Easter Sunday was yet another "perfect day in paradise" with temperatures sitting around 25 degrees celsius and a cool breeze blowing - doesn't get much better than this really!

While the kids were out hunting the illusive easter eggs left during the night by the very shy Easter Bunny, the folk with D Grade horses were doing battle for four placings on offer and with a cast of thousands it was not going to be an easy class to win!
Pictured above left - Course Designer, John Wilsher surveys his course as the riders walk the track.

Pictured above centre - successful breeder, Cate Wallace of Wondaree Stud is having a great weekend with her horses in the placings including a win the previous day.

Pictured above right - Commentator for the weekend Paul Williams, taking a well earned break from the microphone. Paul commented after I complimented him on the great job he was doing for the weekend "well hey it gets me out of saddling up a horse or packing up the truck at the end of the weekend, so it'll do me fine!"
Pictured left - always surrounded by a bevy of beauties, Dave Lever from Treehaven Equestrian Club watches the class with interest.
Pictured left - no, the ever smiling Kristy Bruhn is not shooting herself, she is running through her jump off track as she is first to go in the C&D Jump Off, leading the charge of 13 riders looking for 5 places.

Kristy, the local Mount Gambier girl and always competitive with her great team of horses led the way over the 9 fence Wilsher jump off track which allowed plenty of places to cut time out for the brave. Kristy and Belcam Cosmic were going great guns until the 3rd last fence which was the new KFC stile fence, which caught so many out during the weekend, leaving Kristy with 4 faults in 47.61secs.

Second out was the man who traveled the greatest distance to get to the show, for his first \(and we hear not his last) visit to the Mount, Des Gleeson from far north New South Wales. Des was aboard Goodnight Kiss and all was going well until they too fell victim to the dreaded KFC stile fence, also finishing with 4 faults in the fast time of 44.93secs.

Third out, Kelvin Blumson with the lovely rising 8 year old grey gelding everyone tried to buy, Hendrikson and this combination were on track to give us the first clear round until Last Fence Syndrome hit bringing down 6B to see this combination leave the arena with 4 faults in an even faster time of 43.56secs.

So the times were getting faster but still no clear rounds - fourth to give it a try around the dance floor was the ever popular and all all round "good bloke" Brett Hickey and the handsome Devito but today was not to be their day when the KFC stile fence fell and then to add insult to injury second last 6A fell leaving them with 8 faults in 45.18secs.

Amanda Barclay and Ain't Misbehaving uncharacteristically had two fences down which started with the second fence and finished with the last fence giving them 8 faults in 45.18secs.

Rider number 6, the inform Ingrid Kimpton and the very talented PS Monet - pictured below right over the first fence in the jump off - were next to go - and the crowd roared their approval when they lightly danced their way around the chess board leaving all the pieces standing as they came through the finish flags all clear on jumping and the clocked stopped at the careful time of 51.70secs.
With the clear round drought broken would more follow?

The answer was a resounding yes when Fiona John and the feisty little mare Wondaree Sprite - pictured below over the final fence (6B) - took to the course with determination and they jumped a super clear round stopping the clock at 47.16secs to take the lead from Ingrid
Following Fiona was her student, Deb McMaugh, also aboard a Wondaree horse, this time the pretty grey mare, Flirt - pictured below, also over fence 6B - and these two are forming a great partnership with a bright future ahead of them. Today Deb found herself in the position of owing Fiona a bottle of wine when she came through the finish flags clear in the faster time of 45.52secs easily removing the lead from Fiona!
Number 9 in the draw, South Australian, Amy Graham was next out with her coach Michelle Strapp's horse SE Prada - pictured below over the stile - and all was going well until the dreaded KFC stile caught then unawares and fell giving them 4 faults in the very fast time of 42.40secs.
Mortlake man Timmy Clarke was next to take on the course designers jump off - and Timmy set off at a beautiful rhythm on the handsome young stallion Belcam Catalyst which has everyone talking and for the right reasons! This combination waltzed around the jump of making it look easy and when they came
through the finish flags everything was in place and the clock was stopped at 42.75secs which effectively snatched the lead away from Deb McMaugh. Belcam Catalyst and Timmy Clarke pictured below - show just how easy that stile fence can be to jump!

Young rider, Ingrid Williamson and HR Black Magic did a good round with the third fence in down and they fell victim to the KFC fence to finish with 8 faults in 49.95secs.

Next to go, speed demon Phil Stephens - the man that the riders fear because "if he leaves the fences up nobody can touch his time" but today with Craft Swindler the time was the fastest but with two down the 8 faults in 42.19secs wasn't go to see them in the lineup.

Last to go and the only one who could deny Timmy Clarke the win was Ben Jolley but today was not to his and DS Carter when they finished with 12 faults in 45.36secs.

Final placings - C&D Grade jump off class

1st - Tim Clarke and Belcam Catalyst - C/C 42.75secs
2nd - Deb McMaugh and Wondaree Flirt - C/C 45.52secs
3rd - Fiona John and Wondaree Sprite - C/C 47.16secs
4th - Ingrid Kimpton and PS Monet - C/C 51.70secs
5th - Amy Graham and SE Prada - C/4 42.40secs
Page Two

This is Page One

Back to News Index