Three days of horse riding graced the Glen Innes Showground at the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Young riders and their mounts put their best feet forward at Friday's Glen Innes High School horse sports day, Glen Innes Pony Club's interclub event on Saturday and the Zone 13 Pony Club campdraft on Sunday.
Numbers were up at the interclub with 122 riders entered and Glen Innes Pony Club president Charles Kiehne said it was one of the biggest interclubs on the calendar so far.
"Our interclub was really good, great numbers, got finished on time, and got a shower of rain on Saturday night," he said.
"It has been consistent across the northern lot that there has been over 100 kids.
"I think a lot of that has to do with there are so many young ones coming through.
"I think it was 11 to 13 [year-old girls], there were 24 girls in that age group.
"That is phenomenal.
"I think the 9 to 11 girls had something like 18 so you're looking at 40-odd girls in two age groups.
"We have little ones coming through too; a good smattering of under five and under seven coming through the zone so all is well for the future."
A huge contingent of Glen Innes riders found themselves with either champion or reserve sashes at the end of the day.
Sunday saw the Zone 13 campdraft with around 50 riders competing.
The host club scored three out of three champion ribbons.
Ilyssa Newbury won the under-13 campdraft, Sam Donnelly won the 13-to-17-year-old's category while Shannon Williamson won the associate trophy.
Kiehne put the success of the club down to the high quality of instructors at their finger tips.
"The Glen Innes kids, Codie Law he is their chief instructor and he was pretty proud," he said.
"I have always said at Glen Innes we pride ourselves that we can go within a 100km radius and pick instructors that are at the elite end of their sport.
"That puts us into a good position for our kids, whether it was flat riding, sporting, or campdrafting, we are very lucky.
"We have got good horsie families as well.
"The kids coming through now are probably grand kids or great grand kids of people like my father who started the club. When you add all those factors together, it is probably no wonder we are a reasonably successful club."
The final interclubs are this Sunday, December 1 at Uralla and Sunday, December 8 at Walcha.