Sport
8 December, 2023
Horse Trials this weekend
HORSE-RIDERS from across the country are saddling up for the annual Lakes and Craters Horse Trials this weekend at the Camperdown Sporting Complex.
Riders and horses from every state and territory, excluding Queensland, will compete over the three-day event in dressage, cross-country and show-jumping.
Horses will arrive on Thursday in preparation for the event; dressage will be held on Friday, with the cross-country event on Saturday and show-jumping on Sunday.
The Lakes and Craters Horse Trials committee have been hard at work earlier in the week, putting together obstacles for the cross-country event on Saturday.
Lakes and Craters Horse Trials committee member Barry Roycroft AM OLY said he was hoping for riders to feel as if they had fulfilled their training ambitions.
“We’re hoping for everyone to have a really good time,”
“Riders get a lot of self-satisfaction out of preparing their horses properly and so forth.
“There’s a number of competitors in the classes, but they can only have one winner.”
Mr Roycroft AM OLY said the Lakes and Craters Horse Trials was the last event for the year.
“It’s very popular; we’ve got 200 entries here, which is a good entry for here, considering the cost of travelling these days and the mere fact that we’re a couple hundred kilometres form Melbourne,” he said.
“The majority of them do it for a sport.
“We have some true professionals, but most of the riders do it as a hobby.”
Mr Roycroft AM OLY extended his gratitude to the committee, which is entirely run by volunteers, for their hard work.
“There’s no entrance fee,” he said.
“We welcome everyone to come along on Friday, Saturday or Sunday just to see riders appreciating their horses’ performances.
“There’s plenty of spots to spectate from on cross country day.”