This premier show is usually held in late January but the change was made to early December and there was a definite improvement in the weather - although still sultry Sydney weather the heat was not there which made it so much more pleasant for spectators, riders, grooms and horses.

The venue still lacks atmosphere but this is not the fault of the organisers - the place is big, with no trees planted to give natural shade and aesthetics to the venue. Things this year seemed a little less slick than previous years but perhaps the change of date put excess pressure on the organisers.

Fridays 1.20m jump off class also incorporated the Young Rider class and the results were interesting on many levels. The Senior 1.20m class was won by Jenny Sheppard and her imported mare LicaraR. Second place went to Queenslander, Billy Raymont and vertical Horizon and third place went to Vicki Roycroft and her imported world cup horse, Ricardo D.

Great to see Colleen Brook - pictured left - back in the competitive saddle. This combination was one of only 8 through to the jump off and they completed clear jumping in a time of 35.71secs to take a placing.

Jack Mornda and Concurry - pictured below - did a great job going through to the jump off but one fence down kept them out of the placings today.

The results of the Young Rider class gave Emily Blinkworth and CP Argentina, Hilary Scott and Indra second placing and Julia Hargreaves and Coppa Bella CouerCheval third place - the girls took the prize money today!

The 1.30m class saw only 2 out of some 30 entries go clear and through to a jump off. Sophia Costello and BIg Bucks took out 3 fences in the jump off finishing with 12 faults in 36.96secs.

Vicki Roycroft and Ricardo D were next out in the jump off and they looked to be finishing with a double clear until the dreaded last fence fell leaving them with 4 faults but a clear winner in this class.

Third place went to Amy Graham and her fashionably grey import, Transatlantic when they jumped clear but collected one time penalty in the first round. Fourth place went to Queenslander, Paula Hamood and Bucks Bunny and Billy Raymont took 5th and 6th places with his two greys, Vertical Horizon and Cardoso.

The next class was possibly the most disappointing class of the day - the Wentworth Stars of the Future Class - this is a class which is where we usually see the quality up and coming young horses and the jumping is usually pleasing to watch! This was not the case today - 37 starters and only two clear rounds!

Leopoldo's track was open and flowing with true distances - there was an open water with a rail over it to give young horses an opportunity to jump water without pressure. The two doubles on course were placed in a way which was easy enough to get to if the horses were educated to ride between their fences.

Fence three became a bogey fence in an extreme manner - 28 combinations had the fence down and one had a refusal at it - surely as the riders watched others have this fence they would look at different ways of approaching it! Fence 1 was a vertical to fence two's oxer - there was a slight right curve to the butterfly oxer fence at 3 - pictured below - which had water under it. Those who managed to over this fence (and there were only nine of them) got their horse straight to the fence, rather than angling to it!

Horses with 12 penalties or less were taken into the second round which was to run the following day - this saw 21 riders through to the second roound.

The two clear rounds went to Jeff Bloomfield and Dinali Blue and Lachlan Manuael and Odyssey Park Orthodox.