NSW State Endurance Championships

April Bonham and Joda Shantilly, 6th place middleweight in a riding time of 14 hours 50 minutes.  Joda Shantilly is a 14 year old Arabian mare.  April lives at Kurrajong NSW (photo: Kieron Power)

Justin Pilley and Box Hill Ralph 2nd place junior riding time 15 hours 53 minutes.  Box Hill Ralph is a 9 year old Arabian gelding.  Justin is 12 years old and lives at Windeyer NSW (photo: Kieron Power)

The 2011 NSW State Endurance Championships were held in the beautiful Macdonald Valley centred on the village of St Albans.  The event course travelled a distance of 160 kilometres over roads and trails around St Albans and in the surrounding National Park and private land.  The maximum riding time permitted was 24 hours, including rest breaks and veterinary checks.

The motto of endurance riding is “To complete is to win".  This philosophy dictates that all competitors who complete the course, and whose horses are passed as fit to continue at every veterinary check are considered winners, just as much as the placegetters.  This certainly was true of the State Championships which were run under very difficult weather conditions on the June long weekend, with rain starting to fall late afternoon on Saturday, hardly stopping for the whole of Sunday and continuing into Monday.  A week later the sun was shining, but some of the St Albans Common was still more than 0.5 metres underwater, having been 2 metres under on Tuesday night. Some water tubs, road signs and the solar lights which were supposed to mark the course are expected to wash up anywhere between St Albans and Palm Beach!

The event organisers, the St Albans Endurance Riders Association would like to congratulate all of the 41 riders who were successful.  To those who were unsuccessful, our very best wishes for next time.  Special congratulations to our new State Champions Kim Hagon and Diamond R Boston who won the ride in 12 hours 12 minutes.  “Boss” is a home bred 10 year old buckskin Arab Stockhorse gelding.  Kim successfully competed in endurance on Boss’ mother, Trendy, a stockhorse mare and Boss was sired by Donama, who has numerous progeny competing in endurance in Australia and overseas.  Donmana is owned by Suzanne and Alan Barton of Manilla.

Congratulations also to:

Ø  1st Heavyweight Stuart Lymbery and Garonne Park Walker whose riding time was 14 hours 18 minutes

Ø  1st Lightweight Deanna Trevena and Warr of the Roses, riding time 13 hours 12 minutes and

Ø  1st Junior Andrew Mackinder and Sundown Park Cariad in a riding time of 13 hours exactly.

The State Championships had a great field of 60 starters comprising 6 Juniors, 14 Heavyweights, 27 Middleweights and 13 Lightweights.  Although the third leg proved particularly trying because of the weather, the completion rate is a fantastic 68%!  Apparently there has been only one State Championships with a higher completion rate, which was 69% at Windeyer.  Even in spite of the weather, the last riders were home two hours before the cutoff.

The Best Conditioned awards went to:

Ø  Raymar Lyla (Paul Keyes)

Ø  Ralvon Courier (Stuart Hitchcock)

Ø  Warr of the Roses (Deanna Trevena)

Ø  SundownParkCariad (Andrew Mackinder)

As well as the State Championships, an 80km ride was held, which attracted 29 entries.  1st middleweight was Annette Bailey riding Harmere Katif in 5 hours 42 minutes, 1st heavyweight Craig Wilson and Coolahlee Park Saraba in 6 hours 37 minutes and 1st lightweight Elaine Kirby and Excessabelle in 5 hours 57 minutes.  Regrettably, there were no junior entrants.  The Best Conditioned horses were Regency Park Beau Geste (Jodi Preston), Harmere Katif and Coolahlee Park Saraba.  

The State Championships were sponsored by Horsezone who kindly donated gift vouchers for all entrants in both events, and supported the production of our event book.  Our very sincere thanks to Horsezone for their support.  Without our sponsors it would be impossible to run an event like the State Championships.  Details of our sponsors are on the State Championships website www.nswera.asn.au/statechamps

Thank you to Kerry Spratt, Secretary, St Albans Endurance Riders Association Inc for this comprehensive report.

Quick Links

• If you would like more information on endurance riding please visit the NSW Endurance Riders Association website at www.nswera.asn.au . 
• View endurance horses for sale on Horsezone.
• Sell horses or gear on Horsezone.