Gravesend Set for Hundreds of Pony Club Visitors

Breanna Geloven from Zone 22 competing in the Three Mug Sporting Race at last year’s Championships

Beau Holden in the 2016 State Campdrafting Championships

Siblings (L-R) Amy and Anthony Shultz from Gloucester Pony Club will aim to defend their titles in the State Campdrafting Championships

By: Leanna Haines/PCANSW

The 2017 Pony Club NSW State Sporting, Campdraft and Team Penning Championships are just under two weeks away, to be held in Gravesend from 8-10 April. 

The event has attracted a great number of competitors from all over NSW and interstate from QLD, with over 300 entries received. Competitors will bring along their parents, friends or helpers to assist, bringing hundreds of new visitors to the region. Gravesend is a small town east of Moree with less than 300 residents and limited shops, motels and facilities. Competitors will camp on the grounds with Gravesend Pony Club welcoming visitors with two Championship Dinners held on the Friday & Saturday nights.

Owner of the grounds, David Schouten has generously offered his land and facilities to host the Championships, as well as providing the cattle for the Campdraft and Team Penning events.

Competition begins on Saturday at 8:30am with the State Sporting Championships where over 150 riders will test their skills, speed and agility through a series of races including the barrel race and bending race. Sunday will see 200 head of David Schouten’s cattle brought in for the State Campdraft Championships – riders compete individually to cut a beast out of a mob and manoeuvre the beast around a set course. On Monday riders will form teams of three for the State Team Penning Championships – a fast paced event that gives teams 2 minutes to separate three specific cattle from a herd of 30 and put them into a pen at the opposite end of the arena.

The most successful riders in each Age group will be awarded the 2017 Age Champion award and receive a sash, trophy and wool rug thanks to our sponsors at Horseland.

Siblings Amy and Anthony Shultz from Gloucester Pony Club in Zone 25 will be participating in the Championships at Gravesend this year hoping to continue their success after claiming last year’s Campdraft 10 & under 13 years Age Champion and Reserve Age Champion. The pair were unbeatable at last year’s championships held in Quirindi and are back again to defend their titles.

Coverage of the event can be found on the Pony Club NSW Facebook page. For more information contact the PCA NSW State Office on (02) 4229 8977. 

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