By Joy Ringrose
It is not often that you can get to see Olympic level showjumping in your own backyard, but this coming weekend you can do just that.
The Sunshine Coast Showjumping Club’s July show at the Nambour Showgrounds promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
Held over four days, from 20-23 July, it will feature the most successful riders from Australia and New Zealand.
Prize money this year is an unprecedented $30,000 due to the continuing success of this well-attended club, whose monthly meetings attract the best jumping horses and riders in the district.
It will feature the biggest prize money Grand Prix that the district has ever seen.
The show caters to all levels of riders, with Thursday’s classes a warm-up for the bigger classes in the next three days.
Two arenas will be run on grass, with the professionals taking the higher jumps in ring one, and the younger riders competing in ring two.
On Friday, the bigger money classes start, and on Saturday afternoon at 4pm the nail-biting speed class gets underway – one round at break-neck speed over the long European-style course in the main Arena. Some of the best horses in the nation will be competing in this event.
Sunday is the big money day, starting with the Future Stars Classic, for horses 10 years and under, with $4280 in prize money to be won.
At around noon the big event of the show takes place, the $10,000 Grand Prix, with its $3000 first prize.
The nation’s top riders will be competing in this class, with two top Pacific League Word Cup riders, James Arkins and Billy Raymont, battling New Zealand Olympian Katie McVean, for line honours.
Katie has previously sold a horse that she had bred and trained, Dustan Delphi, to an overseas buyer for over $10 million dollars.
Current Queensland State Champion Stuart Jenkins will also be in the mix! Altogether, twenty World Cup riders will be competing in this class.
Horses not placed in the top ten in the Grand Prix can still have a shot at the money in the $2780 prized Mini Prix, which is on straight after.
This show is free to the public, and is a chance to see the nation’s top horses in action.
See the sunshinecoastshowjumpingclub.com.au for more details.
Anyone wanting further information about entries can ring Sue Raymont on 5447 6589.
