Over the weekend of 30 April and 1 May Moora hosted the Moora Toyota Horse Trials, drawing 292 horses and over 500 riders and spectators to town. The Moora region was represented by 12 junior and senior riders; some riders attending their first ever One Day Event and others achieving personal best results. With a total rainfall of 62 ml for the month of April, the grounds were green and soft under foot – a stark contrast to years gone by with dry Aprils and not a blade of grass in sight. Weekend conditions were perfect with both days sunny and cool.
The grounds were a hive of activity in the 2 weeks leading up to the event. Works undertaken included the complete resurfacing of the main show-jumping arena, top-dressing of the dressage surface and a new river crossing opened up connecting the back paddock to the main grounds. These were all finalised at the very last minute and held up wonderfully. The new surface in the main arena was lovely under foot and the upgrade was appreciated by all riders.
This year’s cross country courses proved challenging to some horse and rider combinations, but most riders finished with a big smile on their face. This year the CNC*, CNC** and EvA105 courses were designed by Tom Compagnoni of Perth who has been a great supporter of the event for many years. The EvA95 and EvA80 course was designed by local rider Lucy Atty and the EvA65 and PC45 was designed by local rider Jemma Vanzetti. Lucy and Jemma are both in the process of receiving their course designers accreditation.
Each phase ran smoothly and on time with the final competitor riding at 3:40 and the event officially closing at 5:15. It is a credit to the event committee and organisers to be able to run such a large scale event and finish in such a timely manner. Moora Horse Trials would like to thank Todd and Raelene Lewis of Moora Toyota for coming on board as the major event sponsor. They are both fully involved in the local pony club and running of the Horse Trials so their further support has been much appreciated. We would also like to thank Thompson & Redwood, Granite Innovations, Zia Park, Horseland, Morgan Witham, Dunnings Fuel, Equine World, Tronox, Dark Selections, MR Floors and Furnishings, Breakaway Earthmoving and Moora Veterinary Services for their class sponsorship. Brookfield Rail’s donation of second hand sleepers also allowed the creation of a new horse jump.
Many of these businesses have been supporting the Moora Horse Trials for a number of years, as well as the greater equestrian community. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the local businesses and many volunteers for their time and support. Without you we cannot run an event, congratulations.
