Tom Quilty Gold Cup Endurance Ride - to Complete is to Win!

Six-time Tom Quilty Gold Cup winner, Brook Sample riding Brookleigh Faith at England Creek last year. Photos: Sue Crockett.

Johann Willemse and Cheraz Silver Pocket, winners of the Queensland State Championships 2012, on the Kilkivan course.

Australia’s iconic endurance horse ride, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, will be held at Kilkivan in south-east Queensland from 7 – 9 June 2013.

Riders, horses and strapping crews will travel from across Australia and overseas to compete in this ultimate test of endurance, where participants aim to complete the 160km course within 24 hours.

The first heavyweight or middleweight division competitor across the finish line will win the 2013 Tom Quilty Gold Cup award. (The original perpetual cup is a permanent exhibit at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, Queensland.)

For most competitors, the overall aim is to complete the five-leg course and receive an esteemed Quilty Buckle award.

In the spirit of the ride’s motto – To Complete is to Win – a specially crafted belt buckle goes to every successful competitor in recognition of the high standard of horsemanship required to complete the rigorous course.

This means many long hours in the saddle and the careful tending of tiring horses. At the end of the race, each mount is vetted and must be deemed in sound condition and fit to continue.

In 2013, the 48th Tom Quilty is expected to attract a record number of rider/horse teams according to Vern Berry, President of the Kilkivan Endurance Riders Association, which is hosting the event.

“This is due to the central location of the venue at Kilkivan, the riding conditions during Queensland’s mild winter, and the historic significance of the course – the third leg covers part of the Cobb & Co Heritage Trail.”

Vern expects the 2013 Quilty will attract around 330 competitors, including more than 20 international riders – from Japan, the U.S., the UAE, South Africa and New Zealand. Many of these riders also travel to California in the U.S. for The Tevis Cup ride which also covers 100 miles (160km) in one day and is considered the most challenging endurance ride in the world.

The Quilty is Australia’s best test of true horsemanship. It begins at midnight on June 7 and runs until midnight on June 8, starting and finishing at the Kilkivan showground, approximately 290 kms north west of Brisbane.

Nominations officially open on January 20 and close on April 30. To compete in the Quilty, a rider must have completed a 160km ride in one day, and the minimum age is 12.

International riders must prove they have completed at least 240km in endurance competition.

Horses must be at least six years old, be qualified endurance horses and have successfully completed at least one 80km (or further) ride in the 13 months prior to June 2013.

Quick Links

• For more information visit  www.kilkivanquilty.com
• View Endurance horses for sale on Horsezone