Girton Grammar School hosts the Bendigo Horseland Interschool Dressage Championships

Tuesday 14th March

 

The Girton Grammar School Bendigo Interschool Dressage Championships drew participants from 53 schools across Victoria at the Elmore Equestrian Centre on Friday 10th March.

Affiliated with Equestrian Australia and sponsored by Horseland Bendigo, the school championship event attracted 144 riders aged between 7 and 18 years to compete in a series of Dressage tests.

Eight Girton students qualified for the event, including Audrey Crean (12 Millward), Harrison Walls (10 Aherne), Francis Walls (8 Aherne), Maggie Walmsley (9 Aherne), Charlie Walmsley (7 Aherne), Harriet Williams (7 Jenkin) and Leah Pickering (6 Millward).

Dressage is a discipline that involves training horses to perform a series of precise and controlled movements, and riders are judged on their ability to execute the movements correctly and with style. Judges assess the horse’s movement and the rider’s balance, position, and control.

As part of Girton’s Co-curricular Program, Girton Equestrian Club meets regularly throughout the year and is led by Girton teacher Mrs Nic James. Throughout the year, students compete individually and in teams in a variety of interschool Showjumping, Dressage, Games and Showing competitions, both local, regional, and interstate.

“Preparing for events like this takes hours of training and practice, both in the saddle and out of it,” said Nic. “Our riders balance their schoolwork and other commitments with their passion for equestrian sport.

“Riders from all schools are to be congratulated on their excellent efforts today. The camaraderie, encouragement and sportsmanship between the competitors was wonderful to see.”

The event was supported by parents and the broader Girton community who provided all manner of assistance, from event organisation, through to catering and the provision of raffle prizes. The School would especially like to thank Girton Parent, Mrs Jody Pickering, for her tireless work in bringing the event to fruition.

Other student members of the Girton Equestrian Club assisted throughout the day, including Phoebe Rathjen (8 Frew), Darcy Steel (9 Millward), Pippa Bett (9 Aherne), Jack Pickering (7 Millward), Laura Knox (11 Jenkin) and Emily Edwards (10 Jones).

We would also like to thank the major event sponsor, Bendigo Horseland, for their generous support in making this event a reality.