And the final day of the show had arrived and although the forecast was for rain and overcast conditions the day was bright and warm, if just a touch humid with quite a bit of moisture in the air but this did not dampen the spirits of any at the show.

With several warm up classes to begin the day, the talk was, as always about the two main classes of the four days - two of the most prestigious classes in the country, with a leaderboard that reads like a Who's Who of Australian Showjumping - the A&B Grade Championship and the Blue Lakes Futurity Stakes.

Just a couple of the interesting stats from the A&B Grade Championship, which is too modestly named and should really have the title of Grand Prix. This has never been an easy class to win as the tracks have always been testing, with no consideration (or personal opinion) of the ability or otherwise of the horses entered. If entering this championship you had better be very sure that your horse and yourself are up to the task because there will be no "free rides" in Mount Gambier.

In 1998 James Paterson-Robinson was the first rider to win both the A&B Grade Championship and the Blue Lake Stakes Futurity with Savoire Faire (A&B) and the little chestnut stallion Albridee Starman.

This trend continued in 1999 when Jeff Bloomfield won both events with Williamsburg (A&B) and Money Talks who then went on 12 months later to the Sydney Olympic Games to place 20th.

In 2000 Jamie Murray won both events with CT Coincidence (A&B) and Koyuna Mousetrap continuing the trend but this has not been achieved since!

Jamie Kermond won the Blue Lakes Stakes Futurity with the gutsy little ex-racehorse Stylish King in 2003 and then won it again in 2004. Stylish KIng went on to represent Australia with Jamie in 2006 in Aachen, Germany.

In 2005, Laurie Lever and Ashleigh Drossel Dan won the Blue Lakes Stakes and they are currently in Italy hoping to represent Australia in Hong Kong for ther 2008 Olympic Games.

The defending A&B Grade Championship rider, Greg Smith has won the this class in 2006 and 2007 with the ever reliable and talented Henry Higgs who is now a "young 18 year old" - and is entered in todays class. Greg Smith has also represented his country in the international jumping arenas.

And so to the class itself - the Judge kindly allowed the riders to ride without jackets when the temperature gauge showed 28celsius - and the riders greatly appreciated this offer - the were sweating enough walking the John Wilsher track which saw the fences sitting at 1.45/1.50m over a track which would require horses to be clean, supple, athletic and obedient as there was no place for the "yank, kick, pull" method of riding over a track with mostly related distances and the treble was of concern, with good reason, to the riders as they walked the track.

Fence 6 was a triple bar which measured in at 1.50m x 1.80m and with a right curve to the oxer/oxer/vertical , part B was going to catch enough out - and indeed half the field of 20 starters pulled 7B.

Eight combinatins were invited back to the second round which saw the track shortened but nothing raised. The only change to heights was fence 3 (rustic planks with a pole on top) was lowered when it became the first fence on the track.

The 8 faulters and one 12 faulters were invited back to round two as there were no clears and no 4 faulters from the first round. Some suggested the track was too tough, and that Course Designer Wilsher had perhaps gone too hard - and this is something which will no doubt be tossed around camp fires for a while to come with two schools of thought - after 4 days of jumping the horses should have been jump fit for the job and if they weren't then the riders should not have perhaps started them. The second school of thought is that many riders have traveled some distance to ride at this show and particular in this class so the track should have been softer to accomodate the horses in it - but who makes the decision whether the track should be softened or not? This is a decision which would carry with it accusations perhaps of favouritism etc. - and one thing which is always guaranteed is the John Wilsher has never shown favouritism to any combination and he has no invested interest as he has no horses running in any classes!

So the class went ahead - and it was tough!

First out in the second round was South Australian, Anthony Thomas and Sandstone - pictured below left - and they carried forward 12 faults from the first round. They jumped a super second round coming through the finish flags with all fences standing and stopping the clock at 35.41secs.

Defending champion Greg Smith with his youngster Big Higgs - pictured above right - carried forward 8 faults and they jumped a super clear round over the shortened course and stopped the clock at 36.36secs after a cleverly ridden round which saw their final total at 8 faults.

Third to go was Brook Dobbin and GP Shine - pictured below left - who won this class in 2005 but a refusal at the second fence saw them finish with 4 faults in 48.05secs for a total of 12.

Fourth out, also bringing forward 8 faults was, soon to be father, Andrew Lamb and another of the handsome greys currently jumping, Belcam Armada - pictured above right - but today was not to be their day when they lowered three fences for 12 faults giving them a final total of 20.

Fifth to go, and the bookies favourite, Amy Graham and Transatlantic - pictured below left - clocked up a super clear round with barely a nail ladi to rail to finish with their round one tally of 8 faults but their time of 36.81secs was not quite fast enough after Amy took a pull to the liverpool fence and so Greg Smith remained in the lead with 3 combinations to follow.

Faultline and Randall Jolley - pictured above right over fence 3 which became the first fence in round two - were definitely the rookies of this class and things did come a little unstuck in the second round when they lowered fences 10,11 and 12A to finish with 12 faults added to their first round 8 faults finishing on 20 faults.

Timmy Clarke and Freedom Road - pictured below left - put in a good performance which looked like it might be clean until the rails fell at the swedish oxer which was in the middle of the second round track - they finished with a total of 12 faults over the two rounds.

Last to go, and the only one who could deny Greg Smith his third win in a row was Robbie Agnew and his now 18 year old former Australian Champion DP Envy - pictured above right - but today the second round proved a little much for him when he lowered the second and third fences on course for 8 faults and a total of 16 for the two rounds.

Which left the win to Greg Smith on board Big Higgs this time and he now the first rider towin this presitgious event three years in a row.

Second place went to newcomer Amy Graham and the imported Dutch gelding Translatlantic.

Third went to Anthony Thomas and Sandstones, with Timmy Clarke and Freedom Road in fourth and Brook Dobbin took fifth place.