organized, schedules sent out and entries had started to come in. Then EI struck and all plans were put on hold. It was a bit of a long shot on our behalf to pick the May date in November 2007 when EI still had a firm grip.
Things started to look up in the New Year and we reprinted and sent all the schedules out again. After a slow early response, the entries poured in and we ended up with 54 individual horses entered – probably the biggest all harness show entry in Australia since the 1988 Show in Canberra. We just needed perfect weather for the day and that came our way too, being a pleasantly warm and sunny autumn day.

Our three show judges were Sue and Peter White from Yass who judged the over 10.2 turnouts together then split to do the over 10.2 ponies (Sue) and the horses (Peter), and Nola Robertson from Bega who judged the 10.2 and under classes and after lunch, the driver and pleasure classes. All three judged the Supreme Champion Horse or Pony class.
Meanwhile Hills member Max Smith, together with a number of stewards, looked after the Cones Competition, set up at the other end of the 10 acre arena. Max designed the course based on one he had seen at a CDE a few years ago and it proved very effective, with only a few clear rounds by the end of the day.
The first show classes were the turnouts and there was good competition in all these classes. It was pleasing to see four Business / Trades Turnouts in the 10.2 and under Ring, as well as two in the over 10.2 Ring. The Champion Turnout over 10.2 was won by Period Turnout winners Ashleigh and Robin Allison Woods with Mayflowers Beau Supreme in a sulky, whilst Reserve went to the Keir Family’s Canberra Park Tahlia driven in a viceroy. The 10.2 and under Turnout Champion was won by Andrea Casper driving Sensei Little Feather in a sulky, with Gay Bostock and West End Gerinomo in a viceroy being awarded Reserve Champion..
There were several height divisions in the Ponies10.2 and under section and each class was well supported. Kathy Turner’s cream Shetland Shambala Park Midas was eventually judged Champion with Gay Bostock’s miniature pony West End Gerinomo receiving Reserve Champion.
The Non Hackney Ponies over 10.2 hands saw strong competition with several well performed bigger show ponies making their appearance. It was good to see a number of successful CDE ponies competing here and holding their own. The Champion Pony was Westbury Shadowman, owned by D and J Dorman, whilst the Keir’s Canberra Park Tahlia took home another Reserve Champion.
Unfortunately numbers were very low for the Hackney Ponies division, and a further entry was withdrawn after a mishap occurred whilst they were parading before the judge. Nevertheless the quality was very good with Woodhurst Actress (D & J Dorman) being awarded Champion and Erie Magnus (Keir Family) Reserve Champion.
The first of the Horse Classes were the Hackney classes. All five horses put on an excellent display which was exciting to watch. Chessons Prince William (Keir Family) was judged Champion and Dunolly Victory (B & J Bensley) Reserve Champion. There were plenty of Non Hackney Horses including a Friesian, some Welsh Cobs, an Australian Stock Horse, some Arabians and a Clydesdale. The final outcome was Stillbrook Tabitha (B & J Bensley) receiving Champion and Canberra Park Silhouette ( Keir Family)Reserve Champion.
The Supreme Champion class brought together an excellent group of horses and ponies. All worked out well and it must have been a difficult task for the three judges to decide who to pick. It was Westbury Shadowman, the Non Hackney Pony Champion, driven by a very pleased Darren Dorman. This Section B Welsh pony is no stranger to success, having recently been awarded the Supreme Champion Non Hackney Horse or Pony at the 2008 Sydney Royal. All the others in the class were Sydney Royal winners or champions so it was a top quality group.
A very excited afternoon winner was Barbara Smith from the Hunter Club who won a beautiful driving whip made and donated by renowned whipmaker Peter Clarke to the winner of the Novice Driver class. Peter was there to present the whip and give Barbara some tips on its use and care.
Brooke Keir was the Champion Driver, with Barbara Smith awarded Reserve Champion, from a strong group of very competent drivers.
The show classes to finish the day were the pleasure turnout and pleasure horse and pony classes. Wayne Walker, a new member of the Hills Club, won the strongly contested pleasure turnout with his pinto horse Dakota driven in a buggy, complete with all the necessities for a pleasure drive. The pleasure horse or pony classes saw another success for Barbara Smith with her grey pony The Heights Quintessa being awarded Champion and Kimberlee McGregor’s Arabian mare Judstan Lulu being Reserve Champion.
The Cones Competition was hotly contested with the winners of the three height groups being Kathy Turner with Midas, Warren Ricketts with Windsor Park Cavalier and Carolyn Blakeley with Lac La Biche Son of a Rose.
During the day an anonymous spectator was looking at all the turnouts to decide their choice for the Concours d’Elegance sash, and it was awarded to David and Matthew Cranwell driving their Clydesdale Woodlands Park Peter, a very worthy recipient.
Due to generous sponsorship from IAH (International Animal Health) Products and Castlereagh Feeds many of the class winners received prizes including Livamol, wormers and bags of Complete Pony feed. The Champion Pony ne 10.2hh won a very nice etched trophy donated by Dobbin Co Carriages, whilst the Supreme Champion Exhibit received a trophy made and donated by Clive King, consisting of a wooden plaque with a heavy horse shoe painted and mounted on it, and, as mentioned before, Peter Clarke donated one of his driving whips. Each Champion winner also received a $50 cash prize, donated by the Hills Club.
Other very important sponsors of the show were Virbac (Australia) Pty Ltd, Zilco International Pty Ltd, Willandra Stud, Hawkesbury Equine Vet Centre, the Casper family, the ACDS Federal Council, and harness clubs – Bega Valley, Camden, Hunter, Bungendore, Gulgong and Ellmore. Without all this very generous support the show would not have been possible.
On the day a band of more than twenty members and friends of the Hills Club kept the wheels rolling in many different ways. Alan Ongley was in charge of photography, and with several friends, managed to take many photos and enough video footage to produce a dvd / video of the show. It is currently being put together and will be available for sale in the near future, along with the photos.
Jenny Fawbert, a foundation member of the Hills Club back in the 1970s, was the very competent Announcer, winning much praise for her clear diction, knowledge of carriage driving and way of keeping everyone abreast with classes to come, in progress and class results, as well as advertising and thanking the sponsors.
All in all it was a wonderful cooperative effort made very worthwhile by the great support from all the competitors. Thank you everyone ! The full results are in this Whip Around. Janet Muspratt (Secretary Hills Club)