Sungold MIlk sponsored the Shipwreck Coast Showjumping Championships and it was great to see so many young ones drinking milk instead of sugared soft drinks - milk is cool to drink these days, whether it is flavoured or plain and maybe this is a welcome return to some of the old ways, which actually were the good ways!

Due to the incredible conditions currently being experienced in Ireland, United Kingdom and Europe getting to Australia for the jumpingaround team was a little more difficult this year but we did make it for the Championship day on Sunday!

The weather around Victoria was forecast for very nasty heat, but at Warrnambool there was a cool breeze blowing keeping temperatures pleasant and bearable which, as always, attracted the many holiday makers, in the Warrnambool area for their summer holidays to the Racecourse.

And they were well rewarded seeing some excellent jumping over exceptionally well designed courses combined with the great Summer Racing Festival - activities for the kids and a safe environment meaning the whole family can enjoy their day.

The D Grade Championship classs saw 50+ competitors who had traveled from South Australia as well as many parts of Victoria - and the numbers did drop down a little for the C&D Grade Championship, which saw near enough on 40 starters for the John Wilsher course which required horses which had brakes, gears and steering and they also had to have scope - this was not a track for a horse that needed a "wing and prayer" to jump past 1.10m.

There was nothing on the course to trick a horse, nor a rider but the riders had to be educated when walking their course and they had to have educated horses under them otherwise things were going to come unstuck!

Eight combinations went through to contest the jump off which consisted of 8 efforts (7 fences) and the trail blazer was Lachlan Brennan and Raylyns Eliza and they gave notice of their intention to take home the $240 first place money from the $750 prize fund.

Coming home in 41.28secs with all fences standing was not going to be easy to beat as all fences had to be left up to take a run at Lachlan's time.

Russell Johnstone and NP Centurian jumped a super round also leaving all the furniture in place and they stopped the clock at 41.80secs, leaving Lachlan still in provisional first.

Laurie Lever and Chancellor looked they may have the goods until Laurie's GPS seemed to let him down and he jumped the wrong fence to see elimination for his troubles.

Ashley Kurzman and Rafter, who according to the funniest commentator around Taddy McLean. was named after the tennis legend Pat Rafter - but whoever he was named after, today was not to be one for the "book of happy days" when 4 fences ended on the floor for this combination.
Pictured left - Taddy McLean doing his "duck call" with the Bundaberg Ginger Beer ring pull - now it may not have reached the big city yet but Bundaberg Ginger Beer is the preferred drink of legends and fashonistas the world over - so now the secret is out, stock up everyone!

Pictured right - yes you have guessed right - the perfect esky for you Bundaberg Ginger Beer - it is on wheels!!!

So back to the jumping - next out Jamie Murray, one of Australia's best, riding a young horse, Jackie

Splash and he would have been happy enough as they finished with just four faults in 44.80secs.

Jono Smith, son of Sue and Chris Smith rode Sanskrit Park Radar to a careful 4 fault round with a time, 54 flat, which saw them out of the money for this class.

Melissa Froesch had a very uncharacteristic round with Hedge today finishing with 3 fences down but perhaps the horse was thinking of his days as a racehorse, maybe on this very course!

Last to go, with Lachlan holding his provisional lead, is Bianca Gilchrist and she knows how to steer Robee Dee around a fast jump of course - and today she gave it her best shot coming through the finish flags with everything where the course crew put it and the clock stopped at 41.86secs leaving the $240 to young Lachie Brennan, second place money of $170 went to Russell Johnstone and NP Centurian and Bianca and Robee Dee took home $120 for third place.

A great class with a crowd pleasing result which is always nice to see and hear - the cheers say it all!

As mid day loomed the race crowds began to pour through the gates and amongst the Sunday revelers was a mini bus load of lads who were apparently on weekend bucks turn - now they may not have been dedicated jumping fans, and in fact knew next to nothing about our sport when they first arrived!

They may not have been dressed quite appropriately but no doubt they all thought they looked beautiful - but by the time organiser and diplomat extraordinaire, Noel Kinnear had finished with them, they understood the rules and had a notion about how clever the riders and horses were to jump the big fences, which today stood at 1.40m for the A&B Grade Championship - and the naked bottom had been covered up, much to the relief of some who were a touch shocked!
Pictured left - the offending "bits" have been blocked to avoid any embarassment to our readers!
Pictured right - on reading the dress it became clear that the bottom exposer was actually the Groom!
Our Facebook will have more from this mad mob - it really doesn't fit with the jumping but we just couldn't leave them out of our coverage - they were having fun and enjoying showjumping so of course we had to include them!

Then it was finally time for the feature event of the show - the Sungold Milk A&B Grade Championships which had a prize fund of $1000 with $300 to first, $230 for second and $160 for third with money to 8th place.

With numbers at the top end of showjumping reducing like a badly managed bank account at the World Cup shows it was fabulous to see 14 combinations lining up for starters orders. Many of the World Cup shows in Australia have been struggling in the just completed season to see 9 entries which is not a good indication of where the sport is heading.

But perhaps the sport is heading towards those who enjoy the sport for the pure enjoyment, without wanting to make it a career or profession - hence the increased numbers at shows like Shipwreck Coast Championships.

Kristy Bruhn was the trail blazer today in round one with Belcam Cosmic - pictured below left - and they finished round one with 4 jumping penalties and one time penalty.
Second to go was Olympian Russell Johnstone and his aptly named Cruising Downunder, - pictured below - by the great Irish sire Cruising and they put in a lovely clear round showing the course was jumpable!

The youngest rider in the class was Jonathon Smith riding the former ride of dad, Chris, Sanskrit Park Calais - pictured below - and they too put in a super clear round today.

Timmy Clarke and the opinionated grey mare Caltango were next to go and even though the round looked hairy, the mare never laid nail to rail and came through the finish flags with everything in place!

Jess Barton was next out but she was competing H/C in this class as she felt the C&D might be a little easy for the horse.

Unfortunately things didn't go according to plan when a little miss to the first fence with Lamaz left the

horse a little unsure and he was not willing to even try for fence two and the combination left the ring with an elimination for two stops.

Ingrid Clarke (and yes that is the first time jumpingaround have written her up as a newly married lady) and the gorgeous PS Monet lowered fence 4 to finish with four faults.

And then it was the defending champion from 2009, Greg Smith and the legendary Henry Higgs who at a spritely 20 years of age is showing no sign of slowing down even though maybe Greg would like to slow down a bit!

Henry Higgs and Greg Smith put in a beautiful clear round to ensure they would be in the second round to contest their title. And on the subject of the Higgs horses - Big Higgs has a new home - he is now resident with the Butcher twins in NSW where they will continue to compete in the Young Rider classes with this very experienced and successful horse and no doubt will clock up some good wins while also having a ball with Big Higgs.

Kristy Bruhn followed up with a clear round from Raylybe Jack and Melissa Froesch and one of our favourite horses, Glenara Bollinger also produced a clear round with the big jumping mare.

Rachel Gane surprised the showjumping crowd when she put in a clear round with GP Crossroads who is a little horse who might be said to lack a little confidence - but today with a bit of assistance from Rachel he produced a clear.

Caroline Price and Kaaponic had the start everyone dreads when the first fence fell but adding 7A meant they were well out of today's game.

In a very uncharacteristic start Morris Clarke and the loveable coloured rubber ball Contagious also had the first fence down and then added 7A from the treble to finish out of the race with 8 faults.

Timmy Clarke and the handsome stallion Belcam Catalyst jumped a class round but had a little misunderstanding coming to 7A and they finished with just four faults but didn't reappear for the second round as Catalyst had given himself a bit of an over reach injury and best to leave well enough alone was the decision made for the horses welfare.

Last to go in round one of the Sungold A&B Grade Championships was Kristy Bruhn and her second ride, Habarty - pictured right - and they jumped a clear round with time right to go through to the second round.

And so it was time for the all important second round - if there is equality after this round there will be a jump off, otherwise the lowest combined total from two rounds will be proclaimed the winner of the 2010 Championship title.

Morris Clarke and the coloured pony Contagious - pictured below - danced their way around the course very freshly and all was looking good over the 10 effort, 8 fence track until the penultimate fence, 11A fell leaving them with 4 faults added to their 8 faults in round one seeing them out of the money this time with a combined total of 12 faults.
Kristy Bruhn and Cosmic were after the money and that was obvious

as she came through the start flags and even though Cosmic gave the rail at 7B a good rub, the middle rail fell, so not altering the height of the fence, so no penalties added and as they flew through the finish flags it was a clear round to add to their round one 5 faults provisionally putting them in the lead at this early stage!

Ingrid Clarke and PS Monet - pictured below - finished walking out separately after Inge had a very nasty fall when they tried to cut out a stride from 7B to 8. Even though they both walked out of the arena we have since had word that Inge has a broken collar bone and wish her a speedy recovery.
Russell Johnstone and Cruising Downunder came into the second round carrying zero faults but when the third fence fell they came through the finish flags with a combined two round total of 4 faults, provisionally putting them in the lead.

Young Jono Smith and SP Calais were another combinatin who had the third fence on course down and Jono and Calais then added a further four faults with a refusal at the third last fence finishing this round with 8 faults and a combined total of 8 faults.

Timmy Clarke and Caltango - pictured below - were next to go and they came forward carrying no faults - unfortunately they fell victim to the third fence on course along with others and finished with a four fault, two round total.

Next, the defending champions, Greg Smith and the wonderful gentleman, Henry Higgs aqnd it looked like they were going to give us our first double clear until the second last fence (11A) fell and the crowd collectively groaned for this combination. They finished with a collective score of 4 faults but with the very fast time f 49.81secs and three riders to go.

Rachel Gane and Crossroads - pictured below right -had a refusal at the third fence on course and that is the only issue they had seeing them also finish with

a collective total of four faults but with a very slow time of 61.83secs meaning they were not taking the lead from Smithy and Henry.

The ever competitive Melissa Froesch and Glenara Bollinger - pictured below - rode a stunning round and it certainly looked like they were giving us the first double clear and time was cautious but shouldn't matter if she was the only double clear - but it was not to be today when the final fence landed on the ground leaving them with a combined total of 4 faults and a time of 54.40secs, which was too slow to take the lead from Smithy
 

Last to go and the only one who could deny Smith and Henry back to back wins, Kristy Bruhn and Habarty and they were intending to win - this was clear as Kristy wound up Habarty coming into the start flags and things were looking good as the horse never laid nail to rail until the dreaded second last fence caught them out as well and they too finished with a combined two round total of 4 faults and with the time of 51.87secs the win went to Greg Smith and the legendary Henry Higgs who at 20 years of age is still jumping with the same fun and enjoyment of his job as he did 10 years ago!

All in all, a very successful class with a result everyone was happy with - the riders all said they had no problems coming in behind such a legend of a horse with such a great rider in the saddle.

Pictured above left and right - Henry Higgs (thoroughbred, turning 21 this year) and rider, Greg Smith (turning 21 plus GST a couple of time, this year) - winners of the Sungold Milk A&B Championship 2010.

For moving pictures of Melissa Froesch and Glenara Bollinger click here

Apologies for lack of moving pictures - there has been a youtube glitch.
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